Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

Hours of Operation

• Fahnestock State Park is open daily Dawn to Dusk with the exception of the areas listed below.

• Campground: Open for 2025 season. Campground will close on September 2, 2025 to facilitate the construction of a new bathhouse. 

  Group Wilderness Campground Opens for 2025 Season. Reservations can be made by calling park office at 845 225 7207

  Canopus Lake Beach: This includes Beach, Swimming and Picnicking Areas

  Open Weekends and Holidays only May 24 - June 15
  Open 7 days a week June 21 thru September 1 (Labor Day). 

  Facility Hours: 7 days a week 9am to 6pm. 

  Swimming Hours:
  Monday thru Thursday - 10am to 5:30pm
  Friday thru Sunday - 9:15am to 5:45pm

• Boat Rentals: Located at Canopus Lake Beach

  Open Weekends and Holidays only May 24 - June 20
  Open 7 days a week June 21 - September 1 (Labor Day)

  9am to 5pm. Last boat rented at 4pm
• Hunting Season- Spring Turkey Season 2024 May 1 to May 31, 2025
  
  
  
  Must get Fahnestock hunting permit in person at Fahnestock State Park office.
  Must have hunting license and Back Tag with you to get permit. 
• Fahnestock Winter Park Please go to Fahnestock Winter Park Page for details

Fees & Rates

Most New York State Parks charge a vehicle use fee to enter the facility. Fees vary by location and season. A list of entry fees and other park use fees is available below. For fees not listed or to verify information, please contact the park directly.

The easy-to-use Empire Pass card is $80- and your key to all-season enjoyment with unlimited day-use entry at most facilities operated by State Parks and the State Dept. of Environmental Conservation including forests, beaches, trails and more. Purchase online or contact your favorite park for more information. Learn more about our Admission Programs including the Empire Pass.

• Canopus Lake Beach –Vehicle Entrance Fee

• Fee charged 
  Weekends and Holidays only May 24 - June 20
  Daily June 21 - September 1 (Labor Day)

  Cars  $10 per vehicle
  Buses $35 per bus
  Groups and Organizations bringing buses must call the park office ahead of time to book a bus slot. No buses allowed on weekends.

• Boat Rentals (Canopus Lake Beach)

• Boat Rentals Located at Canopus Lake Beach
  Row Boats and Kayaks available

  $25 cash deposit
  1 hr rental $10 / $15 refunded
  2 hr rental $20 / $5 refunded
  3 hr rental $25 / no refund

  Permits For Personal Watercraft Use in Fahnestock State Park Lakes and Taconic Region Lakes
  Permits available at Park Office 845 225 7207
  Season permit : $30
  Weekly permit : $10

• Camping

• Open for 2025 season. Campground will close on September 2, 2025 to facilitate the construction of a new bathhouse.  
  Please go to Reserve America to check rates and fees.
  For reservations: Call Reserve America at 1-800-456-CAMP or visit www.reserveamerica.com.

  Group Wilderness Campground: Call Park office for information 845 225 7207

• Winter Park

• Please visit the Fahnestock Winter Park webpage for information.

Maps

New! Download this park's digital map to your iOS Apple and Android device.

• Fahnestock State Park Trail Map
• Fahnstock Canopus Lake Area Map
• Fahnestock Campground Map

Firewood source maps show a 50-mile radius from which untreated firewood may be moved to this campground. For more information see firewood restrictions.

• Firewood Source Map (pdf)

• Fahnestock Hunting Map (pdf)
• Trail Map (pdf)

Key BCA Criteria:

- Diverse species concentration site

- Species at risk site

The Fahnestock BCA is located within Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park. The BCA is especially important because of its undisturbed stream valleys, lakes, and wetlands which provide food, shelter, and breeding sites for birds and other wildlife. The Fahnestock BCA is within Audubon New York's Fahnestock and Hudson Highlands Important Bird Area. It was originally designated as a BCA in 2000. This update to the BCA Management Guidance Summary was completed in order to consider recent land acquisitions which have expanded the size of Clarence Fahnestock State Park. Review of these sites indicated that the majority of these parcels met the criteria for inclusion within the existing BCA.

Fahnestock BCA represents one of the largest areas of contiguous forest in the lower Hudson Valley, and thus provides significant stopover and breeding habitat for a diverse group of forest-dependent bird species. Characteristic bird species found during migratory and breeding periods include Broad-winged Hawk, Acadian Flycatcher, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Veery, Hermit Thrush, Yellow-throated Vireo, Worm-eating Warbler, and Scarlet Tanager. Species-at-risk at Fahnestock include the State Threatened Least Bittern and Special Concern Sharp-shinned, Cooper's and Red-shouldered Hawks and Eastern Whip-poor-will.

Download a copy of the BCA map.

Go birding with the Fahnestock Bird Checklist.

Attention Hunters: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (i.e., "bird flu") has recently been detected in New York State in a variety of waterfowl species. Although the NYS Department of Health (NYSDOH) has stated that avian influenza rarely spreads to humans, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) is encouraging hunters to take extra precautions while processing harvested waterfowl. For more information on best practices for hunters to minimize risk of exposure, please read NYSDEC Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza - What Hunters Need to Know (leaves State Parks website).

For general information on Avian Influenza, please see: Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine - Avian Influenza Fact Sheet (leaves State Parks website).

For additional updates on Avian Influenza, including current updates, see NYSDEC - Animal Diseases (leaves State Parks website) and NYSDOH - Questions and Answers about Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) (leaves State Parks website).

Big Game:

• Archery only. May enter woods ½ hour before sunrise to set up and exit by sunset. Park Hunting permit required - unlimited.

• Gun season: Shotgun only. Map available at park office. May enter woods at ½ hour before sunrise to set up and exit by sunset. Park Hunting permit is required - limited to first 200 hunters.

• Muzzle loading: May enter the woods ½ hours before sunrise to set up and exit by sunset.

Crossbow: 

• Turkey - shotgun only (Monday-Friday only). No youth hunt. May enter woods ½ hour before sunrise to set up and exit by sunset. Park Hunting permit is required - limited to first 200 hunters.

All permits are available starting 1 month prior to opening day for their respective season.

Please come to the park office to obtain park hunting permits and maps, or call (845) 225-7207 with any questions. The park office located at 1498 Rte 301 Carmel, NY 10512.

Fahnestock Hunting Map