Barn Rock Campsite [DEC #4466] (Split Rock Wild Forest)

FREE first-come primitive camping at the Barn Rock Campsite, one of the four DEC-designated shoreline campsites in the Split Rock Mountain Wild Forest (Essex County, eastern Adirondacks, on the largest undeveloped stretch of Lake Champlain shoreline in New York, DEC Region 5). New York provides it at NO CHARGE: the DEC Split Rock Mountain Wild Forest page lists the unit as 'Free' and open year-round, and states 'Four designated campsites are located on the shoreline of Lake Champlain at Barn Rock Bay (2), Palisades, and Snake Den Harbor.' This is one of the two designated sites at Barn Rock Bay, on the Lake Champlain shoreline -- reach it by canoe/kayak or small boat (the Barn Rock Trail is roughly a sixth of a mile away; the FOOT-accessible site is the southern one). These are FREE, first-come, designated sites -- no reservation, no fee, no facilities (no hookups, no showers, no potable water); this is NOT the developed Lincoln Pond or Crown Point campground. The most common way in is by canoe, kayak or small boat from the free DEC Westport Boat Launch. A free Forest Ranger permit is required only if you stay more than 3 nights or camp with a group of 10 or more (arrange it through the DEC Region 5 Ray Brook office at (518) 897-1200 (Forest Rangers via 911 or 1-833-NYS-RANGERS / 1-833-697-7264)). Camp only on the designated/hardened site (look for a round yellow DEC 'Camp Here' disc), bring water or treat what you take from the lake, pack out all trash, follow Leave No Trace and the DEC fire rules, and store food from bears (this is black-bear country). SEASON / ACCESS: DEC lists the unit as open year-round, but Lake Champlain conditions and wind/water levels vary by season -- confirm current conditions and this specific site's status on the DEC page (dec.ny.gov/places/split-rock-mountain-wild-forest) or with the DEC Region 5 office (518-897-1200) before you go; we have not visited.

USGS topo — contours & terrain

Aerial — USGS / NAIP

EV charging — from Barn Rock Campsite [DEC #4466] (Split Rock Wild Forest) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY — nearest public DC fast & Level 2 (US DOE station data)

• Nearest public DC fast charger3.7 mi straight-line SW — Town of Westport · VIALYNK · CCS · 2 fast ports listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-09-16 · hours: 24 hours daily · directions
• Public DC fast stations within reach28 within 25 mi · 82 within 50 · 185 within 100 · 470 within 150
• Nearest listing NACS (Tesla)7.0 mi — Vergennes, VT - Tesla Supercharger, Vergennes
• Nearest listing CHAdeMO6.7 mi — Norwich EV - Vergennes Charging Center, Vergennes
• Nearest public Level 2 (J1772)3.1 mi — FURNACE POINT FPEV2, Westport, NY · ChargePoint Network · J1772 · 2 Level 2 ports listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-09-16 · hours: 24 hours daily
• Also listed, not counted aboveNACS-only Level 2 — Basin Harbor - Tesla Destination, Vergennes, 1.1 mi · NACS (Tesla) · hours: 24 hours daily. Open to Teslas only. · AFDC lists it “Free”
• Pricing at the fast chargernot listed
• Power (kW)not listed by AFDC — “DC fast” spans roughly 24 to 350 kW, so ask the network.
• Read this honestlyStraight-line miles, like every distance on this site. Roads run longer than this, and you have to get back. We know where a charger is listed. We don’t know if it works today, how fast it is, or the road miles. Check the network before you commit.
  Snapshot 2026-09-16 · AFDC record 334460 · US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center

Nearby restrooms — around Barn Rock Campsite [DEC #4466] (Split Rock Wild Forest) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)

• Highway rest areaWilliston South Rest Area · ~21.1 mi NE
• Highway rest areaWilliston North Rest Area · ~21.2 mi NE
• Highway rest areaHigh Peaks (South) · ~21.4 mi SW
• Highway rest areaHigh Peaks (North) · ~21.5 mi SW

Open Barn Rock Campsite [DEC #4466] (Split Rock Wild Forest) elsewhere

Other camps near Barn Rock Campsite [DEC #4466] (Split Rock Wild Forest)

If this one is full, gated or washed out.

• Barn Rock Bay Campsite [DEC #4467] (Split Rock Wild Forest)~0.2 mi
• Pallisades Campsite [DEC #4468] (Split Rock Wild Forest)~0.8 mi
• Snake Den Harbor Campsite [DEC #4469] (Split Rock Wild Forest)~1.1 mi
• East Side Of Boquet River Primitive Area Campsite (Giant Mountain Wilderness)~15.7 mi

How we know this — Barn Rock Campsite [DEC #4466] (Split Rock Wild Forest)

What we don’t know about Barn Rock Campsite [DEC #4466] (Split Rock Wild Forest)

A land record can put you within a few meters of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.

• Road surface & last-mile access
• How many rigs actually fit
• Cell coverage by carrier
• Current fire restrictions
• Whether any water here is drinkable
• Shade & wind exposure
• Noise and who else shows up
• Whether a listed EV charger works today, or the road miles to it

Before you go — Barn Rock Campsite [DEC #4466] (Split Rock Wild Forest)