Get ready to connect with nature with the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) throughout the Adirondacks and beyond. You will learn fun ways to enjoy the beauty of our area with "Outdoors Day". These outdoor recreation activities are usually held for only one day but this year not only will they take place on June 12th but they will also happen on various dates throughout the summer too, according to News 10 ABC.

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The Outdoors Day programs will help adventurers learn new skills and take part in activities like hiking, bird watching, archery, fishing, paddling, camping, and more. There will be an added event this year that will hone in on accessible outdoor recreation. The best part? All of these events are free. The hope is that people will be connecting with nature and get complete access to the outdoors and what our area has to offer.

DEC Commissioner Seggos says:

More and more New Yorkers are getting outdoors close to home and connecting with nature, especially during the pandemic. This year, New York is celebrating Outdoors Day over multiple days and at multiple locations to make sure all of our communities have the opportunity to get outside and safely enjoy some once-in-a-lifetime experiences and make lasting memories in the process.

Some of the free programs being offered for Outdoors Days are I Fish NY which shows you how to catch and release, Camping 101 where you will learn how to pitch a tent and pack for a camping trip, Archery where you will get a bow and arrow to try and hit a bullseye and basic outdoor safety to ensure you enjoy nature in New York safely.

To learn more about Outdoors Days, click HERE.

LOOK: Here are the 50 best beach towns in America

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.

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