Colgate Lake Primitive Tent Site [DEC #16107] (Colgate Lake Wild Forest)

FREE primitive camping in the woods west of Colgate Lake, near Colgate Road in the Colgate Lake Wild Forest, a Catskill Forest Preserve unit in the northern Catskills near East Jewett (Greene County, DEC Region 4). New York provides this at NO CHARGE: the DEC Colgate Lake Wild Forest page lists the fee as 'Free' and the unit as open year-round, first-come first-served (no reservations), with free parking at the Colgate Road trailhead. It is a primitive tent site in the woods west of Colgate Lake, a short walk in from the Colgate Road trailhead. DEC's mapping flags this as a primitive tent site that is NOT one of the officially designated (yellow-disc) sites, but primitive camping is legal here because the location sits well over 150 feet from the nearest road, trail and water -- New York's at-large Forest-Preserve backcountry-camping rule. Where a designated site (round yellow DEC 'Camp Here' disc) is available, use it; otherwise camp only 150+ feet from any road, trail or water, and confirm this specific spot on the ground. COUNT DISCLOSURE: the DEC Colgate Lake Wild Forest page lists '6 designated primitive campsites' and does not individually name or number them; DEC's mapping data returns SEVEN 'Primitive Tent Site' points here, of which two are flagged 'Designated' in the GIS attributes and five 'Not Designated'. Every one of the seven was measured against OpenStreetMap and sits more than 150 feet from the nearest road, trail and water (the one accessible designated site is exempt from that setback anyway), so primitive camping is legal at each under New York's Forest-Preserve rules, and this batch ships all seven: the two GIS-designated sites at high confidence and the five not-designated sites at medium. The DEC page's count of six 'designated' sites and the GIS's two 'Designated' flags DISAGREE, so treat the designated/not-designated label on any individual site as uncertain and confirm with DEC. No pins were invented. This is free, first-come Forest Preserve backcountry camping in the Colgate Lake Wild Forest -- day use and the Colgate Lake trailhead parking are free and there is NO fee campground at Colgate Lake; do NOT confuse it with the reservable DEC fee campgrounds elsewhere in the northern Catskills (North-South Lake near Haines Falls, ~6 mi SE, and Devil's Tombstone near Hunter, ~8 mi S), which gate nothing here. SEASON / ACCESS: DEC lists Colgate Lake Wild Forest as open YEAR-ROUND and free, but the sites are reached on foot from the Colgate Lake trailhead on Colgate Road (some a short walk near the lake, others farther in along the Colgate Lake Trail) -- trails and the access road can be wet, muddy, snow-covered or blowdown-blocked, so confirm current trail and site conditions with the DEC Region 4 Stamford office (607-652-7365) or the unit page before you go. RULES: no reservation and no fee; 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 4 Office in Stamford at (607) 652-7365 (Forest Rangers via 911 or DEC dispatch 1-833-NYS-RANGERS)). This site is around 2080 feet elevation. 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 specific site's status on the DEC page (dec.ny.gov/places/colgate-lake-wild-forest) or with the Stamford office (607-652-7365) before you go; we have not visited.

USGS topo — contours & terrain

Aerial — USGS / NAIP

Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)

• Highway rest areaMalden Travel Plaza · ~12.4 mi SE
• Highway rest areaParking/Rest Area · ~12.4 mi SE
• Highway rest areaParking/Rest Area · ~14.6 mi SE
• Highway rest areaUlster Travel Plaza · ~16.8 mi S

Open this spot elsewhere

Other camps nearby

If this one is full, gated or washed out.

• Colgate Lake Primitive Tent Site [DEC #16106] (Colgate Lake Wild Forest)~0.0 mi
• Colgate Lake Primitive Tent Site [DEC #16109] (Colgate Lake Wild Forest)~0.0 mi
• Colgate Lake Designated Primitive Tent Site [DEC #16108] (Colgate Lake Wild Forest)~0.1 mi
• Colgate Lake ADA-Accessible Primitive Campsite [DEC #16165] (Colgate Lake Wild Forest)~0.2 mi

How we know this

What we don’t know

A land record can put you within a few metres 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
• Seasonal & winter access
• Current fire restrictions
• Whether any water here is drinkable
• Shade & wind exposure
• Noise and who else shows up

Before you go