Outdoors

New York outdoors.

Start with the place or activity. Read the ordinary rule and the exception that changes it, then check the exact official page before you go.

Guide directory

Choose a place or activity.

Start with the map

Places & Land Managers

Use these when the region or the agency matters more than one activity.

Start here State Parks vs. DEC Land Who manages what: State Parks, DEC, NYC Parks, NPS, towns, counties, and private preserves. City New York City Outdoors Beaches, borough trails, Jamaica Bay, the Greenbelt, and the city's water trail. Region The Adirondacks High Peaks, canoe country, Lake George islands, ORDA venues, and Forest Preserve rules. Region The Catskills Fire towers, Kaaterskill, North-South Lake, trout water, Belleayre, and mountain-town weekends. Region Hudson Valley Outdoors Hudson Highlands, Walkway Over the Hudson, Greenway trails, rail trails, and the estuary. Region Finger Lakes Gorges & Waterfalls Watkins Glen, Taughannock, Ithaca gorges, lake days, swim status, and bloom checks. Region Long Island Beaches & Barrier Islands Jones Beach, Robert Moses, Fire Island, Hither Hills, dunes, surf, permits, and pine barrens. Region Great Lakes & Seaway Lake Erie, Niagara, Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence, Thousand Islands, and big-water planning.

Move through the state

Trails, Wheels & Winter

Hiking, long trails, bikes, ATVs and UTVs, snow, and scenic roads.

Hiking & Trails The Adirondack High Peaks, the Catskills, fire towers, and the Empire State Trail. Route Empire State Trail & Canalway The 750-mile statewide trail, Erie Canalway, Hudson Valley, city greenways, and on-road checks. Biking The 750-mile Empire State Trail and the Erie Canalway. Rules ATVs, UTVs, and off-road riding Registration, insurance, helmets, youth rules, and the signed-route test for ATVs and UTVs. Winter Sports Whiteface, Gore, Belleayre, Lake Placid's Olympic venues, and snowmobiling. Scenic Drives The Seaway Trail, the Whiteface highway, and the Adirondack & Catskill byways.

Water & shore

Water, Shore & Waterfalls

Fishing, boating, paddling, beaches, waterfalls, and the current water check.

Waterfalls Niagara, Letchworth, Taughannock, Watkins Glen, and the Finger Lakes gorges. Boating & Paddling The Thousand Islands, Adirondack canoe routes, Lake George — and Brianna's Law. Fishing Great Lakes salmon, the Salmon River, the Finger Lakes, and Adirondack ponds. Beaches Long Island's ocean, the Great Lakes shore, Finger Lakes beaches, and the city's.

Stay out a while

Camping & Outdoor Safety

Campground and backcountry rules, weather, water, smoke, ticks, bears, and closures.

Camping DEC Adirondack & Catskill campgrounds, backcountry rules, and state-park sites. Safety Outdoor Safety Weather, water, ticks, smoke, bears, fish advisories, blooms, and the quick checks that matter.

Watch, hunt, gather

Wildlife, Birds, Night Sky & Foraging

Wildlife watching, birding, stargazing, hunting, and gathering wild food by the rules.

Wildlife Watching Montezuma, the Albany Pine Bush, Adirondack moose, and watchable-wildlife sites. Birding The Atlantic Flyway — Montezuma, the Niagara gull corridor, and Jamaica Bay. Stargazing The Adirondacks' dark skies and the Tupper Lake observatory. Hunting Deer and bear seasons, hunter education, the license, and where you can hunt. Rules Foraging Wild mushrooms, berries, ramps, land-manager rules, protected plants, and Poison Control.

Before you go

Three checks save most wasted trips.

Find the manager

State Parks, DEC, NYC Parks, NPS, a county, or a town may each have different rules for the same kind of trip.

Check today, not last month

Trail status, beach status, parking, air quality, water quality, and weather are current-condition checks.

Use the exact place page

Check the manager's current page for the park, trail, beach, water, or campground you plan to visit.

Regional shelves

The part of New York can change the plan.

The five boroughs Adirondacks, Lake Placid & Saratoga Finger Lakes, gorges & canal towns Hudson Valley river towns Western New York & the Great Lakes

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