Big Otter Lake Campsite #1 [DEC #15492] (Ha-De-Ron-Dah Wilderness)

FREE backcountry primitive camping on the shore of Big Otter Lake in the Ha-De-Ron-Dah Wilderness of New York's ADIRONDACK Forest Preserve (DEC Region 6, Herkimer County, west of Old Forge). This is a DEC-mapped primitive tent site ('Big Otter Lake Campsite #1 [DEC #15492]'), and New York provides it at NO CHARGE: the DEC Ha-De-Ron-Dah page lists the fee as 'Free' and the unit as open year-round, first-come first-served. It sits about 67 feet from Big Otter Lake (measured against OpenStreetMap). This is a hike-in: Big Otter Lake sits deep in the wilderness, reached on foot several miles in on the Big Otter Lake Trail (confirm current trail mileage on the DEC page) -- no motor vehicles or bicycles are allowed, so you carry in. COUNT / STATUS DISCLOSURE -- READ THIS: DEC's unit page names only ONE designated tent site in this wilderness (on Middle Settlement Lake) and states 'there are no additional designated campsites on the unit.' DEC's own GIS layer, however, names this pin 'Big Otter Lake Campsite #1', an OpenStreetMap camp_site node sits ~61 ft away, and a community mapping/trip source reports designated sites at Big Otter Lake -- three independent sources place a real, free, established campsite on this lakeshore. It is shipped at MEDIUM confidence with that discrepancy on the table: whether or not DEC currently calls it 'designated', it is a genuine free primitive campsite on public Forest-Preserve land where camping is allowed. The other five GIS pins in this unit were held, not shipped. This is free, first-come Adirondack Forest Preserve backcountry camping in the Ha-De-Ron-Dah Wilderness -- do NOT confuse it with a reservable fee campground; the nearest paid DEC campgrounds (Nicks Lake near Old Forge, Limekiln Lake near Inlet) are a separate, paid system several miles to the east. SEASON / ACCESS: DEC lists Ha-De-Ron-Dah Wilderness as open YEAR-ROUND and free, but every site here is a HIKE-IN reached on foot (Wilderness = no motor vehicles and no bicycles) -- trails can be wet, snow-covered or blowdown-blocked, so confirm current trail and site conditions with the DEC Region 6 Herkimer office (315-866-6330) or the unit page before you go, especially in winter or mud season. RULES: no reservation and no fee; camp only at a designated site (look for the round yellow DEC 'Camp Here' marker) or, elsewhere in the wilderness, more than 150 feet from any road, trail or water; 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 6 Herkimer Office at (315) 866-6330 (Forest Rangers via 911 or DEC dispatch 1-833-NYS-RANGERS)). This site is around 1587 feet, well below any Adirondack high-elevation camping restriction. These are primitive sites: expect at most a fire ring -- no hookups, no showers and no potable water, so 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). Confirm current rules, trail status and this site's status on the DEC page (dec.ny.gov/places/ha-de-ron-dah-wilderness) or with the Herkimer office (315-866-6330) before you go; we have not visited.

USGS topo — contours & terrain

Aerial — USGS / NAIP

EV charging — from Big Otter Lake Campsite #1 [DEC #15492] (Ha-De-Ron-Dah Wilderness) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY — nearest public DC fast & Level 2 (US DOE station data)

• Nearest public DC fast charger30.5 mi straight-line NW — Aldi Carthage TUL 27, West Carthage, NY (at a public site) · RED_E · CCS, NACS (Tesla) · 8 fast ports listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-09-16 · hours: not listed · directions
• Public DC fast stations within reachnone within 25 mi · 25 within 50 · 208 within 100 · 502 within 150
• Nearest listing CHAdeMO42.8 mi — IONIQ L3 #1, Yorkville
• Nearest public Level 2 (J1772)7.3 mi — SWTCH Energy Inc., Old Forge, NY (at a parking lot) · SWTCH · J1772 · 2 Level 2 ports listed · listed open, no confirmation date on the record · 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 434178 · US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center

Nearby restrooms — around Big Otter Lake Campsite #1 [DEC #15492] (Ha-De-Ron-Dah 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 Otter Lake Campsite #1 [DEC #15492] (Ha-De-Ron-Dah Wilderness) elsewhere

Other camps near Big Otter Lake Campsite #1 [DEC #15492] (Ha-De-Ron-Dah Wilderness)

If this one is full, gated or washed out.

• Primitive Tent Site (Independence River Wild Forest)~0.7 mi
• Primitive Tent Site (Independence River Wild Forest)~1.5 mi
• Middle Settlement Lake Designated Campsite [DEC #18825] (Ha-De-Ron-Dah Wilderness)~2.6 mi
• Primitive Tent Site (Independence River Wild Forest)~3.0 mi

How we know this — Big Otter Lake Campsite #1 [DEC #15492] (Ha-De-Ron-Dah Wilderness)

What we don’t know about Big Otter Lake Campsite #1 [DEC #15492] (Ha-De-Ron-Dah 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

Before you go — Big Otter Lake Campsite #1 [DEC #15492] (Ha-De-Ron-Dah Wilderness)