# NY State Parks Explorer — user reviews > 66 indexed App Store user reviews of NY State Parks Explorer by New York State Office of Information Technology Services, rated 3.60/5 from 13 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ny-state-parks-explorer/id1496803341/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ny-state-parks-explorer/id1496803341.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 8 · 4★ 0 · 3★ 1 · 2★ 0 · 1★ 4 ## 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in descriptions - 🐛 Can't swipe past intro screen - 🐛 Pass deleted from app - 🐛 App is unstable and clunky - 🐛 Outdated interface **Commonly reported bugs** - App freezes on launch - App crashes on launch - App stuck on 'Fetching Latest Data' - Description gave wrong location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 ## Newest reviews (12 of 66) ### 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. ### 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. ### 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. ### 2/5 — not loading *2024-08-29, version 7.0.3* i love this app but i just downloaded the update and now the app will not open. it’s stuck on a screen that says “app is updating” but it’s been 3 days. Not sure what to do about it since this is where my state park pass is stored and now i can’t access it. ### 2/5 — Was a wonderful app but new update make it broken *2024-07-07, version 6.0.1* Loved the app and highly recommended it to others until there was an update which broke the app. I have deleted and reinstalled multiple times but am just met with a perpetual loading screen that never finishes. Unable to use the app I love and it’s a shame. ### 1/5 — Can’t swipe past the first screen *2024-06-28, version 6.0.1* The app won’t even let me swipe past the initial screen to add my Empire pass. Useless. ### 1/5 — Broken - Can’t access my pass (or anything) *2024-06-14, version 6.0.1* The app needs to be fixed… it isn’t working at all so I can’t access my 5-year pass. PLEASE FIX! (It stays stuck on a screen about watching a video and then crashes) ### 1/5 — Please fix the app *2024-06-11, version 6.0.1* Please fix this app! It freezes every time I open it. I’ve tried uninstalling, updating my phone, etc and it does not work. ### 2/5 — App is broken *2024-06-10, version 6.0.1* Opened up the app for the first time in a few months this morning. It was stuck on a screen about watching a video and I couldn’t do anything. I tried a few times and then deleted the app and redownloaded. Now it’s stuck on the first screen—tells me to swipe but I can’t. ### 1/5 — Doesn’t work *2024-06-07, version 6.0.1* This app has never been the best but now it’s fully useless. It used to randomly delete my pass last year. This year it would just constantly load so I deleted it and redownload it. Now it doesn’t even respond. It tells me to swipe and nothing happens. I’ve tried deleting it and redownloading it a few times and still nothing ### 1/5 — Can’t swipe *2024-06-04, version 6.0.1* Unable to access the app. Tells me to swipe but nothing is happening ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 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 ### 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. ### 1/5 — Not working *2024-09-01, version 7.0.3* App was always glitchy but I updated hoping this update would fix it. Now my screen says updating and has been like this for almost 2 weeks and I can’t access my Empire pass or literally anything else in the app it’s completely broken. Also what is with the random 5 star reviews written by robots? ### 1/5 — App Doesn’t function *2024-08-31, version 7.0.3* Got this app to add my empire pass to and cannot even get past the Home Screen due to it’s technical issues. This app DOES NOT work it consistently freezes or has an updating loading symbol no matter how many times I redownload or reopen the app I haven’t even been able to use it due to this. Can’t believe they put out this app extremely disappointing and not functional ### 1/5 — Bad update *2024-08-14, version 7.0.3* Thanks. With the update, all it does is say “app is updating” when I open it. Can’t access my empire pass anymore. Really great work. 🤦🏻‍♂️ ### 1/5 — Broken *2024-07-14, version 6.0.1* Doesn’t even load anymore. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 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! ### 5/5 — Better than before *2025-03-12, version 8.0.3* I feel the app works better than before without any bugs and even it looks more interesting. ### 5/5 — Excellent App!!! *2024-09-03, version 7.0.3* I started using this app recently and it is very helpful and gives all the information regarding parks. Even gets notification if any park is closed. I enjoy using live maps in this app. I even stored my empire pass in the wallet. It is helpful. Thank you!! ### 5/5 — Great app *2024-08-17, version 7.0.3* I love using this app. Thank you making it. It is informative. ### 5/5 — I enjoy use this app *2024-08-15* I am a kind of person who always visit parks and explore new things. I love this app and enjoy using it every time and it is very helpful. Thank you for making this app. I am loving it. ### 5/5 — I love this app *2024-08-15, version 7.0.3* I am really enjoying going to parks and I use this app very often and it is very helpful for me. Thank you ### 5/5 — Very nice app *2024-08-15, version 7.0.3* The app is very useful and helpful for me. I use it every time whenever I go to the park and explore and plan accordingly. Thank you! ### 5/5 — Not bad. I’m getting what I need from this app. *2024-06-18, version 6.0.1* They listen to customer input. This is the IT department for NYS, guys. The GPS wasn’t registering that I was inside park boundary and wouldn’t let me find my location on both the live map and the downloadable file. I called the number “in the back”, he passed it on to the appropriate place and within 1-2 weeks, or the next time I went to the park the gps correctly placed me and I was able to orientate myself and figure out how the trails were setup. There’s plenty of apps out there but this one is free and I can use it at Art Roscoe and DLSP. If you’re reading this, IT department of the NYS government, thanks much. ### 5/5 — Set camera permissions for wallet feature *2022-07-08, version 2.2.0* Originally left a 1 star because I couldn’t add empire pass to the in-app wallet. Normally an app would request permission to access the camera but this didn’t. Eventually figured it out ### 5/5 — Great new ideas! *2021-01-01* Great design, I got so many new suggestions and discovered new places to go. I understand that the Adirondacks are not included because they are under a different agency. Seeing other options is really great way to expand my horizons! --- *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.*