Debar Meadows Campsite (Debar Mountain Wild Forest)
FREE primitive camping in the Debar Mountain Wild Forest, part of New York's Adirondack Forest Preserve in the northern Adirondack Park -- 81,160 acres in the Towns of Brighton, Duane and Franklin, Franklin County (DEC Region 5), reached off State Route 30, State Route 86 and the Port Kent-Hopkinton Turnpike. DEC-designated primitive tent site ('Debar Meadows Campsite'). New York provides these designated primitive tent sites at NO CHARGE -- the DEC page lists the fee as 'Free' -- and they are first-come, first-served and cannot be reserved. ONE OF THE EASIEST SITES IN THE UNIT TO REACH: DEC says Debar Meadows "has one primitive tent site located near the Debar Meadows-Meacham Lake Trailhead", and the trailhead's own published coordinate is about 0.21 mile away in a straight line -- you drive Debar Meadows Road off the Port Kent-Hopkinton Turnpike (County Route 26), park at the trailhead and walk in. Forest Preserve rules still bar camping within 150 feet of a road, so use the marked site. PERMITS: a free New York State Forest Ranger permit is required for any stay of more than three nights in one spot, or for a group of ten or more (neither DEC page sets a stricter local threshold, so the statewide rule governs). Arrange any permit in advance through the DEC Region 5 Ray Brook Office at 518-897-1200 (Mon-Fri, 8:30 AM to 4:45 PM). Camp only at the marked site -- look for the yellow 'Camp Here' disc -- because elsewhere on the Forest Preserve camping is prohibited within 150 feet of any road, trail, spring, stream, pond or other water. These are primitive sites: typically just a fire ring, no hookups, no toilets and no potable water, and designated TENT sites are for tents. Pack out all trash, follow Leave No Trace and the DEC fire rules, and store food away from black bears. Do not confuse this with the nearby Meacham Lake and Buck Pond Campgrounds, which are DEC's developed PAID campgrounds. The area is open year-round, but many of the access roads here are seasonal and winter travel is on ski or snowshoe. One more thing worth knowing: DEC has a Unit Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement underway for this area whose stated scope includes changes to "trails and tent sites", so this inventory can shift. Confirm current rules, road and trail conditions and this site's status on the DEC page (dec.ny.gov/places/debar-mountain-wild-forest) or with the Ray Brook office before you go; we have not visited.
Everything you need — measured from camp
- @Mail11 mi
- +Urgent care15 mi
- FFuel16 mi
- RxPharmacy18 mi
- HHardware18 mi
- OOutfitter18 mi
- GGrocery18 mi
- MMechanic18 mi
- WWater21 mi
- DDump22 mi
- ShShower23 mi
- LLaundry32 mi
The read: water is a real 21-mi drive, fuel & food sit about 16 mi out.
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). Open in Google Maps ↗
The site
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Resupply lookup unavailable — try the map links below.
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- No mapped restroom within 30 miles — plan to pack it out.
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Skiff Pond Campsite (Debar Mountain Wild Forest)~1.5 mi
- Clear Pond Campsite (Debar Mountain Wild Forest)~5.4 mi
- Clarks Landing Campsite (Debar Mountain Wild Forest)~5.8 mi
- Kushaqua North (Debar Mountain Wild Forest)~5.9 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