While two DEC campgrounds opened earlier this spring — Fish Creek on April 2 and Wilmington Notch on May 7 — most DEC campgrounds open today, the weekend prior to Memorial Day weekend.

Camping reservations are at an all-time high, the DEC said.

The department also announced improvements at several of its campgrounds.

At the Frontier Town Campground, Equestrian and Day Use Area in North Hudson, on the site of the former Frontier Town theme park, the DEC said it continues to advance modifications to the equestrian camping area in response to feedback received since the facility opened in 2019, including the following:

¯ Sites have been widened to provide more room for horse trailers.

¯ Ten-by-ten-foot planting pits added between sites to provide for young shade trees and other vegetation, along with hitching posts and fencing.

¯ A horse care/wash area added near the comfort station in the equestrian area.

¯ A manure pit was added to the all-season parking area.

The total cost of these improvements was $260,000, which includes repairs to the day-use area following a storm on Halloween 2019.

At the Cranberry Lake Campground and Day-Use Area, the DEC rebuilt the water distribution system at a cost of $600,000.

The DEC rebuilt the main shower building at the Eagle Point Campground in Pottersville at a cost of $100,000.

At the Narrow Island Campground, Lake George, the DEC completed the redevelopment and construction of a new electrical power system, including solar and back-up generator capacity, at a cost of $50,000.

The DEC improved several comfort stations at the Meadowbrook Campground in Ray Brook at a cost of approximately $20,000.

DEC rebuilt the ticket/registration booth at a cost of approximately $20,000 at the Little Sand Point Campground in Piseco.

At the North South Lake Campground in Haines Falls, the DEC rehabilitated a comfort station at a cost of approximately $20,000.

To make reservations, visit https://newyorkstateparks.reserveamerica.com, and consider additional or alternative locations for recreation at https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/permits_ej_operations_pdf/2021guidefull.pdf. For help choosing a location to visit, see DEC’s interactive guide at https://read.nxtbook.com/nysparks/camping_guide/2021/cover.html.