Crystal Lake Campsite 6 [DEC #7212] (Crystal Lake Wild Forest)

FREE primitive camping at Crystal Lake Campsite 6, a DEC-designated site near Crystal Lake in the Crystal Lake Wild Forest (Town of Fremont, Sullivan County, DEC Region 3). This is designated site away from the water. New York provides it at NO CHARGE: the DEC Crystal Lake Wild Forest page lists the unit as 'Free' and open year-round, with camping in DESIGNATED areas only on a first-come, first-served basis -- there are ten designated primitive campsites at Crystal Lake (three within 150 feet of the lakeshore and seven set back from the water), and this is one of them. This is one of the seven designated sites set back from the lake: it sits about 189 feet from the Crystal Lake shoreline. COUNT / CONFIDENCE NOTE: this is HIGH confidence -- the DEC page's own count of ten designated sites (3 lakeshore + 7 away) matches DEC's ten numbered GIS campsite points exactly, and we independently measured each point's distance to the lake to confirm the 3-lakeshore / 7-away split. These are FREE, first-come DEC designated sites -- no reservation, no fee, no registration, and no camping facilities (no hookups, no showers, no potable water); this is NOT a reservable fee campground. RULES: camp only at the designated sites; 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 3 New Paltz Office at (845) 256-3076 (Forest Rangers via 911 or DEC dispatch 1-833-NYS-RANGERS)); DEC will not issue group-of-10-or-more permits for the lake-shore sites, and no temporary-camping permit is issued to anyone under 18. Bring water or treat what you take from the lake or a stream, pack out all trash, follow Leave No Trace and the DEC fire rules, and store food from bears (this is black-bear country). This site is around 1743 feet elevation. SEASON / ACCESS: DEC lists the unit as open year-round, but the trail and access roads can be muddy, washed or snow-covered off-season -- confirm current conditions with the DEC Region 3 New Paltz office (845-256-3076) or the unit page before you go. Confirm current rules and this specific site's status on the DEC page (dec.ny.gov/places/crystal-lake-wild-forest) or with the New Paltz office (845-256-3076) before you go; we have not visited.

USGS topo — contours & terrain

Aerial — USGS / NAIP

EV charging — from Crystal Lake Campsite 6 [DEC #7212] (Crystal Lake Wild Forest) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY — nearest public DC fast & Level 2 (US DOE station data)

• Nearest public DC fast charger7.3 mi straight-line NE — Roscoe, NY - Tesla Supercharger (at a restaurant) · Tesla · NACS (Tesla) · 8 fast ports listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-06-18 · hours: 24 hours daily. Open to Teslas only. · directions
• Public DC fast stations within reach4 within 25 mi · 40 within 50 · 641 within 100 · 1418 within 150
• Nearest listing CCS15.1 mi — Hancock, NY - Tesla Supercharger, Hancock
• Nearest listing CHAdeMO15.1 mi — EVolve NY Hancock, Hancock
• Nearest public Level 2 (J1772)7.8 mi — The Vintage House, Jeffersonville, NY (at a parking lot) · Non-Networked · J1772 · 1 Level 2 port listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2024-07-11 · 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 118946 · US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center

Nearby restrooms — around Crystal Lake Campsite 6 [DEC #7212] (Crystal Lake Wild Forest) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)

• RestroomCallicoon PA Access Seasonal Toilet · ~8.0 mi S · NPS
• Highway rest areaRoscoe · ~9.1 mi NE
• RestroomLordville Access Seasonal Toilet · ~9.7 mi W · NPS
• Highway rest areaEast Branch · ~11.0 mi NW

Open Crystal Lake Campsite 6 [DEC #7212] (Crystal Lake Wild Forest) elsewhere

Other camps near Crystal Lake Campsite 6 [DEC #7212] (Crystal Lake Wild Forest)

If this one is full, gated or washed out.

• Crystal Lake Campsite 5 [DEC #7211] (Crystal Lake Wild Forest)~0.0 mi
• Crystal Lake Campsite 4 [DEC #7220] (Crystal Lake Wild Forest)~0.1 mi
• Crystal Lake Campsite 3 [DEC #7219] (Crystal Lake Wild Forest)~0.1 mi
• Crystal Lake Campsite 7 [DEC #7213] (Crystal Lake Wild Forest)~0.1 mi

How we know this — Crystal Lake Campsite 6 [DEC #7212] (Crystal Lake Wild Forest)

What we don’t know about Crystal Lake Campsite 6 [DEC #7212] (Crystal Lake 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 — Crystal Lake Campsite 6 [DEC #7212] (Crystal Lake Wild Forest)