# NY State Parks Explorer

> Guide to New York State Parks, historic sites, trails, and campgrounds. (iPhone/iPad app by New York State Office of Information Technology Services.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ny-state-parks-explorer/id1496803341 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [New York State Office of Information Technology Services](https://appshunter.io/developer/712337016)
- Category: Travel, Health & Fitness
- Price: Free
- Rating: 3.60/5 from 13 App Store ratings · 66 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 16.0 · 167 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2020-06-14
- Data updated: 2026-08-11
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ny-state-parks-explorer/id1496803341/reviews.md

## What is NY State Parks Explorer?

From the oceanfront shores of Long Island to the mighty Niagara Falls, more than 250 parks, historic sites, trails, golf courses, boat launches, and campgrounds are just a few taps away. With the New York State Parks Explorer App, you can plan getaways, explore favorite regions and discover new adventures and cultural gems with easy access to enhanced trail mapping, must-sees, things to know before you go, apparel and merchandise, and regularly updated information including special events and alerts. Discover your next adventure, download the NY State Explorer app today.

Key highlights and recent enhancements include:
•	Users can discover new must-see locations with rotating curated content, and will enjoy quick access to park information, including directions, hours, fees and rates, trail maps, and helpful know-before-you-go details;
•	Empire Pass holders have the option to digitally add their pass to the wallet within the NYS Explorer app. 
•	Expansion of the search function so that visitors can search for parks and historic sites from multiple regions at a time.
•	Link directly to online camping reservations to book a stay, and
•	The option to favorite select properties to receive important updates and real-time alerts.
Interactive map elements now provide visitors:
•	Easier wayfinding: When the user's mobile device's location services are turned "on", visitors can easily follow along with where they are on the map;
•	The ability to zoom in on and around each map to learn more about the facility;
•	Information about trails, park features, and amenities by simply tapping on a trail or icon;
•	Trail segment distance; and
•	The ability to change base layers in live maps from satellite view, simple street view, or topography.

## Key features

- Discover parks and historic sites
- Enhanced trail mapping
- Park information (hours, fees, directions)
- Digital Empire Pass integration
- Online camping reservations
- Real-time alerts and updates
- Interactive map with location services

## What do users think of NY State Parks Explorer?

Overall sentiment: negative

**Pros**

- 🗺️ Great map feature for Harriman
- 💡 Informative park information
- 👍 Helpful for planning visits
- ✅ Works well for some users
- 🌟 Good for discovering new places

**Cons**

- 🐛 App freezes on launch
- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Endless loading screen
- 🐛 Unable to access pass
- 🐛 "App is updating" message persists
- 🐛 App won't open fully
- 🐛 Incorrect location/time in descriptions
- 🐛 Can't swipe past intro screen
- 🐛 Pass deleted from app
- 🐛 App is unstable and clunky
- 🐛 Outdated interface

**Commonly reported bugs**

- App freezes on launch
- App crashes on launch
- App stuck on 'Fetching Latest Data'
- Description gave wrong location and time
- App force closes on notifications page
- App stuck on 'App is updating' screen
- App freezes or crashes every time
- App won't open after update
- App won't load
- App freezes at intro screen
- Unable to swipe past first screen
- App crashes before fully opening
- App glitches and goes back to landing page when scanning card
- Wallet section is pointless, ranger didn't accept pass
- App spontaneously removed Empire Pass
- Cannot search in the app
- App freezes and doesn't let me scroll
- Wallet feature not working
- Add card feature not working
- Cannot add Empire pass to wallet
- GPS not registering park boundary

**Most requested features**

- Make maps for Adirondacks
- Add passes to Apple Wallet
- Include DEC parks and campgrounds
- Add a 'check in' feature
- Allow users to submit local suggestions
- Improve map functionality (zoom, details)
- Add offline map capabilities
- Include NYS parks and campgrounds in search filters

## Recent user reviews (10 of 66)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ny-state-parks-explorer/id1496803341/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Harriman Maps are Great!

*2026-06-18, version 9.6.0*

I love the map feature for Harriman. I’ve used it for 100s of miles of hiking and love it way more than all the other map providers (AllTrails, CalTopo, Komoot etc.) Highly recommend downloading it just for that. Please please please make maps for the Adirondacks!

### 1/5 — App won’t open fully

*2026-06-03, version 9.6.0*

I have uninstalled and reinstalled twice and every time, I swipe through the tour and then the app just spins with a “Fetching Latest Data” pop-up and nothing happens. I have no access to the app. Thank goodness I screenshot my pass. Very frustrating.

### 1/5 — Croton Dam Hike

*2026-05-09, version 9.6.0*

Description gave wrong location and time.

### 1/5 — App Broken

*2026-05-01, version 9.6.0*

App freezes on launch on an up to date iPhone 15 Pro.

### 1/5 — Buggy

*2026-01-11, version 9.5.2*

Has anyone been able to get past the notifications page? I keep getting to that page and the app force closes

### 3/5 — Should be able to add passes from the app to Apple wallet

*2025-07-01, version 9.1.0*

That is all

### 4/5 — “App updating”

*2025-05-12, version 9.0.2*

For everyone experiencing that issue, I deleted the app and redownloaded it and it worked. Just needed to re-upload the pass.

### 1/5 — App is updating screen of death

*2025-04-27, version 9.0.2*

Can’t actually access the app it just says “app is updating” for infinity..: how is this still not fixed after almost a year??

### 1/5 — Worst app

*2025-04-20, version 9.0.2*

This is the worst app. Who created it? A 5th grader? Each time I open it to pull up my pass it gives me “app is updating” and 24 hours later it still gives me that message. I almost ended up posting to enter a park but luckily the booth started closing for the day.

### 2/5 — Unstable, Clunky, Slow — What a Shame

*2025-03-26, version 8.0.3*

NY State has great parks. Too bad its app covering those parks is so slow and so unstable as to be nearly unusable. It crashes or freezes almost every time I use it. Update: It crashes or freezes _every_ time. Often with an “App is updating” message.

## Frequently asked questions about NY State Parks Explorer

### What does the NY State Parks Explorer app do?

The app helps users discover and explore over 250 New York State parks, historic sites, trails, and campgrounds. It provides enhanced trail mapping, essential park information like hours and fees, and allows users to plan getaways and book camping reservations.

### What are the key features of the NY State Parks Explorer app?

Key features include discovering new locations with curated content, accessing park details, digitally adding Empire Passes, searching across multiple regions, linking to online camping reservations, and receiving real-time alerts for favorited properties. It also offers interactive maps with wayfinding and trail segment distances.

### Is the NY State Parks Explorer app free to use?

Yes, the NY State Parks Explorer app is free to download and use. There are no in-app purchases or advertisements mentioned in the provided description.

### What kind of information can I find about parks?

You can find directions, operating hours, fees and rates, detailed trail maps, and helpful 'know-before-you-go' information for each park. The interactive map also provides details about trails, park features, and amenities by tapping on them.

### Can I use this app for navigation within parks?

Yes, the app features interactive map elements that provide easier wayfinding. When your device's location services are enabled, you can easily see your current location on the map and follow along with trails.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 9.6.1 — 2026-07-20

UI bug fix for statewide alert push notifications

### 9.6.0 — 2026-03-09

Update for Live Maps
Bugfix when searching for a park

### 9.5.2 — 2025-10-23

Updates application links and services to accommodate changes to a new website and configuration for continuity of user experience.

### 9.3.2 — 2025-10-15

Addition of hunting layer for online and offline maps

### 9.2.2 — 2025-08-28

Implemented accessibility improvements for VoiceOver and Voice Control.

Updated the Parks Details screen design to enhance accessibility.

Added a feature that prompts users to download the offline trail map when they favorite a park in the Park Details screen.

Fixed a crash issue in the LocationsView search functionality.

Introduced a new NoResultsView to display when the LocationsView search returns no results.

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-11.*