Planning a dispersed camping trip near Downsville? Dispersed camping means that no facilities or amenities are provided, so that you can truly disconnect and get back to nature. Each dispersed site offers quick access to one or more of Downsville's most popular destinations.
Description
Permits for Peekamoose Blue Hole are only necessary on weekends and holidays from mid-May through mid-September of each year. Permits are available as late as a day in advance, but no more than 7 days in advance. There is a limit of 25 permits issued per day. The Blue Hole is a day-use area and is part of the Rondout Creek, which flows through the Peekamoose Valley to the Rondout Reservoir. The reservoir provides almost half of the drinking water for more than 9 million people in the New York City metropolitan area. Help us protect the area - and your drinking water - by observing these regulations: Use the portable toilets for all human waste. If you carry it in, carry it out - use the dumpsters. Camping, fires and portable generators are allowed only at designated campsites downstream of the Blue Hole. No radios and other audio devices. No glass containers. Except for the designated camping sites, the Peekamoose Corridor is open to the public from onehalf hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset.
Acquired during the 1960s, Hunts Pond State Forest is the most recently established State Forest in Chenango County. Its 1,397 acres traverse the valley of a feeder stream to the Unadilla River, giving way to a very diverse landscape of open fields, softwood plantations, hardwood forests, and beaver meadows.
Views of the Unadilla River valley are spectacular from the large open field on the western part of the forest. For those who want to see a beaver family hard at work, be sure to visit the beaver meadow in the south-central area, just off of Buttermilk Falls Road.
Various unmarked trails and logging lanes crisscross the forest; they can be used for hiking and cross-country skiing. Whether you are a hunter, hiker, camper, skier or just a general outdoor enthusiast, Hunts Pond State Forest is sure to provide the recreational opportunity you are looking for.
Map: https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/recmapbiwa.pdf
There are five lean-tos located trailside throughout the area, each supported by a seasonal water source and pit privy. Other designated campsites are marked with a yellow "Camp Here" disc. In addition, primitive camping is allowed. Campsites must be at least 150 feet away from the nearest road, trail, or body of water. Camping for more than three nights or in groups of ten or more requires a permit from a Forest Ranger.
State law also prohibits camping above 3500 feet in elevation from March 22nd to December 21st each year. In a Wilderness Area, group size is limited to a maximum of 12. Larger groups may be accommodated in any of the Forest Preserve's Wild Forest areas such as nearby Balsam Lake Mountain or Willowemoc Wild Forests.
Water is relatively scarce in the Catskills. It is not unusual for the springs and streams in this area to run dry during the summer months. The department cannot ensure the purity of any water source. Boil all water for 2 minutes, filter or treat chemically.
There are 8 designated campsites, but at-large primitive camping is allowed. Campsites must be at least 150 feet away from the nearest road, trail, or body of water. Camping for more than three nights or in groups of ten or more requires a permit from a Forest Range
Description
Permits for Peekamoose Blue Hole are only necessary on weekends and holidays from mid-May through mid-September of each year. Permits are available as late as a day in advance, but no more than 7 days in advance. There is a limit of 25 permits issued per day. The Blue Hole is a day-use area and is part of the Rondout Creek, which flows through the Peekamoose Valley to the Rondout Reservoir. The reservoir provides almost half of the drinking water for more than 9 million people in the New York City metropolitan area. Help us protect the area - and your drinking water - by observing these regulations: Use the portable toilets for all human waste. If you carry it in, carry it out - use the dumpsters. Camping, fires and portable generators are allowed only at designated campsites downstream of the Blue Hole. No radios and other audio devices. No glass containers. Except for the designated camping sites, the Peekamoose Corridor is open to the public from onehalf hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset.
Acquired during the 1960s, Hunts Pond State Forest is the most recently established State Forest in Chenango County. Its 1,397 acres traverse the valley of a feeder stream to the Unadilla River, giving way to a very diverse landscape of open fields, softwood plantations, hardwood forests, and beaver meadows.
Views of the Unadilla River valley are spectacular from the large open field on the western part of the forest. For those who want to see a beaver family hard at work, be sure to visit the beaver meadow in the south-central area, just off of Buttermilk Falls Road.
Various unmarked trails and logging lanes crisscross the forest; they can be used for hiking and cross-country skiing. Whether you are a hunter, hiker, camper, skier or just a general outdoor enthusiast, Hunts Pond State Forest is sure to provide the recreational opportunity you are looking for.
Map: https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/recmapbiwa.pdf
There are five lean-tos located trailside throughout the area, each supported by a seasonal water source and pit privy. Other designated campsites are marked with a yellow "Camp Here" disc. In addition, primitive camping is allowed. Campsites must be at least 150 feet away from the nearest road, trail, or body of water. Camping for more than three nights or in groups of ten or more requires a permit from a Forest Ranger.
State law also prohibits camping above 3500 feet in elevation from March 22nd to December 21st each year. In a Wilderness Area, group size is limited to a maximum of 12. Larger groups may be accommodated in any of the Forest Preserve's Wild Forest areas such as nearby Balsam Lake Mountain or Willowemoc Wild Forests.
Water is relatively scarce in the Catskills. It is not unusual for the springs and streams in this area to run dry during the summer months. The department cannot ensure the purity of any water source. Boil all water for 2 minutes, filter or treat chemically.
