Gay Pond Road Campsite 11 (Lake George Wild Forest)

FREE backcountry primitive camping. DEC-designated primitive tent site ('Gay Pond Road Campsite 11') in the Lake George Wild Forest, part of New York's Adirondack Forest Preserve, in the southeastern Adirondacks around Lake George and the upper Hudson River -- the Towns of Bolton, Chester, Hague, Horicon, Lake George, Lake Luzerne, Queensbury and Warrensburg in Warren County, the Towns of Dresden, Fort Ann and Putnam in Washington County, and the Towns of Ticonderoga and Schroon in Essex 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' -- 63 designated tent sites free for overnight use), first-come/first-served -- these backcountry sites cannot be reserved. NOTE ON ACCESS: this unit is a MIX -- some sites are drive-up along the Hudson River road corridor (Buttermilk, Gay Pond, Bear Slide and River Roads), some are short hikes in the Shelving Rock area on Lake George's eastern shore, and many are hike-in sites on small backcountry ponds. THIS particular site is named for its access road, so it is likely a drive-up / roadside site (many of this unit's road sites sit along the Hudson River corridor west of Lake George), but confirm the exact access on the DEC unit page / DECinfo Locator. DON'T CONFUSE THESE FREE SITES WITH THE PAID LAKE GEORGE ISLANDS: the Lake George Islands Campgrounds & Day Use Areas -- the Glen Island, Long Island and Narrow Island groups of reservable, fee-based island tent sites reached by boat 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 Warrensburg Office (Mon-Fri 8:30 AM-4:45 PM) at (518) 623-1200 -- 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/lake-george-wild-forest) or the Region 5 Warrensburg office before you go; we have not visited.

USGS topo — contours & terrain

Aerial — USGS / NAIP

EV charging — from Gay Pond Road Campsite 11 (Lake George Wild Forest) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY — nearest public DC fast & Level 2 (US DOE station data)

• Nearest public DC fast charger7.4 mi straight-line NE — Warren Ford, Warrensburg, NY (at a public site) · FORD_CHARGE · CCS · 2 fast ports listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-09-16 · hours: 24 hours daily · directions
• Public DC fast stations within reach18 within 25 mi · 82 within 50 · 303 within 100 · 854 within 150
• Nearest listing NACS (Tesla)11.5 mi — ChargeSmart EV - Queensbury, Queensbury
• Nearest listing CHAdeMO14.6 mi — GARVEY SIDE 1, Queensbury
• Nearest public Level 2 (J1772)7.0 mi — ADK FOLK SCHOOL STATION 1, Lake Luzerne, 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 358294 · US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center

Nearby restrooms — around Gay Pond Road Campsite 11 (Lake George Wild Forest) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)

• Highway rest areaGlens Falls (South) · ~14.1 mi SE
• Highway rest areaAdirondacks Welcome Center · ~14.3 mi SE
• RestroomComfort Station at Saratoga Monument · ~26.3 mi SE · NPS
• RestroomRestrooms, Schuyler House · ~26.8 mi SE · NPS

Open Gay Pond Road Campsite 11 (Lake George Wild Forest) elsewhere

Other camps near Gay Pond Road Campsite 11 (Lake George Wild Forest)

If this one is full, gated or washed out.

• Gay Pond Road Campsite 10 (Lake George Wild Forest)~0.2 mi
• Gay Pond Road Campsite 12 (Lake George Wild Forest)~0.2 mi
• Gay Pond Road Campsite 13 (Lake George Wild Forest)~0.4 mi
• Buttermilk Road Campsite 9 (Lake George Wild Forest)~0.5 mi

How we know this — Gay Pond Road Campsite 11 (Lake George Wild Forest)

What we don’t know about Gay Pond Road Campsite 11 (Lake George 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

Before you go — Gay Pond Road Campsite 11 (Lake George Wild Forest)