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.

Where to Camp in Black River Wild Forest

I have spent a lot of this past summer exploring the Black River Wild Forest, and decided it would be a good to share my experiences and some of the roadside and other campsites I’ve discovered along the way. As of September 2011, Lands and Forests in Albany doesn’t have these campsites in the central inventory, so all of this campsite data is based on personal exploration of these campsites.

North Lake.

Some of the best camping in the Black River Wild Forest is North Lake in Atwell. There are 22 campsites — many of them vehicle accessible along this man made lake. The southern end of the lake has some private houses and cabins on it, but it still is relatively pristine and beautiful. Most sites have outhouses and fire pits. Some but not all sites have limited wood supply. All sites designated.

Motors are allowed on this lake — as are on all wild forest lakes — so don’t be surprised to hear a jet ski or small boat on there. There are no public boat ramp on lake, so only hand launched boats can get on the lake.

Click to download or print this map.

Total Greenhouse Gas Equalivent, by Country

South Lake.

South Lake is another Erie Canal Corp / Black River Reservoir near North Lake. There is a single large campsite on South Lake, with a private in-holding on the other side of the lake. There may be other campsites here, as I didn’t explore this whole lake. There is an outhouse here, grassy field for camping, fire pit.

Click to download or print this map.

Hudson Valley

Reeds Pond.

There are a couple of campsites along Reeds Pond, North Lake Road, and Farr Road as you head up to North Lake from Forestport. This pristine, but relatively small pond is fairly popular for camping.

Click to download or print this map.

 Beaver Flow State Forest

Wolf Lake Road.

There are 5 fairly remote roadside campsites along Wolf Lake Road, as you head down to Woodhull Lake. Note also how there are lean-tos at Bear Lake and Woodhull Lake. The roadside campsites have no facilities, and some can be muddy as they are not hardened with gravel.

Wolf Lake Road has recently been rebuilt and resurfaced with gravel, however spring rains did lead to one part that may lead low-clearance cars to bottom out. Camp on this road, and your unlikely to see more then 2-3 people drive by on any particular day.

Be aware that the last 1/8th of a mile to Woodhull Lake is gated, so you’ll have to carry your boat the rest of the way down to the lake.

Click to download or print this map.

Adirondack Lakes

Remsen Falls.

Remsen Falls, which probably should be called “Remsen Rapids”, is a popular swimming place, and offers two well used campsites. There is an outhouse and picnic table down here. The trail follows a gated dirt road.

Click to download or print this map.

Roadway

Camping on Hope Falls and Pumpkin Hollow Roads

There are several campsites a on side roads, little ways off of NY 30, as you head North from Northville towards Wells NY. These campsites are nice if you starting off into the Adirondacks, and are looking for a convenient place to camp for the night, and want campsites quieter then those on NY 8 / East Sacanadaga River.

These sites are all designated with official “Camp Here” discs.

Road Number of Sites
Hope Falls Road 3 Vehicle
3 Tent Sites
Pumpkin Hollow Road 2 Vehicle (Between Willis Lake and Inholding)
1 Vehicle (Beyond Inholding)

Hope Falls Road.

From Northville on Hope Falls Road, you drive north and north. The paved road goes on for several miles, until you finally reach the “Seasonal Use Only” sign, and hte pavement ends it becomes a one lane road.

 Hammond Pond Wild Forest - Green Hill Parcel

Click the map above to print it.

None of these campsites are particularly fancy, although there is a single outhouse for the first grouping of campsites on the southern port of the road.

Gulls on the breakwater

All of the campsites run along Stoney Creek …

Stoney Creek

Pumpkin Hollow.

The campsites are a ways back on Pumpkin Hollow Road, a dirt road, beyond Willis Lake and the camps along it. Pumpkin hollow is a short ways south of the Sacanadaga River DEC Campground, it starts out as a paved road by a white house, then eventually a mile or two back becomes unpaved and one lane.

Blue skies

You can print the above map by clicking on it and printing it.

Willis Lake

Here’s sample designated campsite on Pumpkin Hollow Road.

Designated Campsite

And Pumpkin Hollow Road…

Pumpkin Hollow Road