state
Kayaking Beaver Creek, August 2011
Where is a quiet place to kayak near Cedar Ridge and the Brookfield Horse Camp? Have you ever thought about kayaking the Beaver Creek, from Horse Trail 60 north until the end of the navigable waters?
You take Fairgrounds Road north from Brookfield NY, until a first parking area on the left of the road. This is Horse Trail 60. It’s a short portage (1/8 mile) until you reach the bridge crossing the Beaver Creek.
Put in the on the side of this bridge. I did from the east side, through the marshy ground, but you could portage over the horse bridge, then put on the west side, and avoid the marshy ground.
Having a good set of wheels means you won’t have to carry your kayak, but make sure not to drag it on the gravel to avoid wearing holes in your kayak, as I learned earlier this summer.
This is a delightful little trip. Do drive the Charles Baker Auto tour, or hike some of the many trails in the area…
Kayaking Long Pond
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.
Large NY State Forests Tend to Be Located In Rural Areas
There are many state lands across New York State.
The problem is, for many New Yorkers, the largest and most interesting parcels — the Catskill Forest Preserve, the Adirondack Forest Preserve, larger state forests like Brookfield Horse Camp, Brashier Falls, Tug Hill State Forest, Sugar Hill, are all a long drive from where they live.
This map shows the town population versus the location of state forest and forest preserve lands that are popular for hiking, camping, fishing and hunting. I did not include state parks. Note how unpopulated most areas are with large state forests.
To demostrate how dramatic this is, take a look at a map of urbanized or otherwise developed areas of New York State based on Landstat data. Yellows are suburban areas, while reds are urbanized downtowns with few trees or forest — the kind of people you would think would most likely want to spend time in the woods.
Maybe we don’t want lots of urban folks coming to the state forests. Maybe there remoteness keeps people away. Yet, it shows the large disconnect from large public lands and the population centers across our state.
Home Rule vs Dillon’s Rule
There are two categories of state governments as it relates to local governments:
- Home Rule: States that give local governments wide latitude to decide which policies are appropriate for their communities
- Dillon’s Rule: States that give limited powers to local government to make decide which policies are appropriate for their communities
No states fall clearly in on category or another as it’s more of a continuum then definite categories. Indeed, when states choose how much to empower local governments they must consider a variety of factors such as:
- Impact of one town or city’s decisions on surrounding communities
- Citizens that travel through one community or reside their temporarily for work, recreation, or other activities, but due to lack residency have no voice in that government
- Involvement and awareness of a community’s citizens in governments
- Fairness between wealthier and poorer communities
- State-wide goals for various programs
Certainly some things really ought to be decided on a local level, under Home Rule, by an informed citizens and their representatives:
- The rate of property taxation and structure of fees paid exclusively by local residents and businesses
- The level of government services provided to local citizens and businesses
- The design and management of local service roads and streets
- The creation of local laws and policies, as long as much local laws and policies are made clear to visitors using signs or other documentation
On the other hand, there is a compelling case to reserve some powers to states under Dillion’s Rule to ensure fairness both to local residents and more importantly, largely voiceless visitors to a community.
- A state bill of rights must exist to ensure that local governments both treat their citizens fairly, and most importantly visitors to the community fairly
- Local laws need to consistent enough so that visitors know what to reasonably expect when visit a community and require
- Inter-community highways need to be regulated by the state to promote the quick and convenient movement of goods and people.
Camping Log
January – June 2011.
Roadside: 9, Tent: 1, Leanto: 0 nights …
| Date | Campsite | Where | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06/19/11 | Campsite On Forest Road 70 Near Lye Wilderness | Forest Road 70, Green Mountains NF, Kelley Stand, VT | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Hiked towards Big Alder, but couldn’t cross stream. Rainy day, did a little paddling in Powley Place. Nicer day on Memorial Day |
| 06/04/11 | Campsite On Back Side of Stockmans Island | Stockmans Island, Hudson River State Park, NY | Tent camping after paddling in on kayak | Put in at Coxscakie Boat Launch, camped on an island in Hudson River. |
| 05/29/11 | Powley Place (Campsite 9) | Piseco-Powley Road, Ferris Lake Wild Forest, Stratford, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Hiked towards Big Alder, but couldn’t cross stream. Rainy day, did a little paddling in Powley Place. Nicer day on Memorial Day. |
| 05/28/11 | Powley Place (Campsite 9) | Piseco-Powley Road, Ferris Lake Wild Forest, Stratford, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Rainy day. Hiked around Powley Place. |
| 05/27/11 | Powley Place (Campsite 9) | Piseco-Powley Road, Ferris Lake Wild Forest, Stratford, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Left work early, drove up there. Nice evening before the rain. |
| 05/21/11 | Cheney Pond | Cheney Pond, Vanderwhacker Wild Forest, Newcomb, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Explored Vanderwhacker Wild Forest. Kayaked around Cheney Pond couple of times, explored Tawandus Ruins. |
| 05/20/11 | Fox Lair Campsite | NY Route 8, Wilcox Lake Wild Forest, Bakers Mills, Adirondacks, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Much nicer this time, a little rain, things greened up. Got a little rain, very damp. |
| 04/22/11 | Fox Lair Campsite | NY Route 8, Wilcox Lake Wild Forest, Bakers Mills, Adirondacks, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Woke up to 3” of cold wet snow and rain, decided to go home and abandon trip. |
| 04/21/11 | Gravel Pit Campsite | NY Route 8, Wilcox Lake Wild Forest, Griffin, Adirondacks, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Cold morning, trees covered with ice. Hike up around part of 13th Lake near North Creek, NY |
| 04/09/11 | Moscow Hill Horse Camp | Brookfield State Forest aka Charles Baker State Forest, Brookfield, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | One other camper here, no equestrians this time of year. Wanted to camp on Cherry Ridge, however too much snow there. |
March – December 2010.
Roadside: 28, Tent: 2, Leanto: 1 nights …
| Date | Campsite | Where | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/4/10 | Old NY 8 | Wilcox Lake Wild Forest, Griffin, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Very cold. Ice and snow on truck in morning. Kind of close to NY 8, but all the best campsites taken by hunters. |
| 11/12/10 | Lower Assembly Area | Sugar Hill State Forest, Watkins Glen, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Woke up surrounded by Horse Trailers and equestrians in morning. Assembly area was closed this time of year, but horse trails still widely used. |
| 11/11/10 | Informal campsite on Forest Road 151 | Allegheny National Forest, Near Sayre, PA | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Second night at Allegheny National Forest. I liked the site I stayed in the previous day a lot, and the days where too short (sunset at 4:45 PM), so no time to waste searching for a site. |
| 11/10/10 | Informal campsite on Forest Road 151 | Allegheny National Forest, Near Bradford, PA | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Many sites in Allegheny National Forest. This one I particularly liked, so I decided to stay there. |
| 11/09/10 | Aspah Run Camping Area | Aspah, near Wellsboro, PA | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): paid primitive area | Decided due to a lack of a time due to early sunset, would have done roadside/back country camping, but for $10, and being alone, it was fine. |
| 11/08/10 | Aspah Run Camping Area | Aspah, near Wellsboro, PA | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): paid primitive area | Camped here, because I didn’t want to camp back country, and didn’t know the area well enough. |
| 11/07/10 | Lower Assembly Area | Sugar Hill State Forest, Watkins Glen, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Originally wanted to camp at Birds Eye Lake or something like that, but the map I had got me lost, and I couldn’t find the road campsite up there. |
| 11/06/10 | Campsite 7 | Stoney Pond State Forest, Madison, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Frost/ice on puddles in morning. Some snow in some places. |
| 09/05/10 | Campsite 56 | Moose River Plains, Inlet, Adirondacks, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Rain showers, enjoyed staying in a very private and quite campsite up in the sandy plains. |
| 09/04/10 | Campsite 56 | Moose River Plains, Inlet, Adirondacks, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Hiked to Mitchells Pond. More rain. It was kind of wet and cold. |
| 09/03/10 | Campsite 56 | Moose River Plains, Inlet, Adirondacks, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Kind of wet and rainy, hung out in camp, did a little exploring of the plains. Also, paddled in Cedar River Flow for a while. Enjoyed the very private drive in site here. |
| 09/02/10 | Campsite 2 | Moose River Plains, Inlet, Adirondacks, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | I left work at 5 PM…. but with traffic, and wanting to get a pizza to eat on the way up, didn’t get to Moose River Plains until after 9 PM. Very dark, very tired, just wanted a place to collapse. |
| 08/28/10 | An Designated Campsite | Big Pond, near Margretville, NY | Kayak in Primitive Campsite: no charge | Did a little hiking an exploring around Ashfield Pinnacle, then drove south to Big Pond. Lantern did not work, a very dark night. |
| 08/27/10 | Betty Brook Campsite | Burnt-Rossman Hill State Forest, Schoharie, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Nice night after work…. drove around Mallet Pond State Forest, looking for campsites and interesting places to explore. |
| 08/14/10 | Mountain Pond Campsite 4 | Mountain Pond, Paul Smiths, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Last day of NY 30 Kayak vacation. Mountain Pon was nice, very remote, just off of NY 30. |
| 08/13/10 | Floodwood Road Campsite 3 | Floodwood Road, Fish Creek Ponds, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Crowded, stayed down by Poliwog Pond… wouldn’t go there again. |
| 08/12/10 | Horseshoe Lake Campsite 8 (about a ½ mile from lake) | NY 421, Horseshoe Lake, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Couldn’t get a site right on Horseshoe Lake. Discovered Lows Lake – amazing. |
| 08/11/10 | Wakely Pond Campsite 7 | Moose River Plains, Inlet, Adirondacks, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Wanted to paddle Cedar River Flow and enjoy camping up near water … |
| 08/10/10 | Undesigned Campsite, west side of road | Mason Lake, Spectulator, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | First day of kayak vacation, as I drove up from work, decided to go somewheres not too far away … |
| 07/31/10 | Undesigned Campsite, west side of road | Mason Lake, Spectulator, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Hiked to Pillsbury Mountain Firetower, then camped down at Mason Lake. |
| 07/18/10 | Otter Brook Campsite (MRP Number 110) | Moose River Plains, Inlet, Adirondacks, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Camped by the Otter Brook Bridge, at a rather large campsite. Not my favorite campsite, and it poured out. |
| 07/17/10 | Wakely Pond Campsite 8 | Moose River Plains, Inlet, Adirondacks, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Camped down by Cedar River Flow, in a drive in site, a short way from the Flow, but also pretty private. |
| 07/16/10 | Wakely Pond Campsite 8 | Moose River Plains, Inlet, Adirondacks, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Camped down by Cedar River Flow, in a drive in site, a short way from the Flow, but also pretty private. |
| 07/15/10 | Wakely Pond Campsite 8 | Moose River Plains, Inlet, Adirondacks, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Camped down by Cedar River Flow, in a drive in site, a short way from the Flow, but also pretty private. |
| 06/27/10 | Balsam Swamp Camping Area Site 3 | Balsam Pond, East East Pharsalia, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Came back to here, after exploring Labrador Hollow. |
| 06/26/10 | Balsam Swamp Camping Area Site 3 | Balsam Pond, East East Pharsalia, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Stop over between Burnt-Rossman and Labrador Hollow. Liked camping here in the past. |
| 06/25/10 | Duck Pond Campsite | Burnt-Rossman Hill State Forest, Summit, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Camped up a Duck Pond for a change, after driving out here after work. |
| 06/05/10 | Leonard Hill Informal Overlook and Campsite | Leonard Hill, Broome Center, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Camped up by the Firetower at an informal campsite, watched sun set, weather turned to rain by morning … |
| 06/04/10 | Betty Brook Campsite | Burnt-Rossman Hill State Forest, Schoharie, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Camped at Betty Brook, very humid, drove down to Utsaythana Firetower. |
| 05/15/10 | Alder Pond Campsite 2 | Alder Pond, Balsam Lake Wild Forest, Margretville, NY | Tent campsite…. short backpack in: no charge | Camped at one of the campsites around Alder Pond. |
| 04/03/10 | Betty Brook Campsite | Burnt-Rossman Hill State Forest, Schoharie, NY | Roadside camping, in a tent | Didn’t have the cap on my truck yet, but wanted to roadside camp. |
| 03/21/10 | Cotton Hill Lean To | Cotton Hill, Middleburgh | Short backpack into a leanto | There was about a foot of snow up by Cotton Hill Leanto on first day of spring, but due to abnormally warm weather, wasn’t all that cold until late into the night. |
August – October 2009.
Roadside: 3, Tent: 0, Leanto: 0 (thru August 2009) …
| Date | Campsite | Where | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/11/09 | Betty Brook Campsite | Burnt-Rossman Hill State Forest, Schoharie, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | First really cold evening of the year, very much fall like. I didn’t bring my warm coat with me. |
| 10/10/09 | Betty Brook Campsite | Burnt-Rossman Hill State Forest, Schoharie, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | Fairly cold night, but not as bad as one might have thought. On way out, stopped at Leonard Hill to take some pictures. |
| 08/08/09 | Betty Brook – informal campsite along road | Burnt-Rossman Hill State Forest, Schoharie, NY | Roadside camping (in pickup truck): no charge | After hiking Slide Mountain and Balsam Lake Firetower. Dead tired … |
Kayaking Francis Lake
Near Number 4 is Francis Lake on Stillwater Road. It’s not the world’s largest lake, but it does offer some interesting kayaking with good views, as you paddle around this lake. There are some private inholdings along the lake, but most of the lake is pretty wild.
Click above to download the high resolution version of map for printing…
Pictures of the Trip…
