Fawn Lake Site 8 (Jessup River Wild Forest)
FREE backcountry primitive camping. DEC-designated primitive tent site ('Fawn Lake Site 8') in the Jessup River Wild Forest, part of New York's Adirondack Forest Preserve, in the central/southern Adirondacks between Indian Lake and Speculator -- the Towns of Arietta, Indian Lake, Lake Pleasant and Wells in Hamilton County. New York's Forest Preserve allows backcountry camping at these designated sites at NO CHARGE (the DEC unit page lists the fee as 'Free' -- 24 designated tent sites free for overnight use), first-come/first-served -- these backcountry sites cannot be reserved. NOTE ON ACCESS: the DEC page groups this unit's sites by location (12 at Fawn Lake, 8 on Perkins-Clearing Road near Mason Lake, 1 on the Northville-Lake Placid Trail at Fall Stream, 3 on the Speculator Tree Farm easement boundary) but does not spell out how each is reached. THIS particular site is at Fawn Lake in this unit; the DEC place page lists the Fawn Lake sites but does NOT state whether they are roadside or hike-in, so confirm THIS site's access, trailhead/parking and distance on the DEC unit page / DECinfo Locator before you go. DON'T CONFUSE THESE FREE SITES WITH THE NEARBY PAID CAMPGROUNDS: the DEC-operated Lewey Lake Campground (NY 30 south of Indian Lake) and Moffitt Beach Campground (near Speculator) -- developed, reservable, fee-based public campgrounds are separate developed facilities that charge a fee and take reservations -- these designated Wild-Forest sites are the free ones. Camping for more than 3 nights in one spot requires a FREE New York State Forest Ranger permit; 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 group threshold). Arrange any permit in advance through the DEC Region 5 Ray Brook Office (Mon-Fri 8:30 AM-4:45 PM) at (518) 897-1200 -- they name the local Forest Ranger for the permit. Camp only at the marked site (look for the yellow 'Camp Here' disc), and keep camp 150 feet from water, roads and trails unless the site is otherwise designated. This is a primitive site: no hookups, no potable water, pack out all trash, follow Leave No Trace and the DEC fire rules. Rules and site status change -- confirm with the DEC unit page (dec.ny.gov/places/jessup-river-wild-forest) or the Region 5 Ray Brook office before you go; we have not visited.
Everything you need — measured from Fawn Lake Site 8 (Jessup River Wild Forest) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY
- ShShower2 mi
- DDump3 mi
- WWater4 mi
- @Mail5 mi
- FFuel5 mi
- GGrocery5 mi
- LLaundry6 mi
- +Urgent care6 mi
- RxPharmacy23 mi
- HHardware23 mi
- MMechanic23 mi
- EVEV fast charger23 mi
- OOutfitter28 mi
- AAir-up32 mi
The read: water is basically at camp, fuel & food sit about 5 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 — Fawn Lake Site 8 (Jessup River Wild Forest)
Nearby & resupply — around Fawn Lake Site 8 (Jessup River Wild Forest) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureFawn Lake (water) · nearby
- Nearest townLake Pleasant · ~2.8 mi
- Drinking waterDrinking water · ~4.3 mi
- FuelStewart's · ~23.0 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump station~3.3 mi
- GroceriesCharlie Johns · ~5.3 mi
- PharmacyWalgreens · ~22.9 mi
- Hospital / clinicNorth Creek Health Center · ~28.1 mi
- HardwareAllen & Palmer True Value · ~22.9 mi
EV charging — from Fawn Lake Site 8 (Jessup River Wild Forest) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY — nearest public DC fast & Level 2 (US DOE station data)
- Nearest public DC fast charger23.1 mi straight-line NE — 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 reach1 within 25 mi · 50 within 50 · 281 within 100 · 633 within 150
- Nearest listing NACS (Tesla)32.4 mi — Aldi Johnstown TUL 110, Johnstown
- Nearest listing CHAdeMO36.3 mi — Iroquois Travel Plaza, Little Falls
- Nearest public Level 2 (J1772)5.2 mi — CHARLIE JOHNS CHARLIE JOHNS, Speculator, NY · ChargePoint Network · J1772 · 2 Level 2 ports listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-09-16 · 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 405740 · US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center
Nearby restrooms — around Fawn Lake Site 8 (Jessup River Wild Forest) · 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 Fawn Lake Site 8 (Jessup River Wild Forest) elsewhere
Other camps near Fawn Lake Site 8 (Jessup River Wild Forest)
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Fawn Lake Site 11 (Jessup River Wild Forest)~0.8 mi
- Fawn Lake Site 1 (Jessup River Wild Forest)~0.9 mi
- Fawn Lake Site 2 (Jessup River Wild Forest)~1.1 mi
- Fawn Lake Site 7 (Jessup River Wild Forest)~1.2 mi
How we know this — Fawn Lake Site 8 (Jessup River Wild Forest)
What we don’t know about Fawn Lake Site 8 (Jessup River 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
- Seasonal & winter access
- 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