Terms & Conditions

Smith Memorial Park, Hector, New York

SMITH MEMORIAL PARK RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR TRANSIENT CAMPERS 
 

1. PARK OPERATION DATES AND HOURS 

  • DAY USE: Open daily from dawn to dusk, year-round (if entrance roads are passable).
  • QUIET HOURS: 10pm to 9am daily.
  • CAMPGROUND
    • Season from May to October
    • Check-in = 1pm;   Check-out = 11am
  • BOAT LAUNCH: April 1 - November 30


2. SITE OCCUPANCY

  • PEOPLE:  Maximum of (6) persons per site
  • 1 camping unit per site- Additional tent is $10
  • unmotorized watercraft under 12' allowed on site
  • VEHICLES
    • Two (2) registered/insured vehicles 
    • Extra vehicles/trailers/watercraft must park in overflow parking lot.
    • All large boats and trailers must be stored in overflow parking lot.
    • Do not park on side of campground roads.


3. REGISTRATION & INSURANCE: All vehicles or watercraft shall be registered and tagged as required by NYS DMV.


4. SITE REQUIREMENTS

  • ELECTRIC
    • No daisy chains. All electric cords must be a single continuous cord in good repair. No daisy chains.
    • If electric breaker trips, alert Park Manager.
    • Air conditioners must be turned off if leaving campsite for more than 24 hours.
    • Exterior electrical appliances are prohibited, refrigerators must be inside RV units.
  • CAMPSITE
    • Must be kept neat, clean and orderly at all times.
    • Alcoholic beverages are to be secured inside locked RV upon leaving.
    • Fuel storage must be 15-20 feet away from generator, sleeping unit and fire pit.


5. TREES AND PARK PROPERTY

  • TREES
    • No hooks, screws, nails, chains, strings or ropes are allowed in or wrapped around the trees.
    • Do not deface, remove, destroy or injure any tree or plant growing in Park.
    • Cutting of any trees (dead or alive) is strictly prohibited.
       
  • PARK PROPERTY
    • Do not deface, damage or destroy any structure or property of the park including, but not limited to picnic tables, docks, fences, water hydrants or electrical boxes.
    • Persons will be held financially responsible for damage to Park property & may be subject to legal action.
    • No permanent or individualized modifications to park property and campsite without manager approval. This includes but is not limited to: individual trails from campsites, boat tie-offs from shore to water, fences or posts.


6. PERSONAL BELONGINGS

  • Personal belongings must be on campsite at all times and if left outside campsite are subject to removal.
  • The Town of Hector and Smith Memorial Park shall have no obligation, express or implied, to protect any such personal belongings from loss, theft or damage from any cause.
     

7. GARBAGE, RECYCLING AND SEWAGE

  • GARBAGE (and FOOD SCRAPS)
    • Garbage dumpsters will be unlocked daily from morning to late afternoon.
    • Only regular household garbage. No large items such as tents, broken furniture, or building materials are allowed. No hazardous waste.
    • Please throw food scraps in garbage. Do not throw in woods.
  • RECYCLING
    • Recycling dumpsters will be unlocked daily from morning to late afternoon.
    • Recycling is ‘Single-Stream’ (rinse containers of food debris; sorting not required).
  • SEWAGE
    • A dump station is provided to campground users for free and to the public for a charge. Pursuant to the NYS DOH, dumping of all grey and black wastewater at any place other than designated location is prohibited. [Grey water = showers and sinks; Black water = sewage]
    • NYS requires all wastewater tanks remain sealed, with caps on, except when dumping.
    • Use RV specific toilet paper. No wipes, feminine products, paper towels or other items that clog the dump station.


8. FIREWOOD and CAMPFIRES

  • Firewood is available at the park office for a fee.
  • Campfires permitted only in fire rings provided by Park. 
  • If campfire is hot, do not leave or go to sleep. Fires must be fully extinguished (with no smoldering embers) prior to sleeping or leaving site.
  • Cardboard, trash, leaves, treated wood or wood with metal hardware may not be burned.
  • NYS law prohibits firewood cut from more than a 50-mile radius of Park.
  • Campfire ashes (cold & wet) should be put in garbage. Do not dump ashes in the woods.


9. GENERATORS and FUEL

  • Generators require Park Manager approval. Use is restricted to non-electric sites.
  • Only low-decibel inverter generators, maximum 3,500 watt.
  • Generators may run intermittently from 9am to 10pm daily while present at site. Turn off if leaving site.
  • Electric cord must be UL listed, rated for outdoor use and to the maximum amps the generator can produce.
  • NYSDOH requires generators to be placed away from sleeping areas with exhaust pointing away from neighboring campsites.
  • Fuel storage must be 15-20 feet away from generator, sleeping unit and fire pit.


10. VEHICLES/TRAILERS/BOATS

  • Park speed limit is 10 MPH. All traffic must yield to pedestrians and bicycles.
  • All vehicles/trailers/boats must be currently registered & tagged as required by NYS.
  • Personal mobility devices for the handicap or elderly are allowed.
  • No vehicles of any type are permitted on hiking trails.


11. BOAT LAUNCH & SHORELINE

  • BOAT LAUNCH PASS: non-campers must pay a daily or seasonal fee at the Park Office. (Drop box in front door.)
  • PARKING at the boat launch is limited to: 5 vehicles w/trailers and 2 handicap spots. All other vehicles must park in overflow parking lot and walk down.
  • Swimming is not permitted at boat launch.
  • No watercraft can be tied off to the docks at any time.
  • Boats, canoes, and watercrafts in general may not be stored on the shoreline.
  • Glass containers are not allowed at the boat launch or anywhere on the shoreline.
  • Footwear should be worn in water due to sharp zebra mussels.
     

SWIM BEACH

  • Hours vary depending on staffing and weather
    • Swim beach is typically open July and August.
    • Hours are typically Friday-Sunday, 12-8pm. 
    • Lifeguards may extend weekday hours during a continued hot weather period and may close the beach at any time they determine conditions are unsafe for swimming according to the American Red Cross Lifeguarding/Waterfront First Aid certification standards.
  • Footwear is required at all times.
  • Swimming is permitted only:
    • When two (2) lifeguards are on duty and present at the designated swimming area.
    • With an accompanying adult for swimmers under the age of twelve (12) years.
    • In the designated swimming area. Swimming is not allowed at the boat launch.During posted time schedule.
  • No Vehicle Access. There is no vehicle access to the beach and swimming area except for emergency vehicles or (to be coordinated with the Park Manager only) for persons of disability.
  • Not permitted in the beach and swimming area:
    • no running or horseplay on the dock;
    • no diving off the dock or any structure;
    • no unauthorized personnel on the lifeguard chairs;
    • no radios, CD players, headphones on the dock;
    • no fishing;
    • no boats at swim beach or dock;
    • no alcohol;
    • no glass containers;
    • no pets.
  • Violators of these rules will be required to leave the beach area for the rest of the day. Repeat violators may be subject to additional penalties including permanent expulsion from the swimming area


12. CHILDREN under 14 years old must:

  • wear a helmet while riding bicycles, scooters or other wheeled vehicles per NYS Law (Sec. 1238(5)) and may not ride after dusk;
  • be accompanied by an adult at the boat launch.


13. PETS

  • Maximum of 2 pets per site.
  • Proof of current rabies vaccination must be available upon request.
  • Pets must be leashed at all times and may not be left unattended at any time.
  • You must immediately clean up after pets.
  • Aggressive or loud pets that disturb others may be asked to leave.


14. BATH HOUSES

  • Please clean up after yourself.
  • Food, smoking, drinking, bathing of pets or washing of dishes prohibited in bathrooms.
  • Dishwashing areas are provided outside each bath house.


15. PROHIBITED: Firearms, archery, drones, fireworks, spotlights, guns and hunting are prohibited on park property.


16. TERMS OF USE

  • Site Registrants must be at least 18 years of age.
  • All park fees are set annually by the Hector Town Board.
  • CANCELLATION POLICY
    • 30 DAYS OR MORE from arrival date: Full refund minus a non-refundable $30 cancellation fee.
    • 15-29 DAYS from arrival date: 50% refund
    • 14 DAYS OR LESS: Full reservation forfeited. No Refund. NO EXCEPTIONS
  • REFUND POLICY
    • Refunds must be approved by Town of Hector and may take up to 35 days.
    • Refunds will be made in original form of payment. 
  • CAMPING PRIVILEGES ARE CONDITIONAL AND REVOCABLE
    • The privilege of using Smith Memorial Park property, whether as a seasonal camper, transient camper, day user or otherwise, shall be considered to be pursuant to permission granted by the Town of Hector. This permission is conditional and revocable and may be terminated by the Town of Hector at any time without advance notice. No landlord-tenant relationship shall arise between the Town of Hector and any camper or user of the Park under any circumstances.
    • Any person or persons violating these rules and regulations may have their permission to use the park terminated immediately, without refund of any monies paid by such person or persons, or paid on their behalf. All questions of whether a violation of these rules and regulations has occurred, and all SMITH MEMORIAL PARK AND CAMPGROUND RULES AND REGULATIONS 5 interpretations of these rules and regulations, shall be within the discretion of the Park Manager or other individual designated by the Town of Hector, whose determination shall be final.
    • Violations of any provisions of these Rules and Regulations shall be punishable upon conviction thereof by a fine not to exceed two hundred and fifty dollars ($250.00) or imprisonment for a period not to exceed fifteen days, or both. Costs resulting from violation of these rules and regulations shall be paid by offender.
  • RELEASE OF LIABILITY
    • To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Park user or camper signing below agrees to defend, indemnify and hold harmless the Town of Hector, its officers, directors, agents and employees from and against all claims, suits, liens, judgments, damages, losses and expenses including reasonable legal fees and defense costs arising in whole or in part and in any manner from the acts, omissions, breach or default of the said person, his agents and invitees.
    • The Town of Hector shall not be responsible for the safety or security of any Park user or camper, or such user’s or camper’s agents, invitees or guests, or the property of any such party, and the person signing below hereby releases the Town of Hector from all liability, claims and damages for injury, loss or death to persons or property occupying Park property.

e) RIGHT TO REVISE, ALTER, CHANGE OR AMEND

  • The Town of Hector hereby reserves the right to add to and/or modify these rules and regulations without notice.
  • In the event that one or more of the provisions of these rules and regulations shall be declared invalid, such invalidity shall not impair the validity of any other provision thereof.

f) THESE RULES AND REGULATIONS, AND ANY AMENDMENTS THEREOF, SHALL TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY.
 

THE SIGNER HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES TO HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND THE RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR SMITH MEMORIAL PARK AND CAMPGROUND AS OUTLINED; AND AGREES TO COMPLY WITH SAID RULES AND REGULATIONS AND ALL APPLICABLE GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS; AND THAT ALL USE AND OCCUPANCY OF SMITH MEMORIAL PARK AND CAMPGROUND SHALL BE SUBJECT TO SAID RULES AND REGULATIONS.