Adirondacks

The Adirondack Park is a publicly protected, elliptical area encompassing much of the northeastern lobe of Upstate New York. It is the largest park and the largest state-level protected area in the contiguous United States, and the largest National Historic Landmark. The park covers some 6.1 million acres (2.5Γ—106 ha), a land area roughly the size of Vermont and greater than the National Parks of Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier, and Great Smoky Mountains combined.

The Adirondack Park boundary, commonly referred to as the ‘Blue Line,’ contains the entire Adirondack Mountain range, as well as some surrounding areas, all within the state of New York. The park includes all of Hamilton and Essex counties, as well as considerable portions of Clinton, Franklin, Fulton, Herkimer, St. Lawrence, and Warren counties and small portions of Lewis, Oneida, Saratoga, and Washington counties as well. (The Clinton County towns of Altona and Dannemora, despite being entirely within the park boundary, are specifically excluded from the park by statute, due to the large prison facilities in both towns.)

Not all of the land within the park is owned by the state, although new sections are frequently purchased or donated. State land comprises 2.7 million acres (1.1Γ—106 ha), about 45% of the park’s area, including the highest peaks in New York State, as well as Mount Marcy, the highest elevation in the state. About 1 million acres (400,000 ha) of this is classified as wilderness, with most of the remainder managed under the somewhat less stringent wild forest classification. Villages and hamlets comprise less than 1% of the area of the park; the remaining area of more than 3 million acres (1.2Γ—106 ha) is privately held but is generally sparsely developed.[3] There is often no clear demarcation between state, private, and wilderness lands in the park. Signs marking the Adirondack Park boundary can be found on most of the major roads in the region, but there are no entrance gates and no admission fee.

90% of Wild Forest is Actually Wilderness

A secret of the Adirondack State Land Master Plan is that well over 90% of the lands officially dedicated as Wild Forest are actually forever: wilderness, even though it’s not called that.

Wilderness Area

Here is why from Adirondack State Land Master Plan:

4. Public use of motor vehicles will not be encouraged and there will not be anymaterial increase in the mileage of roads and snowmobile trails open to motorized use bythe public in wild forest areas that conformed to the master plan at the time ofits original adoption in 1972.

That language basically makes it clear that no new roads or truck trails will be created in Adirondack Forest Preserve. Therefore, except for a handful existing roads, the vast majority of lands of Adirondack Forest Preserve will forever remain free of motor vehicles and snowmobiles (in winter). The milage of snowmobile trails and truck trails will only decline in coming years, strictly fitting into defination of “wild forest”.

Helldiver Pond in Evening

Moreover per the consitution:

The lands of the state, now owned or hereafter acquired, constituting the forest preserve as now fixed by law, shall be forever kept as wild forest lands. They shall not be leased, sold or exchanged, or be taken by any corporation, public or private, nor shall the timber thereon be sold, removed or destroyed.

Therefore per the consitution, no timber may be removed or destroyed in the forest preserve, which means the consitution explicitly prohibits any new road from being constructed in the forest preserve, except where an existing road exists. You can’t build a new road through the forest without cutting timber.

Across Mason Lake

The only constraint from designating all of Adirondack Wild Forest as wilderness, is some of the parcels are smaller, and there a minimal roads going to campsites, lakes, destinations, and private lands throughout the park, mostly low-speed forest preserve roads, with minimal use.

… no roads, no timber cutting = wilderness area

What is a Primitive Tent Site?

The Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan describes primative tent sites as follows:

25. Primitive Tent Site–a designated tent site of an undeveloped character providing space for not more than three tents, which may have an associated pit privy and fire ring, designed to accommodate a maximum of eight people on a temporary or transient basis, and located so as to accommodate the need for shelter in a manner least intrusive on the surrounding environment. (page)

The Adirondack State Land Master Plan uses the definition of a “primitive tent site” in a wilderness area to explain campsites in wild forest.

1. All structures and improvements permitted under the guidelines covering wilderness areas will be allowed in wild forest areas. […]

Here is the wilderness “primitive tent site” regulations per the APSLMP:

1. The structures and improvements listed below will be considered as conforming to wilderness standards and their maintenance,rehabilitation and construction permitted:

— primitive tent sites below 3,500feet in elevation that are out of sight andsound and generally one-quarter mile from any other primitive tent site or lean-to:

(i) where physical and biological conditions are favorable, individual unit management plans may permit th establishment, on a site-specific basis, of primitive tent sites between 3,500 and 4,000feet in elevation, and,

(ii) where severe terrain constraints prevent the attainment of the guideline for a separation distance of generally one-quarter mile between primitive tent sites, individual unit management plans may provide, on a site-specific basis, for lesser separation distances, provided such sites remain out of sight and sound from each other, be consistent with the carrying capacity of the affected area and are generally not less than500 feet from any other primitive tent site;

Also, in wild forest, so-called groups of primitive campsites are allowed:

Small groupings of primitive tent sites designed to accommodate a maximum of 20people per grouping under group camping conditions may be provided at carefully selected locations in wild forest areas, even though each individual site may be within sight or sound and less than approximately one-quarter mile from any other site within such grouping, subject to the following criteria:

— such groupings will only be established or maintained on a site specific basis in conformity with a duly adopted unit management plan for the wild forest area in question;

— such groupings will be widely dispersed (generally a mile apart) and located in a manner that will blend with the surrounding environment and have a minimum impact on the wild forestcharacter and natural resource quality of thearea;

— all new, reconstructed or relocated tent sites in such groupings will beset back a minimum of 100 feet from themean high water mark of lakes, ponds,rivers and major streams and will be located so as to be reasonably screened from the water body to avoid intruding on the natural character of the shoreline and the public enjoyment and use thereof.

Roadside Camping at Site 5

Despite threats from PROTECT! and Residents Committee to Protect the Adirondacks, the Adirondack State Land Master Plan has never been litigated in court, so there is no legal interpretations of the ASLMP outside what has been decided by the DEC and Adirondack Park Agency.

Many different wild forests have taken that definition to different meanings…

Camping at Campsite 57

Generally Open to All Campers…

At Ferris Lake Wild Forest, particularly on Piseco-Powley Road, it has been taken to mean roadside campsites, where vehicles can access, and people are free to bring in a pickup camper or recreational vehicle if they so choose. Indeed, the draft UMP and the Adirondack State Land Master Plan both mention roadside camping. The Ferris Lake UMP goes as far as to describe various sites, and how big of a vehicle can fit in individual campsites. The sites have fire rings and outhouses, which is consistent with that definition. A minority of sites also have picnic tables.

This is common in most wild forests with roadside campsites, including Black River Wild Forest (North Lake, Woodhull Lake), Debar Mountain (Mountain Pond, Jones Pond, etc.), Ferris Lake Wild Forest (Powley Road, G-Lake Road, Edick Road, Mountain Road, etc.), Moose River Plains, and Vanderwhacker Wild Forest (Moose Club Way, Northwoods Club Road, NY 28N, Cheney Pond, Blue Ridge Road), Wilcox Lake Wild Forest (NY 8, Pumpkin Hollow, Hope Falls, etc.).

Tent Site Use Only…

On the polar opposite would be Lake George Wild Forest, particularly along Darcy Clearing Road and Hogstown Road, where all of the campsites have been relocated and blocked off to prevent any vehicle use or non-tent use. The argument here is that primitive tent site must be taken literally in the dictionary sense, and that any use of vehicles, such as truck campers or recreational vehicles are inconsistent with the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan.

Similar policies on restricting use of motor vehicles in roadside campsites exist in a minority of other wild forest campsites (like the lower portion of Harrietstown Road and Garnet Lake in Wilcox Lake Wild Forest), however the majority of forests allow some roadside campsites, with vehicle access.

Tent Camping at Foxx Lair

History Looms Large.

But let’s be honest, most wild forests allow unrestricted roadside campsites for a variety of vehicles, including pickup campers and recreational facilities. This has been going on for over 100 years, basically as long as their has been motor vehicles in the Adirondacks, and certainly as long as recreational vehicles and truck campers have existed. Most public lands, outside of NY State also do not have much in restrictions on roadside camping.

It’s tough to take away from people what they are already granted, and enjoy, especially if the rational is limited. People enjoy roadside camping in a variety of vehicles, and in many locations. For many people, they have been coming to the backcountry for decades, parking their truck or RV, and enjoying all of the solitude and pleasure that roadside camping.

Places to Roadside Camp in Early Spring in Adirondacks

The two longest back country roads in Adirondacks — Cedar River-Limekiln Lake Road and Piseco-Powley Road — are generally closed during mud season. Other dirt roads like Moose Club Way tend to be muddy, and their is a risk you’ll get stuck back there.

It’s always a good idea to bring extra weight in your truck bed, a come-a-long or whinch, and snow shovel. You might not be far from a blacktop road at these campsites, but that is no guarantee you won’t get stuck.

1) NY Route 8 / East Branch of Sacandaga River

The campsites are all off NY 8, an all season plowed and maintained asphalt road. Some sites are reinforced with gravel. Be aware some sites may be plowed full of snow from the winter clearing of NY 8. Roughly 15 campsites along this road, however some may be too muddy for this time of year.

 Susquehanna State Forest

Tent Camping at Foxx Lair

2) South of Arietta Town Line on Piseco-Powley Road

There are 7 campsites along Piseco-Powley Road, north of Stratford, prior to the Arietta Town Line gate, which is near the Potholers on East Canada Creek. This road is well packed dirt, reinforced with gravel up to gate, and should be accessiable year round, minus the snow.

Renters vs Population Density - NY Census Tracts

Very Winter Looking Campsite Along East Canada Creek

3) NY 421 at Horseshoe Lake

NY 421 is an asphalt road, and there are 4 campsites prior to the gates for Horseshoe Lake Road and Lows Lower Dam Road. These gates will be closed, but the sites along NY 421 before the asphalt runs out should be good as long the snow is off of NY 421..

In the Wildflower Gardens

Six Miles to Horseshoe Lake

4) Mountain Pond

Mountain Pond Campsites are on an old routing of NY 30. While now unplowed in the winter, the road is mostly hard asphalt, asphalt chips, and gravel. Many of the campsites are reinforced with gravel, but be careful with some of the sites.

Campsite No 4

5) First Campsite on Wolf Lake Road.

There is a campsite on Wolf Lake Road, right before the parking area and winter road gate for Wolf Lake Road Extension. This campsite is grass, however if it’s relatively dry, snow and mud free, this is possiblity.

Adirondack Lakes

Roadside Campsite

6) Reeds Pond Campsite.

Before the black top runs out, there is a campsite along Reeds Pond, which is nice for it’s solitude, but nearness to a dirt road. The campsite may be muddy, depending on the conditions.

 Beaver Flow State Forest

Reeds Pond

Roadside Campsites I’ve Camped in Northern Adirondacks

North West

Streeter Lake Road

  • Campsites are nice
  • Many campsites are close to road
  • Road is an old railroad bed
  • Streeter Lake and Mud Pond are nice paddling, but a little small and with beaver dams

All Packed Up

North Central

Floodwood Road

  • Often crowded, hard to get a roadside campsite some nights
  • Campsites are clustered close together
  • High enforcement precence

Camping at Poliwog Pond

Jones Pond

  • Campsites are quite nice, but only 5 campsites and 3 tent sites
  • Road noise from nearby roads
  • Lake is larger then Mountain Pond
  • Nearby is the drive-in campsites along north-western portion of Rainbow Lake (not to be confused with Bucks Pond State Campground)

All Packed Up at Union Falls Campsite

Mountain Pond

  • Close to St Regis Canoe Area (10 miles south)
  • Quieter compared to busy canoe area
  • Located on an Old Routing of NY 30
  • Conviently located to Paul Smiths and NY 30 corridor

Getting Out and Stretch

North East

Union Falls Pond

  • A group of undesigned drive-in campsites along northeastern section of Union Falls Pond, shown on DEC maps
  • Across the way from a private campground
  • Union Falls Pond is large, can be choppy from the wind
  • Great views of Whiteface and other high peaks from the campsite.

Getting Out and Stretch

North-Central Central

Horsehoe Lake

  • Horsehoe Lake has several campsites along, as does the dirt road beyond it for a ways.
  • The best roadside campsites go fast on the lake, but you can always camp on the less desirable campsites, then check out Bog River Flow, and tent camp up there.

Campsite No 9

Adirondack Park State Land Acquistion Policy

Today’s fodder is based on the text of as Adirondack Park Land Acqusition Policy, as described in the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan. I added the headings and pictures to make it more readable. — Andy

The Agency has an important interest inr future state land acquisitions since they can vitally affect both private and public land within the Adirondack Park. As a result the Agency recommends that the following guidelines should govern future acquisitions of state lands within the Park…

Heading Up the Quiet, And Sometimes Narrow Kunjamunk

State Should Only Acquire
Adirondack Park Land for Forest Preseve.

1. Future state acquisitions within the Adirondack Park should generally be restricted to the acquisition of forest preserve lands. Where special state purposes are such that non-forest preserve land might be acquired (if such acquisitions are constitutionally permissible) the amount acquired for other than forest preserve purposes should be kept to the minimum necessary. Thus, should the state acquire a 100-acre tract on which it wished to place a hospital, a prison, an office building or another facility only that part of the tract, say twenty-five acres, that is actually necessary for the facility should be classified as non-forest preserve.

Reasons Not To Acquire Land.

2. As a general guideline, the state should avoid acquiring lands for non-forest preserve purposes (if such acquisitions are constitutionally permissible) within the Park where:

— the tract is not contiguous to a public highway; or,

— the tract is of a native forest character, i.e., stocked with any size, native tree species with twenty-five percent crown cover (plantations are not considered to be native forest land); or,

— the tract involved consists of more than 150 acres; or,

— the tract is contiguous to existing forest preserve land; or,

— the tract is within one-half mile of a block of forest preserve land of over 1,000 acres; or,

— the tract lies at an elevation greater than 2,500 feet; or,

— the proposed use of the tract will materially alter the surrounding environment; or,

— the tract is of significant scenic, ecological or geologic value or interest.

After The Fire

New Intensive Uses Should Be Restricted
to Private Companies and Individuals.

3. Save for (i) the two existing alpine skiing centers at Whiteface and Gore mountains and the Mt. Van Hoevenberg area; (ii) rustic state campsites, a long accepted intensive use of the forest preserve; (iii) visitor information centers, memorial highways, beaches and boat launching sites; and (iv) historic areas (guidelines for which are provided elsewhere in this master plan), the state should rely on private enterprise to develop intensive recreational facilities on private lands within the Park, to the extent that the character of these lands permits this type of development, and should not acquire lands for these purposes.

Trees Along the West Branch

Lands Most Desirable to Add to Forest Preserve.

4. Highest priority should be given to acquiring fee title to, fee title subject to a term of life tenancy, or conservation easements providing public use or value or rights of first refusal over,

(i) key parcels of private land, the use or development of which could adversely affect the integrity of vital tracts of state land, particularly wilderness, primitive and canoe areas and

(ii) key parcels which would permit the upgrading of primitive areas to wilderness areas.

Preference for Consolidation of State Parcels of Land.

5. High priority should also be given to acquisitions of fee title which permit the consolidation of scattered tracts of state land.

Protection of Deer Wintering Habitats.

6. Fee title or appropriate conservation easements should also be acquired to protect critical wildlife areas such as deer wintering areas, wetlands, habitats of rare or endangered species or other areas of unique value, such as lands bordering or providing access to classified or proposed wild, scenic and recreational rivers.

Moose Plains Road in Plains

Protection of Scenic Vistas.

7. Efforts should be made, by conservation easement or fee acquisition, to protect the major scenic resources of the Park along travel corridors, with particular attention to the Adirondack Northway and those scenic vistas specifically identified on the Private Land Use and Development Plan Map and listed in Chapter III of this document.

Obtaining Right-of-Ways to Public Lands.

8. The acquisition of fee title to or rights-of-way across private lands that effectively prevent access to important blocks of state land should be pursued, except where such acquisition would exacerbate or cause problems of overuse or inappropriate use of state lands.

Obtaining Canoe water Right-of-Ways.

9. Canoe route easements should be purchased to reopen Adirondack canoe routes for non-motorized access in appropriate areas of the Park.

Vanderwhacker Firetower Trail Sign

Obtaining Fishing Right Easements.

10. The highly successful fishing rights easement purchase program of the Department of Environmental Conservation should be continued and expanded on appropriate streams.

Tug Hill Valley

Avoid Purchases of Highly Productive Timber Stands,
Consider Conservation Easements for Timber Stands.

11. Due to the importance of the forest products industry to the economy of the Adirondack region, bulk acreage purchases in fee should not normally be made where highly productive forest land is involved, unless such land is threatened with development that would curtail its use for forestry purposes or its value for the preservation of open space or of wildlife habitat. However, conservation easements permitting the continuation of sound forest management and other land uses compatible with the open space character of the Park should be acquired wherever possible to protect and buffer state lands.

Relaxed

Adirondack Park Agency Prohibited from Reviewing Land Purchases Prior to Purchase.

While the Agency has not been given authority to review proposed acquisitions before title has vested in the state, once new lands have been acquired the Act requires the master plan to be revised by classifying the lands and setting guidelines for their management and use pursuant to the statutory procedures (consultation with the Department of Environmental Conservation and submission to the Governor for approval). The following procedures for revisions of the master plan will be followed in connection with new acquisitions:

— land acquisitions should be classified as promptly as possible following acquisition and in any case classification of new acquisitions will be done annually; and,

— prior to classification by the Agency, lands acquired by the Department of Environmental Conservation or any other state agency will be administered on an interim basis in a manner consistent with the character of the land and its capacity to withstand use and which will not foreclose options for eventual classification.

One Lane Bridge

Adirondack Wild, Scenic and Recreational Rivers System

Today’s fodder is based on the text of the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan that explains the Adirondack Scenic, Wild and Recreational Rivers System and the policies surrounding it quite well. — Andy

The Adirondack Park contains many rivers which, with their immediate environs, constitute an important and unusual resource. Classification of those portions of rivers that flow through state land is vital to the protection of existing free flowing streams. The classification system and the recommended guidelines specified below are designed to be consistent with and complementary to both the basic intent and structure of the legislation passed by the legislature in 1972 creating a wild, scenic and recreational rivers system on both state and private lands.

LED Driver built on perfboard as Arduino shield

Definitions

A wild river is a river or section of river that is free of diversions and impoundments, inaccessible to the general public except by water, foot or horse trail, and with a river area primitive in nature and free of any man-made development except foot bridges.

A scenic river is a river or section of river that is free of diversions or impoundments except for log dams, with limited road access and with a river area largely primitive and undeveloped, or that is partially or predominantly used for agriculture, forest management and other dispersed human activities that do not substantially interfere with public use and enjoyment of the river and its shore. A recreational river is a river or section of river that is readily accessible by road or railroad, that may have development in the river area and that may have undergone some diversion or impoundment in the past.

River Picks Up Speed As You End the Flow

Guidelines for Management and Use

Basic guidelines

1. No river or river area will be managed or used in a way that would be less restrictive in nature than the statutory requirements of the Wild, Scenic and Recreational Rivers Act, Article l5, title 27 of the Environmental Conservation Law, or than the guidelines for the management and use of the land classification within which the river area lies, but the river or river area may be administered in a more restrictive manner.

2. Rivers will be kept free of pollution and the water quality thereof kept sufficiently high to meet other management guidelines contained in this section.

3. No dam or other structure impeding the natural flow of a river will be constructed on a wild, scenic or recreational river, except for stream improvement structures for fisheries management purposes which are permissible on recreational and scenic rivers only.

4. The precise boundaries of the river area will be determined by the Department of Environmental Conservation, will be specified in the individual unit management plans for the river area or the areas, where the more restrictive guidelines of the particular area will apply) and with the following additional guidelines.

2. Access points to the river shore or crossings of the river by roads, fire truck trails or other trails open to motor vehicle use by the public or administrative personnel will normally be located at least two miles apart.

3. Other motor vehicle roads or trails in the river area will not be encouraged and, where permitted, will normally be kept at least 500 feet from the river shore and will be screened by vegetation or topography from view from the river itself.

4. The natural character of the river and its immediate shoreline will be preserved.

5. The following structures and improvements may be located so as to be visible from the river itself:

== fishing and waterway access sites;

== foot and horse trails and foot and horse trail bridges crossing the river; and,

== motor vehicle bridges crossing the river.

6. All other new, reconstructed or relocated conforming structures and improvements (other than individual lean-tos, primitive tent sites and pit privies which are governed by the regular guidelines of the master plan) will be located a minimum of 250 feet from the mean high water mark of the river and will in all cases be reasonably screened by vegetation or topography from view from the river itself.

7. Motorboat usage of scenic rivers will not normally be permitted but may be allowed by the Department of Environmental Conservation, where such use is already established, is consistent with the character of the river and river area, and will not result in any undue adverse impacts upon the natural resource quality of the area.

Recreational rivers

1. Recreational rivers and their river areas will be administered in accordance with the guidelines for management of wild forest areas (except where such rivers flow through wilderness, primitive or canoe areas, where the more restrictive guidelines of the particular area will apply) and with the following additional guidelines:

2. Where a recreational river flows through an intensive use area, structures, improvements and uses permitted in intensive use areas will be permitted, provided the scale and intensity of these intensive uses do not adversely affect the recreational character of the river and the river area.

3. The natural character of the river and its immediate shoreline will be preserved and enhanced.

4. The following structures and improvements may be located so as to be visible from the river itself:

== fishing and waterway access sites;

== docks;

== foot and horse trails and foot and horse trail bridges crossing the river;

== snowmobile trails, roads, and truck trails; and,

== motor vehicle bridges crossing the river.

5. All other new, reconstructed or relocated conforming structures and improvements (other than individual lean-tos and primitive tent sites which are governed by the regular guidelines of the master plan) will be located a minimum of 150 feet from the mean high water mark of the river and will in all cases be reasonably screened by vegetation or topography from view from the river itself.

6. Motorboat use of recreational rivers may be permitted, as determined by the Department of Environmental Conservation.

Cheney Pond Outlet

Designation of Wild, Scenic and Recreational Rivers

The application of the above definitions and criteria to rivers on state lands in the Park results in the current designation under this master plan of 155.1 miles of wild rivers, 511.3 miles of scenic rivers, and 539.5 miles of recreational rivers. A significant amount of private lands not covered by this master plan are included in these mileage figures. A brief description of these rivers and their classification is set forth in Chapter III.

River Wild Scenic Recreational
Ampersand Brook 8.6
Ausable — Main Branch 21.7
Ausable — East Branch 8.8 25.2
Ausable — West Branch 31.8
Black 6.8 5.8
Bog 6.2
Boreas 11.4
Bouquet 42.7
Bouquet — North Fork 5.9
Bouquet — South Fork 5.0
Blue Mountain Stream (Trib. of Middle Branch, Grasse River) 7.9
Cedar 13.5 13.0 10.4
Cold 14.5
Deer 5.7
East Canada Creek 19.3
Grasse — Middle Branch 12.9
Grasse — North Branch 25.4
Grasse — South Branch 36.1 4.2
Hudson 11.2 11.8 55.1
Independence 24.5
Indian (Trib. of Hudson River) 7.5
Indian (Trib. of Moose River — South Branch) 15.1
Jordan 15.7
Kunjamuk 7.1 9.1
Long Pond Outlet 16.3
Marion 4.4
Moose — Main Branch 15.0 11.0
Moose – North Branch 5.3 11.6
Moose — South Branch 33.6
Opalescent 10.4
Oswegatchie — Main Branch 14.9
Oswegatchie — Middle Branch 13.0 22.7
Oswegatchie — West Branch 7.2 6.3
Otter River 8.8
Ouluska Pass Brook 2.3
Piseco Outlet 3.8
Raquette 36.0 51.6
Red 8.0
Rock 6.4 1.3
Round Lake Outlet 2.4
St. Regis — East Branch 15.4 6.3
St. Regis — Main Branch 15.6 23.9
St. Regis — West Branch 31.5 5.5
Sacandaga — East Branch 11.3 12.6
Sacandaga — Main Branch 28.5
Sacandaga — West Branch 18.1 16.6
Salmon 11.6
Saranac 62.7
Schroon 63.9
West Canada Creek 7.4 17.1 9.1
West Canada Creek — South Branch 5.7 9.1
West Stony Creek 7.4 7.7
Total 148.4 487.2 545.6