Want to take your family camping but unsure how to go about doing it?

The state Department of Environmental Conservation wants to help and is prepared to offer families a “fully stocked” campsite and experts to show families what to do.

The program offers “free, first-time camper weekends” this summer between July 21 and Sept. 6 at various state campgrounds around the state. The program is reserved for state residents only and space is limited.

The DEC will provide everything a family needs for a camping trip, including a tent, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, camp chairs, camp stove, lantern – even firewood.

“A camping ambassador will meet families at the campsite and help thm get camp set up with a ‘Camping 101′ lesson,” DEC said. “To make the weekend even more fun, campers will have an opportunity to learn from experts how to fish, hike, bird watch, paddle and more.”

Reservations are required and the application window for an online, random lottery to select families for the program runs from May 10-12.

Those families picked will be contacted by May 31 to get additional information to complete the reservation.

The online registration for the program will be up May 10 on the DEC’s website. For more, see, including a complete list of state campgrounds where the program will be offered, see the DEC website.