Camp out overnight in NYC parks with the Urban Park Rangers
All photos courtesy of NYC Parks
Here’s a chance to pitch a tent under the stars in parks around New York City. First launched over 20 years ago, the NYC Parks Department’s Family Camping program provides a free way for New Yorkers to experience overnight camping without leaving the five boroughs. The events, hosted by the Urban Park Rangers, include night hikes, storytelling, and, of course, s’mores. As space is very limited, with just 30 participants per program, according to Gothamist, interested campers must enter a lottery for each event. While registration for the Central Park event has passed, there are plenty of opportunities in other parks across New York, like Inwood Hill Park in Manhattan and Orchard Beach in the Bronx.
“For more than two decades, our Urban Park Rangers’ Family Camping program has introduced hundreds of New Yorkers to the joy of spending a night outdoors, helping families unplug, connect with one another, and experience nature right here in our city,” NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura said in a statement.
“In a place as bustling as New York, creating opportunities for people to camp, explore, and build a relationship with the natural world is more important than ever.”
The Parks department will bring the tents; campers need only bring sleeping bags, bedding, food, and snacks. Camping events will happen throughout the city’s parks on a rolling basis. Applications via the lottery will be accepted every Monday, running for four days with each submission.
The program was designed to introduce sleeping in the great outdoors to city folk who may have never camped before. Each family camping outing will accommodate about 30 people (you don’t need to be a family to enter; you can bring your friends, too).
Other than Central Park, additional camping sites include Alley Pond Park in Queens, Van Cortlandt Park and Orchard Beach in the Bronx, Salt Marsh Nature Center in Brooklyn, Inwood Hill Park in Manhattan, Blue Heron Park on Staten Island, and more. The program is free. Camping in these city parks is prohibited at other times.
Check the NYC Parks website for more information and camping locations.
According to Shimamura, Parks will announce a new program this fall that will allow more New Yorkers to enjoy the great outdoors.
“Stay tuned — this fall, we’re taking our beloved Family Camping program to the next level with a special new camping experience that will give even more New Yorkers the chance to make unforgettable memories in one of our city’s most recognizable public spaces,” she said.
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