Camping Policies

• Camping is by reservation only.
• Check-in is between 5pm and 10pm on the day of your arrival.  Check-out is between 8am and 12pm on the day or your departure.  Please check-in and out at the Ranger’s Office.
• We offer tent sites, shelter sites, and cabin sites.  Recreational vehicles and engine-driven generators are not permitted.  Sleeping in vehicles in parking areas is not permitted.
• Quiet hours are from 10:00pm to 7:00am.  At all times, please be considerate of wildlife and other guests by minimizing noise.  Also, please be thoughtful when using lanterns, flashlights, and other lighting such that they do not affect wildlife or other guests who may be trying to sleep or enjoy the darkness.
• Please respect other guests by not intruding on their campsite or cabin.  This includes the fire ring and picnic table provided with most campsites and cabins.
• Campfires are authorized only in existing fire rings.  All fires must be attended and under control at all times.  A filled fire bucket must be present at all times.  Only kiln-dried and commercially packaged firewood may be transported to Deer Lake Outdoor Center. You may collect dead and down trees from forested areas for campfires. We also sell firewood.
• Smoking, vaping, and the use of smokeless tobacco products is allowed 100 feet or more away from any building or open-air structure. Any smoking paraphernalia must be completely extinguished and disposed of in a waste receptacle.
• The responsible consumption of alcoholic beverages is allowed by individuals who are at least 21 years of age and only while they are in private areas such as their campsite or cabin. Staff may require legal identification and proof of age. If you choose to imbibe, understand that the glorification and abuse of alcohol are counter to Deer Lake Outdoor Center’s mission.  Alcohol containers must be smaller than one liter and may not be visible from roads, trails, and other areas open to the public.  We reserve the right to require individuals who are intoxicated to leave the premises.
• Friendly dogs are welcome but must supervised and under control at all times. You must clean up after them and you are responsible for any damage they cause.  Dogs are not permitted in any buildings or shelters except cabins or shelters when staying with an overnight guest.  When outside your campsite or cabin, they must be leashed.  Quiet hours apply to your pets too!
• Maximum stay is 7 consecutive days.
• All Day Use Policies apply to overnight guests.
• Leave your site better than you found it.  Please pack-out or dispose of all trash and recyclable materials in the containers provided.

• Deer Lake Outdoor Center’s day-use areas are open from sunrise to sunset for the private, non-commercial enjoyment of guests. Closures will be announced on our Events Calendar
• Use of Deer Lake Outdoor Center is at your own risk.
• The maximum speed limit on Deer Lake Outdoor Center roads is 5 miles per hour unless posted otherwise.
• A permit is required to operate any motorized vehicle beyond the vehicle gate at front field or beyond the vehicle gate at the causeway.
• Bicycles may be used anywhere motor vehicles are authorized. Please wear a helmet.
• Parking is shared with other users of Deer Lake Outdoor Center at the owner’s sole risk. Please park only in designated guest parking areas.  Vehicles parked in a manner that impedes the safe flow of traffic are subject to towing at the owner’s risk and expense.
• The maximum group size without a permit is 12 people regardless of age.
• Children under the age of 14 must be supervised by an adult.
• Campsites, lean-tos, pavilions, and cabins are for the use of registered guests only.  This includes the fire rings and picnic tables at our campsites and cabins.
• We host a variety of programs, events, and festivals at Deer Lake Outdoor Center and we rent out facilities for private functions. Please respect the participants in those programs and those other users by enjoying other areas of our property.
• Friendly dogs are welcome but must leashed. You must clean up after them and you are responsible for any damage they cause. Dogs are not permitted in any buildings or shelters except cabins or shelters when staying with an overnight guest.  Dogs are not permitted in climbing and bouldering areas.
• Please pack-out or dispose of all trash and recyclable materials in the containers provided.
• Respect the wildlife that live here. Hunting and trapping is prohibited.  Don’t approach, harass, or feed wild animals and please don’t leave food or trash where they can get to it.
• Firecrackers and other explosive devices, firearms, air rifles or pistols, gas weapons, slingshots, crossbows, bow and arrows are prohibited except by special permit or by a credentialed law enforcement officer.
• Fishing is allowed and encouraged. All Connecticut fishing rules and regulations, including permit requirements, apply. Please do not fish from or near our sandy beach areas; hooks in bare feet hurt!  The transport of live bait to Deer Lake Outdoor Center is prohibited.  Any personal equipment used in or near the water, such as shoes or lifejackets, must be clean and dry prior to transport to Deer Lake Outdoor Center.
• Swimming in any body of water at Deer Lake Outdoor Center is authorized only as part of an organized program arranged by Deer Lake Outdoor Center.
• Deer Lake Outdoor Center has watercraft and associated equipment available for rent. To prevent the spread of invasive species, the transport of watercraft to Deer Lake Outdoor Center is prohibited.  Any personal equipment used in or near the water, such as shoes or lifejackets, must be clean and dry prior to transport to Deer Lake Outdoor Center.
• Bouldering and rock climbing are permitted by permit only. All climbing is at your own risk. The installation of fixed protection is prohibited without specific written permission.
• Challenge course and low-ropes initiative areas are open only to participants under the direct supervision of a Deer Lake Outdoor Center challenge course facilitator.
• No plant may be uprooted or cut, and no earth material may be dug or removed without written permission from Deer Lake Outdoor Center.
• The possession of alcoholic beverages is authorized only for registered guests and only in their campsite or cabin or by attendees of events or festivals and only in designated areas.
• Our shower houses and privies are available for all guests. Please be courteous and clean up after yourself when you use these shared facilities.  All human waste, and only human waste and toilet paper, must be disposed of in the provided privies and toilets.  All other waste including hygiene products must be disposed of in proper waster receptacles.  Do not wash your dishes in the bathroom sinks.  Instead, please use the provided dishwashing stations or use small quantities of biodegradable soap and then scatter the strained dishwater on the ground away from campsites and structures.

• All overnight guests must be registered.  Non-overnight guests are welcome but must depart Deer Lake Outdoor Center before sunset when our day-use areas close.
• Overnight guests under the age of 18 must be supervised by an overnight guest over the age of 21.
• Extra overnight guests are charged $5.00 per night.

• We accept cancellations until 14 days prior to your scheduled arrival. We will return any rents and deposits paid, less a $20 cancellation fee, for cancellations made before this deadline. Cancellations after the deadlines will result in forfeiture of all rents and deposits paid.
• Need to reschedule your reservation? We’re happy to reschedule your reservation until 14 days prior to your scheduled arrival. Your deposit will be credited towards your new reservation.
• Runing Late? Please contact us if you are unable to arrive on your scheduled arrival date. We’re happy to honor your reservation and hold the site for you. If you do not contact us and you do not check-in for your reservation prior to the check-out time the day after your scheduled arrival, you will forfeit any rents and deposits paid and forfeit the remainder of your reservation.
• If we cannot honor your reservation due to temporary government orders or because we determine conditions at Deer Lake Outdoor Center make it unsafe for you to use the facility you reserved, we will refund any fees and deposits and/or transfer them to a new reservation if you would like to reschedule.
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We’re honored to support and offer use of our facilities at discounted rates to non-profit organizations with charitable causes that are complementary to our own mission.

Eligibility

• The group must have tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) non-profit status with the IRS or be sponsored by a government agency.
• The group must have a demonstrated interest in social or educational work that closely aligns with Pathfinders’ mission. The focus of your function at Deer Lake Outdoor Center must be outdoor education, outdoor stewardship, or equitable access.  Meetings that directly support these areas are also included.
• All participants must be current members of your organization. In other words, the function may not be open to the public.
• We may ask for proof of your non-profit status. We may also ask questions about the focus of your event to confirm eligibility. If in doubt, please contact us at (203) 421-4040 or email us at info@deerlakeoutdoors.org to confirm eligibility before making a reservation.

Policies

• To help us keep the non-profit organization fees as low as possible, we expect you to leave the facilities in the same or better condition as you found them.
• The group leader (as named on the reservation) must be present during the entire stay and will serve as a contact person with Deer Lake Outdoor Center staff.
• Any use of Deer Lake Outdoor Center involving youth under the age of 18, organized and offered by any organization, is subject to Deer Lake Outdoor Center’s Safety and Protection of Minors Policies. These policies include adult background screening, training, and supervision requirements, prohibit the use of tobacco products or alcohol, and prohibit pets in campsites or cabins used by the organization, as well as additional requirements.  By using Deer Lake Outdoor Center, your organization and all participants agree that they have read, understand, and consent to all aspects of Deer Lake Outdoor Center’s Safety and Protection of Minors Policy Statement.
• Your group must provide a Certificate of Insurance (COI) providing commercial liability insurance with (1) a minimum of $1,000,000 commercial general liability coverage per occurrence with a $2,000,000 aggregate, and (2) $3,000,000 of umbrella coverage over the commercial general liability coverage, covering bodily harm and injury, such insurance to be in place for the duration of your visit to Deer Lake Outdoor Center. The COI shall name Pathfinders, Inc, as an additional insured. Such coverage must be on a primary and non-contributory basis, issued by an insurance carrier licensed to write insurance in the State of Connecticut and rated A+ (superior) or better by AM Best.  If your organization does not maintain liability insurance, Deer Lake Outdoor Center can assist you with purchasing insurance for your visit.

Special-use permits or event registrations are required for:

• Day use by groups of 13 or more guests.
• Camping, Cabin or Event Space reservations for groups with 65 or more guests.
• Any use that is organized or publicized.
• Any use that involves a fee charged to participants.
• Any use that involves the soliciting, vending, sale or rental of goods, wares or services.

Please call us at (203) 421-4040 or email us at info@deerlakeoutdoors.org to inquire about special use permits or event registrations.