E. Branch Gorge Campsite (Siamese Ponds Wilderness)
FREE primitive camping in the 114,010-acre Siamese Ponds Wilderness, part of New York's Adirondack Forest Preserve, in the east-central Adirondacks between Indian Lake and North Creek -- Towns of Johnsburg and Thurman in Warren County and Towns of Indian Lake, Lake Pleasant and Wells in Hamilton County (DEC Region 5), reached from NY 8, NY 30 and the Thirteenth Lake / Old Farm Clearing roads off NY 28. DEC-designated primitive tent site ('E. Branch Gorge Campsite'). New York provides these designated primitive tent sites at NO CHARGE (the DEC unit page lists the fee as 'Free'); sites are first-come and cannot be reserved. This is a HIKE-IN backcountry site. DEC's page routes it from the East Branch Gorge trailhead on NY 8 via the East Branch Gorge Path, an UNMARKED 0.8-mile path along the East Branch Sacandaga River. For orientation, the nearest DEC-published trailhead or parking coordinate is the East Branch Gorge trailhead parking area on NY 8, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line -- trail mileage will be longer. PERMITS: a free New York State Forest Ranger permit is required for any stay of more than three nights at one spot, or for a group of ten or more (the DEC unit page sets no stricter local threshold, so the statewide rule governs). Arrange any permit in advance through the DEC Region 5 Warrensburg Office at 518-623-1200 (Mon-Fri, 8:30 to 4:45). Camp only at the marked site (look for the yellow 'Camp Here' disc) -- 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 and no potable water, and designated TENT sites are for tents only. Pack out all trash, follow Leave No Trace and the DEC fire rules, and store food away from black bears. The unit is open year-round, but winter access is on ski or snowshoe and several stream crossings here have no bridge -- confirm current conditions, closures and this site's access with the DEC unit page (dec.ny.gov/places/siamese-ponds-wilderness) or the Warrensburg office before you go; we have not visited.
Everything you need — measured from E. Branch Gorge Campsite (Siamese Ponds Wilderness) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY
- @Mail10 mi
- GGrocery10 mi
- FFuel10 mi
- +Urgent care10 mi
- LLaundry11 mi
- RxPharmacy11 mi
- WWater14 mi
- ShShower14 mi
- DDump15 mi
- MMechanic16 mi
- EVEV fast charger16 mi
- HHardware18 mi
- OOutfitter24 mi
- AAir-up32 mi
The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 10 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); the EV fast charger from the US DOE station locator. Open in Google Maps ↗
The site — E. Branch Gorge Campsite (Siamese Ponds Wilderness)
Nearby & resupply — around E. Branch Gorge Campsite (Siamese Ponds Wilderness) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureEast Branch Sacandaga River (river) · nearby
- Nearest townOregon · ~1.6 mi
- Drinking waternone within 10 mi
- FuelNice n' Easy · ~10.2 mi
- Propane / LPGPropane · ~27.8 mi
- Dump station~15.3 mi
- GroceriesStewart's Shops · ~10.1 mi
- PharmacyRite Aid Pharmacy · ~10.7 mi
- Hospital / clinicNorth Creek Health Center · ~10.5 mi
- HardwareBraley Noxon Hardware · ~17.5 mi
EV charging — from E. Branch Gorge Campsite (Siamese Ponds Wilderness) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY — nearest public DC fast & Level 2 (US DOE station data)
- Nearest public DC fast charger15.7 mi straight-line NW — Indian Lake - Welcome Center · VIALYNK · CCS · 4 fast ports listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-09-16 · hours: 24 hours daily · directions
- Public DC fast stations within reach3 within 25 mi · 41 within 50 · 275 within 100 · 681 within 150
- Nearest listing NACS (Tesla)17.8 mi — Chestertown, NY - Tesla Supercharger, Chestertown
- Nearest listing CHAdeMO31.0 mi — GARVEY SIDE 1, Queensbury
- Nearest public Level 2 (J1772)8.5 mi — NYS ORDA GORE MOUNTAIN 3, North Creek, 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 — North Creek Heads in Beds, North Creek, 10.4 mi · J1772, NEMA 5-20 · hours: 10am-10pm daily; for guest use only; Drivers must bring their own J1772 cordset for Level 1 charging · AFDC lists it “Free”
- 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 405740 · US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center
Nearby restrooms — around E. Branch Gorge Campsite (Siamese Ponds 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 E. Branch Gorge Campsite (Siamese Ponds Wilderness) elsewhere
Other camps near E. Branch Gorge Campsite (Siamese Ponds Wilderness)
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Campsite 001 (Wilcox Lake Wild Forest)~0.8 mi
- Campsite 002 (Wilcox Lake Wild Forest)~1.1 mi
- Campsite 003 (Wilcox Lake Wild Forest)~1.3 mi
- Campsite 004 (Wilcox Lake Wild Forest)~1.4 mi
How we know this — E. Branch Gorge Campsite (Siamese Ponds Wilderness)
What we don’t know about E. Branch Gorge Campsite (Siamese Ponds 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