Tonight I write this words on my laptop, camping on West River Road, along the West Branch of the Sacanadaga River. This a beautiful site, soon to be gated off miles in the distance, to supposedly improve the “wilderness” character of this area.
Despite the fact that …
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.
… the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Adirondack Park Agency feels it neccessary to close off West River Road to “enhance” the wilderness quality of the “Silver Lake Wilderness”. West River Road will never be expanded or extended, and it’s unlikely many campsites will ever be added to it because the lands are forever wild, and no tree over 3″ may ever cut.
I am not advocating for paving over the Adirondack Park for strip malls, or running high-speed expressways through virgin forest. I am advocating for keeping traditional, well maintained, roads open, and protecting our remaining roads and campsites in their traditional uses.
Yet, still the DEC finds it’s hands tied due to Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan that dicates the Adirondack Park’s state land must become increasingly restricted in public use, and that more restrictions must be placed on public use — less camping, less roads open to the public.
It’s sad, because people like myself liked camping on these lands. While in the future, people will be able to walk on this perfectly good road for vehicular traffic, and backpack into the limited number of campsites, roadside camping might forever be gone from this area. More and more Adirondack Park Roads are forever gone, and unless your willing to backpack in often many miles, these lands will forever be closed off for public use.
1) Roughly a quarter mile separation between each campsite to enhance privacy, allow people to make noise or listen to music into the night, without disturbing other parties.
2) A flat place to park and set up camp, far enough off the road to provide some privacy buffer and ensure safety – i.e. not having people putting up tents right next to the truck trail where cars could be passing at any moment.
3) Provides wild forest experience, with tall and old growth or nearly old growth trees around the site.
4) Not aggressive regulation of campsites, minimal patrolling by government bureaucrats.
5) Provides a relatively flat and open place to camp with some gravel or elevation so it’s not too muddy even after use.
6) A clean site without a lot of litter – people should be encouraged to burn their burnable garbage, and make sure to pack out anything that can’t be burned. Fireplaces and firepits are much more desirable then stone rings.
7) Outhouses help enhance sanitary conditions at campsites, especially well used ones. Too often campsites have litter in the form of toilet paper, and to a lesser extent human waste, from it getting dug up by animals.
8) Picnic tables are nice to have but not essential. Bring your own table!
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.
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.
All of the campsites run along 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.
You can print the above map by clicking on it and printing it.
Here’s sample designated campsite on Pumpkin Hollow Road.
Long Pond offers 8 designated roadside campsites, and a handful of other informal campsites on the other side of the lake. A large man-made lake in an agricultural landscape of Chenango County, it offers some excellent fishing and nice views, especially for Chenango County.
This map below shows where each picture was taken roughly in the area.
Barnum Pond, right behind the Adirondack Vistors Intreprative Center, offers some great views, and can be accessed for free from NY 30, one mile north of VIC and one mile south of Mountain Pond Camping Area. Click on the map below, to display a full-size version, perfect for printing and slapping in a plastic bag, to strap on your kayak.
Here are some pictures I took while was paddling around this lake, proceeding from NY 30, along the Southern shore until I got to the Barnum Pond outlet, which you can continue on for about a mile until a beaver dam. You can portage around the beaver dam, if you choose, however a 1/2 mile below that is a series of man-made dams in Paul Smiths you must go around, to get down to Lower St Regis Lake.
If you visit here, consider camping at Mountain Pond.
The Little River offers some interesting kayaking opportunities, and can be part of a roadside camping experience at Streeter Lake in Aldrich. Here is a map, you can click to expand and print up.
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