Campgrounds

Disclaimer: This page is intended to provide general information regarding Agency jurisdiction. Other provisions or restrictions may apply if an Agency permit or variance is required or if the property has previously been subject to Agency review.

This is a supplement to the Citizen's Guide, which provides basic information about Adirondack Park Agency regulations. Please contact the Agency with any questions. For a binding written response as to whether a specific proposal requires Agency review, please submit a Jurisdictional Inquiry Form online or by mail.

Updated: September 10, 2021

Pursuant to §802(10) of the Adirondack Park Agency Act, a campground means any area designed for transient occupancy by camping in tents, camp trailers, travel trailers, motor homes, or similar facilities designed for temporary shelter. Pursuant to §810 of the Act, a new campground requires a permit in all land use areas except Hamlet.¹ A permit is also required for the twenty-five percent expansion of a pre-existing campground, measured by the number of sites or square footage of principal buildings added since May 22, 1973.

The following guidance applies when an Agency permit is required for a new or expanded campground:

• A recreational vehicle or trailer (collectively “RVs”) occupying an individual site within a campground is considered “readily moveable,” when it:
  1. possesses wheels;
  2. does not have any attached structural additions, such as a porch, deck, or stairs;
  3. is currently registered and inspected by the Department of Motor Vehicles; and
  4. is disconnected from all water, sewer, and electric hook-ups when the campground is not in operation.
• “Readily moveable” RVs within campgrounds are not subject to the shoreline setback requirements of the APA Act. However, pursuant to Agency regulations implementing the Wild, Scenic, and Recreational Rivers System Act, RVs within campgrounds may not be located within 150 feet of the mean high water mark of a designated Recreational river or within 250 feet of the mean high water mark of a designated Scenic river.
• “Readily moveable” RVs within campgrounds are not considered principal buildings. RVs that are not readily moveable may be considered principal buildings if they contain more than 300 square feet of floor space or are connected to a permanent provision for sanitation, such as a sewer hookup.
• Tourist cabins, yurts, and other similar structures are generally considered tourist accommodation structures, and are subject to the overall intensity guidelines and other regulatory criteria that apply to tourist accommodations.
• Campground structures associated with the offering or providing of goods or services to individuals within the campground are generally considered principal buildings if they contain 1,250 square feet of floor space or more. The offering of goods or services to the general public for a fee is generally considered commercial, with associated structures subject to the overall intensity guidelines and other regulatory criteria that apply to commercial uses and structures.
• When a campground use ceases, application of the overall intensity guidelines and other regulatory criteria will depend on the new use of the land and any remaining structures.

PRINTABLE FLYER

¹ A land use involving fewer than five sites is not considered a campground by the Agency, but it usually requires a permit as a tourist accomodation or commercial use.