HEART POND PRIMITIVE TENT SITE (Pharaoh Lake Wilderness)
FREE backcountry primitive camping (HIKE-IN -- these designated sites are reached on foot by trail, not drive-up; Pharaoh Lake itself has no road or boat access). DEC-designated primitive tent site ('HEART POND PRIMITIVE TENT SITE') in the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness, part of New York's Adirondack Forest Preserve, in the eastern Adirondacks in Essex and Warren Counties (DEC Region 5, with trailheads off NY Route 74 between Ticonderoga and Schroon Lake). New York's Forest Preserve allows backcountry camping at these designated sites at NO CHARGE (the DEC unit page lists the fee as 'Free'), first-come/first-served -- these backcountry sites cannot be reserved. A FREE New York State Forest Ranger permit is required ONLY if you stay more than 3 nights in one spot; a free permit is also required for a group of 10 or more people (statewide Forest Preserve rule). Arrange any permit in advance through the DEC Region 5 Forest Rangers at (518) 897-1303. Camp only at the marked site (look for the yellow 'Camp Here' disc). This is a primitive site: no hookups, no potable water, pack out all trash, follow Leave No Trace and the DEC fire rules. This particular site is named for a pond/lake/brook reached on foot -- expect a hike in along a trail to reach it (Pharaoh Lake itself has no road or boat access); confirm the trailhead and distance on the DEC unit page. Rules and site status change -- confirm with the DEC unit page (dec.ny.gov/places/pharaoh-lake-wilderness) or a regional DEC office before you go; we have not visited.
Everything you need — measured from HEART POND PRIMITIVE TENT SITE (Pharaoh Lake Wilderness) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY
- WWater0 mi
- ShShower0 mi
- DDump1 mi
- +Urgent care7 mi
- FFuel7 mi
- GGrocery7 mi
- MMechanic7 mi
- LLaundry7 mi
- HHardware8 mi
- @Mail8 mi
- EVEV fast charger11 mi
- OOutfitter14 mi
- RxPharmacy15 mi
- AAir-up38 mi
The read: water is basically at camp, fuel & food sit about 7 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 — HEART POND PRIMITIVE TENT SITE (Pharaoh Lake Wilderness)
Nearby & resupply — around HEART POND PRIMITIVE TENT SITE (Pharaoh Lake Wilderness) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureHeart Pond (water) · nearby
- Nearest townChilson · ~2.9 mi
- Drinking waterDrinking water · ~0.3 mi
- FuelFuel · ~7.6 mi
- Propane / LPGAmeriGas · ~8.6 mi
- Dump station~0.7 mi
- GroceriesWalmart Supercenter · ~7.0 mi
- PharmacyMoriah Pharmacy · ~14.8 mi
- Hospital / clinicElizabethtown Community Hospital - Ticonderoga · ~6.8 mi
- HardwareCurtis Lumber Co., Inc. · ~9.1 mi
EV charging — from HEART POND PRIMITIVE TENT SITE (Pharaoh Lake Wilderness) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY — nearest public DC fast & Level 2 (US DOE station data)
- Nearest public DC fast charger10.6 mi straight-line NW — EVolve NY North Hudson · Electrify America · CHAdeMO, CCS · 8 fast ports listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-09-16 · hours: 24 hours daily · directions
- Public DC fast stations within reach8 within 25 mi · 68 within 50 · 268 within 100 · 668 within 150
- Nearest listing NACS (Tesla)10.6 mi — North Hudson, NY - Tesla Supercharger, North Hudson
- Nearest public Level 2 (J1772)5.6 mi — Ticonderoga Country Club · VIALYNK · J1772 · 4 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 316283 · US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center
Nearby restrooms — around HEART POND PRIMITIVE TENT SITE (Pharaoh Lake Wilderness) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Highway rest areaHigh Peaks (North) · ~13.0 mi NW
- Highway rest areaHigh Peaks (South) · ~13.2 mi NW
- Highway rest areaFair Haven Welcome Center · ~23.0 mi SE
- Vault / pit toiletSilver Lake Picnic Ground · ~26.2 mi E · USFS
Open HEART POND PRIMITIVE TENT SITE (Pharaoh Lake Wilderness) elsewhere
Other camps near HEART POND PRIMITIVE TENT SITE (Pharaoh Lake Wilderness)
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- ROCK POND PRIMITIVE TENT SITE 1 (Pharaoh Lake Wilderness)~0.9 mi
- ROCK POND PRIMITIVE TENT SITE 2 (Pharaoh Lake Wilderness)~1.0 mi
- ROCK POND BROOK PRIMITIVE TENT SITE (Pharaoh Lake Wilderness)~1.3 mi
- CLEAR POND PRIMITIVE TENT SITE (Pharaoh Lake Wilderness)~1.4 mi
How we know this — HEART POND PRIMITIVE TENT SITE (Pharaoh Lake Wilderness)
What we don’t know about HEART POND PRIMITIVE TENT SITE (Pharaoh Lake 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
- 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