Copperas Pond Site #1 [DEC #4782] (Sentinel Range Wilderness)

FREE first-come primitive camping at the Copperas Pond Site #1, one of the four DEC-designated primitive tent sites in the Sentinel Range Wilderness (Essex County, northern Adirondacks between Lake Placid and Wilmington, DEC Region 5). New York provides it at NO CHARGE: the DEC Sentinel Range Wilderness page lists the unit as 'Free' and open year-round, and states 'There are four designated primitive tent sites and one lean-to,' with one tent site on Owens Pond, two on Copperas Pond, and one off the Jackrabbit Ski Trail. This is one of the two designated tent sites on the shore of Copperas Pond, a popular short hike off NY 86 between Lake Placid and Wilmington (a lean-to also sits on the pond). Treat any water you take from the pond. 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 Wilmington Notch Campground (a separate DEC fee campground about 2.3 miles away on NY 86). Camp only on the designated/hardened site (look for a round yellow DEC 'Camp Here' disc). 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)). Bring water or treat what you take, 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 Adirondack access and conditions vary by season -- confirm current conditions and this specific site's status on the DEC page (dec.ny.gov/places/sentinel-range-wilderness) 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 Copperas Pond Site #1 [DEC #4782] (Sentinel Range Wilderness) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY — nearest public DC fast & Level 2 (US DOE station data)

• Nearest public DC fast charger5.5 mi straight-line SW — GRANDVIEW HOTEL OLYMPIC 01, Lake Placid, NY · ChargePoint Network · CCS · 1 fast port listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-09-16 · hours: 24 hours daily · directions
• Public DC fast stations within reach10 within 25 mi · 57 within 50 · 162 within 100 · 379 within 150
• Nearest listing NACS (Tesla)6.1 mi — Lake Placid, NY - Tesla Supercharger, Lake Placid
• Nearest listing CHAdeMO27.5 mi — EVolve NY North Hudson, North Hudson
• Nearest public Level 2 (J1772)2.4 mi — NYS ORDA WHITEFACE #4, Wilmington, 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 aboveLevel 2, restricted access — Mirror Lake Inn Resort, Lake Placid, 4.9 mi · J1772 · hours: 24 hours daily; customer use only
• 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 372635 · US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center

Nearby restrooms — around Copperas Pond Site #1 [DEC #4782] (Sentinel Range Wilderness) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)

• Highway rest areaHigh Peaks (South) · ~23.7 mi SE
• Highway rest areaHigh Peaks (North) · ~23.9 mi SE
• Highway rest areaValcour · ~27.5 mi NE

Open Copperas Pond Site #1 [DEC #4782] (Sentinel Range Wilderness) elsewhere

Other camps near Copperas Pond Site #1 [DEC #4782] (Sentinel Range Wilderness)

If this one is full, gated or washed out.

• Copperas Pond Site #2 [DEC #4781] (Sentinel Range Wilderness)~0.2 mi
• Owen Pond Campsite [DEC #4785] (Sentinel Range Wilderness)~0.6 mi
• Whiteface Landing Site 2 (Saranac Lakes Wild Forest)~2.4 mi
• Flume Campsite [DEC #10893] (Wilmington Wild Forest)~3.7 mi

How we know this — Copperas Pond Site #1 [DEC #4782] (Sentinel Range Wilderness)

What we don’t know about Copperas Pond Site #1 [DEC #4782] (Sentinel Range 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 — Copperas Pond Site #1 [DEC #4782] (Sentinel Range Wilderness)