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DEC Summer Camp Registration Opens Sunday, March 22



Families are encouraged to register early for camps

2026 NYS DEC camp registration


The DEC Summer Camps program offers week-long adventures in conservation education for children ages 11-17. DEC operates four residential camps for kids: Camp Colby in Saranac Lake, Franklin County; Camp DeBruce in Livingston Manor, Sullivan County; Camp Pack Forest in Warrensburg, Warren County; and Camp Rushford in Caneadea, Allegany County.

For Summer 2026, Camp Rushford will offer five weeks of programing for campers aged 11 to 13, and two weeks for 14- to 17-year-olds. Camp Colby will operate four weeks of camp for 11- to 13-year-olds, and three weeks for campers aged 14 to 17. Camp DeBruce will offer five weeks for kids ages 11 to 13 and two weeks for 14- to 17-year-olds. Camp Pack Forest will host campers ages 11 to 13 for three weeks, and 14- to 17-year-olds for four weeks. Camps Colby and Pack Forest will each have one Outdoor Adventure Week. The complete schedule of camp weeks and ages is available on the Summer Camps website.

All four camps will offer seven one-week sessions (Sunday to Friday) beginning Sunday, June 28, 2026. One week of camp is $350 per child for 2026, and includes meals, trips, and a camp t-shirt.

Parents and guardians can register youth for a week of camp, manage their account, and complete required forms and waivers through a link from the DEC Summer Camps webpage. Guardians are encouraged to register early since many weeks fill up quickly and are advised to monitor the webpage for upcoming announcements on 2026 camp forms.

In addition to inviting parents and guardians to register children to participate in the DEC environmental education Summer Camps program, sporting clubs, civic groups, and environmental organizations are encouraged to sponsor one or more children for a week at camp. Information about becoming a sponsor and managing sponsor accounts is available at Sponsoring Youth to Camp on DEC’s website.

For more information, please visit the DEC’s website, email EducationCamps@dec.ny.gov, visit “NYS DEC Summer Camps” on Facebook or write to DEC Camps, 3rd Floor, 625 Broadway, Albany, New York 12233-4501. 

Information about DEC's environmental education centers and programs is available on DEC's website.



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