Camping in New York: Best Months, Booking and Fire Rules
Across New York's 3 NOAA reference stations, camping weather is mild from May to October, with average highs of 62 to 83 F and lows of 45 to 65 F. Nights at or below freezing show up from October to April, most often in January, when they average 25.2 a month. State park sites are booked through ReserveAmerica (New York State Parks), up to nine months ahead.
Check this weekend’s weather at your campsite
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The best months for camping in New York
By NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals, camping weather in New York is mild May to October. Pick the station nearest your campground below; high ground runs colder than any station.
- Jan35° / 21°Freezing nights
- Feb37° / 23°Freezing nights
- Mar46° / 29°Freezing nights
- Apr59° / 40°Freezing nights
- May70° / 50°Mild
- Jun78° / 60°Mild
- Jul83° / 65°Mild
- Aug81° / 64°Mild
- Sep74° / 57°Mild
- Oct62° / 45°Freezing nights
- Nov50° / 36°Freezing nights
- Dec40° / 28°Freezing nights
Each month shows the average high and low across the state’s reference stations, in F. Mild means an average high of 60 to 85 F with lows of 40 F or more. Freezing nights means the stations average one or more nights a month at or below 32 F.
Albanyelevation 312 ft
| Month | Average high | Average low | Nights at or below 32 F |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33 F | 16 F | 28.1 |
| February | 36 F | 18 F | 25.6 |
| March | 45 F | 26 F | 23.5 |
| April | 59 F | 37 F | 9.2 |
| May (mild) | 71 F | 48 F | 0.7 |
| June (mild) | 79 F | 57 F | 0 |
| July (mild) | 84 F | 62 F | 0 |
| August (mild) | 82 F | 61 F | 0 |
| September (mild) | 74 F | 53 F | 0.2 |
| October (mild) | 62 F | 41 F | 5.3 |
| November | 49 F | 32 F | 17.2 |
| December | 38 F | 23 F | 25.8 |
Buffaloelevation 693 ft
| Month | Average high | Average low | Nights at or below 32 F |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32 F | 19 F | 27.1 |
| February | 33 F | 20 F | 25.3 |
| March | 42 F | 26 F | 22.7 |
| April | 55 F | 37 F | 9.3 |
| May (mild) | 67 F | 48 F | 0.2 |
| June (mild) | 76 F | 58 F | 0 |
| July (mild) | 80 F | 63 F | 0 |
| August (mild) | 79 F | 62 F | 0 |
| September (mild) | 72 F | 55 F | 0 |
| October (mild) | 60 F | 44 F | 2 |
| November | 48 F | 34 F | 13.1 |
| December | 37 F | 26 F | 24 |
New York Cityelevation 130 ft
| Month | Average high | Average low | Nights at or below 32 F |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40 F | 28 F | 20.5 |
| February | 42 F | 30 F | 17.7 |
| March | 50 F | 36 F | 10.6 |
| April (mild) | 62 F | 46 F | 1 |
| May (mild) | 71 F | 55 F | 0 |
| June (mild) | 80 F | 64 F | 0 |
| July (mild) | 85 F | 70 F | 0 |
| August (mild) | 83 F | 69 F | 0 |
| September (mild) | 76 F | 62 F | 0 |
| October (mild) | 65 F | 51 F | 0 |
| November | 54 F | 42 F | 3.6 |
| December | 44 F | 34 F | 13.8 |
How to book a state park campsite in New York
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation takes reservations through ReserveAmerica (New York State Parks). The longest advance booking its page states is nine months.
How far ahead you can book
You can reserve up to nine months in advance.NYS Parks, read October 18, 2026. Read it at the source
First come, first served sites
Campsites: Same-day reservations available until 3:00 PM on your arrival date. While reservations are encouraged for campsites, walk-ins are permitted, subject to availability, after 3:00 PM.NYS Parks, read October 18, 2026. Read it at the source
When the campgrounds are open
Many campgrounds are open into the fall, and several remain open year-round.NYS Parks, read October 18, 2026. Read it at the source
How many sites
Plan an overnight getaway and immerse yourself in nature. With more than 8,100 campsites and trailer sites, and nearly a thousand cabins, cottages, and specialty lodging options to choose from, New York State Parks campgrounds are the perfect destination.NYS Parks, read October 18, 2026. Read it at the source
Quoted from New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation pages read October 18, 2026. Windows and fees change, so confirm on the booking site.
Camping outside a campground in New York
Backcountry or primitive camping is allowed on Forest Preserve lands in the Adirondacks and Catskills as well as State Forest lands outside the Preserve. Backcountry camping is prohibited on Unique Areas, Wildlife Management Areas and a few other categories of state land.NYSDEC, read October 18, 2026. Read it at the source
Campfires when you camp in New York
Campfires in state parks and forests
Fires must be contained in designated areas and always supervised by an adult.NYS Parks, read October 18, 2026. Read it at the source
Where fire restrictions are posted
Check the fire danger map to make sure it's safe to have a fire where you are. Avoid burning on windy days.NYSDEC, read October 18, 2026. Read it at the source
Current restrictions: NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.
New York camping questions
Camping in other states
Where this page’s facts come from
- State park, forestry and federal land pages (read October 18, 2026). Booking windows, reservation systems, campfire rules, fire restriction sources and rules for camping outside a campground, each quoted word for word with a link to the page it came from.
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991 to 2020 (read October 18, 2026). Average monthly high, low and nights at or below 32 F at 150 reference stations, the same stations the heat season and heating season pages use.
- National Weather Service alerts (live, read in your browser when the page loads). Red Flag Warnings, Fire Weather Watches, Fire Warnings, Freeze Warnings and High Wind Warnings, read live from api.weather.gov.
- National Weather Service 7 day forecast (live, read in your browser when the page loads). The weekend forecast for the ZIP code a visitor enters, read live from api.weather.gov.
Climate figures are NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals at 3 reference stations in New York. Rules are quoted from agency pages and can change.