Camp for Free in NYC with the Urban Park Rangers

Take a break in an NYC Park (Flickr/ Patrick Ashley)

The Urban Park Rangers are giving New Yorkers a free opportunity to step away from their chaotic lives and experience the relative calm and quite of nature in the parks- if only for one night.

On select Friday and Saturday nights throughout July and August, the Urban Park Rangers (a division of the New York Department of Parks and Recreation) open up the city parks to families, friends and groups of people looking for a city escape.

NYC Camping is free and registration is open to anyone. Starting Wednesday, July 27^th, you can sign up to camp in one of these locations.

Van Cortlandt Park (Bronx) on 8/5/11 at 6 p.m.

Fort Greene Park (Brooklyn) on 8/5/11 at 7 p.m.

Central Park (Manhattan) on 8/5/11 at 6 p.m.

Starting at midnight on Wednesday, prospective campers will have 24 hours to sign up online or make a phone reservation. Only one registration entry per household per program- trying to register multiple times will get you disqualified and banned from the program (as will failing to attend the camp out without notifying a ranger in advance).

After you register, 30 groups will be selected at random by a lottery system for a camping spot. After setting up your (own) tent, campers will enjoy a cookout followed by other outdoor activities such as stargazing, nature walks, night hikes and other things to get better acquainted with your park. The dinners are supplied for free, but be aware that they are unable to meet specific dietary conditions or preferences.

To enter your name into the lottery visit, www.nyc.gov/parks/rangers/register on Wednesday the 27th. For additional information about the program, please call 311 and ask for the Urban Park Rangers.

If you can't make it to these dates, don't worry there are plenty more throughout the rest of July and August. You can also keep updated with the program and all other Parks Department events through Facebook and Twitter.

Location: Alley Pond Park, Queens

Camp night: Aug. 13

24-hour lottery: Aug. 3

Location: Prospect Park, Brooklyn

Camp night: Aug. 19

24-hour lottery: Aug. 10

Location: Pelham Bay Park, Bronx

Camp night: Aug. 19

24-hour lottery: Aug. 10

Location: Inwood Hill Park, Manhattan

Camp night: Aug. 19

24-hour lottery: Aug. 10