Big Deer Pond Campsite (Five Ponds Wilderness)
FREE primitive camping in Five Ponds Wilderness, part of New York's Adirondack Forest Preserve, in the western Adirondacks northwest of Stillwater Reservoir and southwest of Cranberry Lake -- St. Lawrence, Herkimer, Lewis and Hamilton Counties (DEC Region 6), reached from Wanakena / Cranberry Lake off NY Route 3 and from Inlet / Stillwater off the south. DEC-designated primitive tent site ('Big Deer Pond Campsite'). New York provides these designated primitive tent sites at NO CHARGE (the DEC unit page lists the fee as 'Free'); sites are first-come and cannot be reserved. This is a HIKE-IN site at an interior pond, reached on foot by the Five Ponds / Cat Mountain / Olmstead Pond trail system rather than by canoe -- confirm the trailhead and distance with DEC. Camping for more than 3 nights in one spot requires a FREE New York State Forest Ranger permit; a free New York State Forest Ranger permit is required for any stay of more than three nights at one spot, or for a group of ten or more (the DEC page sets no stricter local threshold, so the statewide rule governs). Arrange any permit in advance through the DEC Region 6 Potsdam Office at (315) 265-3090. Camp only at the marked site (look for the yellow 'Camp Here' disc), keep camp 150 feet from water and trails unless the site is otherwise designated, and follow the posted wilderness rules. These are primitive sites -- typically only a fire ring, no hookups and no potable water; pack out all trash and follow Leave No Trace and the DEC fire rules. Both wilderness areas are open year-round, but winter access is on ski/snowshoe -- confirm current conditions, and this site's access, with the DEC unit page (dec.ny.gov/places/five-ponds-and-pepperbox-wildernesses) or the Region 6 Potsdam office before you go; we have not visited.
Everything you need — measured from Big Deer Pond Campsite (Five Ponds Wilderness) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY
- GGrocery6 mi
- @Mail6 mi
- FFuel15 mi
- OOutfitter16 mi
- +Urgent care17 mi
- MMechanic21 mi
- LLaundry21 mi
- HHardware21 mi
- RxPharmacy22 mi
- WWater22 mi
- ShShower27 mi
- DDump28 mi
- EVEV fast charger35 mi
The read: water is a real 22-mi drive, fuel & food sit about 6 mi out, the nearest EV fast charger is a 35-mi run (and back).
Not within 60 mi: Propane. Plan those before you head up.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors); the EV fast charger from the US DOE station locator. Open in Google Maps ↗
The site — Big Deer Pond Campsite (Five Ponds Wilderness)
Nearby & resupply — around Big Deer Pond Campsite (Five Ponds Wilderness) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY (OpenStreetMap)
- Drinking waternone within 10 mi
- FuelU-B's Mercantile · ~15.0 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump station~27.7 mi
- GroceriesOtto's Abode · ~6.1 mi
- PharmacyKinney Drugs · ~21.6 mi
- Hospital / clinicCamp Massawepie Health Lodge · ~16.6 mi
- HardwareAubuchon Hardware · ~21.3 mi
EV charging — from Big Deer Pond Campsite (Five Ponds Wilderness) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY — nearest public DC fast & Level 2 (US DOE station data)
- Nearest public DC fast charger34.7 mi straight-line SE — Indian Lake - Welcome Center · VIALYNK · CCS · 4 fast ports listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-09-16 · hours: 24 hours daily · directions
- Public DC fast stations within reachnone within 25 mi · 14 within 50 · 192 within 100 · 434 within 150
- Nearest listing NACS (Tesla)39.3 mi — ChargeSmart EV - Saranac Lake, Saranac Lake
- Nearest listing CHAdeMO41.9 mi — EVolve NY Potsdam, Potsdam
- Nearest public Level 2 (J1772)6.1 mi — Otto's Abode, Wanakena, NY (at a parking lot) · Non-Networked · J1772 · 1 Level 2 port listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2024-03-14 · hours: 24 hours daily
- 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 405740 · US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center
Nearby restrooms — around Big Deer Pond Campsite (Five Ponds Wilderness) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- No mapped restroom within 30 miles — plan to pack it out.
Open Big Deer Pond Campsite (Five Ponds Wilderness) elsewhere
Other camps near Big Deer Pond Campsite (Five Ponds Wilderness)
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Oswegatchie River Canoe Carry Campsite 1 (Five Ponds Wilderness)~0.7 mi
- Oswegatchie River Campsite 6 (Five Ponds Wilderness)~2.0 mi
- Oswegatchie River Campsite 5 (Five Ponds Wilderness)~2.0 mi
- Cat Mountain Pond Campsite (Five Ponds Wilderness)~2.1 mi
How we know this — Big Deer Pond Campsite (Five Ponds Wilderness)
What we don’t know about Big Deer Pond Campsite (Five Ponds Wilderness)
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