Registration is open for DEC's 'Becoming an Outdoors-Woman' fall weekend on Lake George

If a weekend of learning to fish, paddle, shoot, or navigate the woods — in good company, on Lake George in the fall — sounds like your kind of thing, New York’s Becoming an Outdoors-Woman program has one coming up. The catch: you have to enter the registration lottery, and the window is short.

Aerial view of the Silver Bay YMCA on the wooded shore of Lake George, with historic lodge buildings, a boathouse, and docks reaching into the water. — The Silver Bay YMCA on Lake George, site of the fall workshop. Photo: NYS DEC / Silver Bay YMCA.

The short version

What: Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) fall workshop — a weekend of hands-on outdoor-skills classes for women 18 and older.
When: Friday–Sunday, October 2–4, 2026.
Where: Silver Bay YMCA, Hague, NY, on the shore of Lake George (Warren County — a scenic drive north).
Cost: $450, which covers seven meals, two nights’ lodging, instruction in four classes, and use of equipment and class materials.

How registration works — a lottery, open now

This isn’t first-come, first-served. Registration is a lottery, open July 21–30, 2026. After it closes, 125 participants are drawn at random. You’ll hear the results by email within a week, and — if you’re chosen — payment is due within 48 hours to hold your spot.

Enter the lottery: Fall BOW 2026 registration
Registering with a friend? Put both people on one submission to be placed together.
A limited number of partial scholarships are available for those who need financial assistance — details are in the registration questionnaire.

What the weekend looks like

You’ll take four classes over the weekend — one Friday, two Saturday, one Sunday — each about three and a half hours long, choosing your top picks from a full course list on the registration form. Lodging is basic hotel-style rooms with private baths, shared with a roommate, split between the Bayview Lodge and the Inn. Meals run from Friday lunch through Sunday lunch. All equipment is provided unless a class description notes otherwise.

New York’s Becoming an Outdoors-Woman workshops are a cooperative venture of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and New York Outdoors Women, Inc. — you can follow the group on Instagram @bownewyork for class news and updates.

Source: NYS Department of Environmental Conservation / New York Outdoors Women, Inc. Confirm dates, cost, and deadlines on the official registration page before entering.