Looking for a campsite or area to go camping

[Djdechants]

So i normally go camping with friends and family at a normal campsite with tents and stuff. I recently watched a video of a kid making a small hut out of saplings and mud and it made me really wanna go camping but build my own shelter like a wigwam or a lean-to with friends. Im just having trouble with finding a place that would let me cut down trees and plants to let me camp. Does anyone know of somewhere i could find a place i can do this. I live in upstate new york near saratoga. Ideal places would be near rivers, waterfalls or medium sized lakes just somewhere near water.

[terasec]

Re: Looking for a campsite or area to go camping

you cannot cut down live trees anywhere in NY
what you will want is to use downed trees, which should be abundant in NY
you can do so just about anywhere in State forests in NY, as long as structure is not permanent
what you may want to consider is using down/dead trees for frame work and just using a tarp poly or canvas for covering
see state forests in Saratoga county are generally smaller
but willing to go further can find larger state forests, +50k acres in size
independence wilderness areas covers approximately 300k acres
http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/22574.html
some state forests in Saratoga county


Chazy Highlands State Forest

http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/93298.html

The Chazy Highlands State Forest has approximately 5,261 acres located in the Town of Danemora, Clinton County. A portion of these lands were transferred to the Department in 1966 along with many other parcels of land managed by the NYS Department of Corrections. The balance of the land (2,989 acres) that makes up what we now call Chazy Highlands State Forest was purchased from The Nature Conservancy Inc., in 2008.
Dunkins Reserve State Forest

http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/93354.html
Dunkin's Reserve State Forest consists of approximately 2,433 acres of land located in the Towns of Altona, Beekmantown and Dannemora, Clinton County. A portion of these lands were transferred to the Department in 1966 along with many other parcels of prison land. The balance of the land (1341.15 acres) that makes up what is now called Dunkin's Reserve State Forest was purchased from Diamond International Paper Corp. in 1988.


Moon Pond State Forest

http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/93349.html
Moon Pond State Forest consists of approximately 786 acres of land under the Department's jurisdiction located entirely in the Town of Ellenburg, Clinton County. The State purchased the lands in 1963 from the Arno family.
The Moon Pond State Forest Area is roughly bordered on the south by the Smith Road, on the east by Sharrett Road, on the north by the Arno and McCoy Roads and on the west by the Smith Road.


Spring Brook State Forest

http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/93290.html
Spring Brook State Forest has approximately 1,157 acres located in the Town of Altona, Clinton County. These lands were transferred to the Department in 1966 along with many other parcels of land managed by the NYS Department of Corrections.

[Malamute]

Re: Looking for a campsite or area to go camping

I cant offer any help with your neighborhood, but will suggest looking up Lilly's youtube channel

https://www.youtube.com/user/alonewolverine1984

and go sniff around on the BushcraftUSA forum. Lilly is a member there also, thats the first place I saw her posts and videos. TONS of info about all sort of things you seem interested in on that forum.