tbf, apparently this is just for car parking purposes, I guess if you just parked outside of the limits of the park you could walk in (although you probably wouldn't want to do that if you have a bunch of telescopes to lug around...)
GIVE ME THE TELESCOPE
I AM NORMAL AND CAN BE TRUSTED WITH KNOWLEDGE OF THE STARS
$35 to rent a little bit of ground where a car can sit for a few hours. $60 big ones for non-residents. New York? more like New Yikes.
anyway, only peripherally related, but i was in the highlands a few years ago and became more familiar with the principle of the universal right to roam in the the now codified Scottish Outdoor Access Code and it's a real struggle to get burgerlanders back home to understand how it "works" when people are allowed to wander around, hike, camp, and explore rural areas without the fear of getting clipped by somebody.
How's the star gazing there? I got excited until I saw it's at the ass end of long island.
At Letchworth state park they have a backpacking trail that's great for weekend trips. Problem is you need to reserve the lean-tos with the DEC and tell the Army Corp of engineers and put a million flyers on your dash of your vehicle. If you fail to do one of these things search and rescue teams come out to look you you to confirm you didn't commit suicide on the dam.
look, nobody likes the bureaucracy, but it's for the best that nobody accidentally gazes upon the... strange stars
That just means there are plenty of public transportation options instead.... right?