Helidiver Pond Campsite (Moose River Plains Camping Area)
FREE roadside primitive camping. DEC-designated primitive ROADSIDE campsite ('Helidiver Pond Campsite') in the Moose River Plains Camping Corridor, part of New York's Adirondack Forest Preserve, in the central Adirondacks between Inlet and Indian Lake, strung along the seasonal Moose River Plains Road -- the Towns of Webb and Ohio in Herkimer County and the Towns of Arietta, Inlet, Long Lake, Lake Pleasant and Morehouse in Hamilton County. This is the classic Adirondack free drive-up corridor: New York provides free primitive roadside campsites (the DEC place page states 116 primitive roadside campsites along the Limekiln Lake-Cedar River Road, Otter Brook Road, Rock Dam Road and short spur roads off of them, all free and first-come/first-served) at NO CHARGE (the DEC complex page lists the fee as 'Free'), first-come and cannot be reserved -- you pull off the Moose River Plains Road and camp at a numbered site. ACCESS IS SEASONAL AND GATED: these sites are reached only by the Moose River Plains Road (the Limekiln Lake-Cedar River Road), a gated dirt road running roughly 23 miles from the Limekiln Gate near Inlet in the west to the Wakely Dam Gate near Indian Lake in the east. That road is CLOSED outside the warmer months (winter and mud season), so the corridor is NOT drivable year-round -- confirm the CURRENT gate opening and closing dates with the DEC Northville office before you go. DON'T CONFUSE THESE FREE SITES WITH THE NEARBY PAID CAMPGROUNDS: the DEC-operated Limekiln Lake Campground (271 sites, near the Limekiln Gate at Inlet) and Eighth Lake Campground (126 sites) -- developed, reservable, fee-based public campgrounds are separate developed facilities that charge a fee and take reservations -- these numbered roadside 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 complex page states this verbatim; there is no stricter local threshold). Arrange any permit in advance through the DEC Region 5 Northville Office (Mon-Fri 7:30 AM-3:30 PM) at (518) 863-4545. Camp only at the marked site (look for the yellow 'Camp Here' disc), keep camp 150 feet from water unless the site is otherwise designated, and follow the posted Moose River Plains rules. These are primitive sites: no hookups, no potable water, pack out all trash, follow Leave No Trace and the DEC fire rules. Rules, site numbering and the road's gate dates change -- confirm with the DEC unit page (dec.ny.gov/places/moose-river-plains-complex) or the Region 5 Northville office before you go; we have not visited.
Everything you need — measured from camp
- FFuel7 mi
- GGrocery8 mi
- HHardware8 mi
- @Mail8 mi
- WWater8 mi
- LLaundry9 mi
- RxPharmacy14 mi
- ShShower15 mi
- DDump19 mi
- +Urgent care21 mi
- MMechanic23 mi
- OOutfitter23 mi
- AAir-up46 mi
The read: water's a short hop out, 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). Open in Google Maps ↗
The site
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureHelldiver Pond (water) · nearby
- Nearest townSagamore · ~7.3 mi
- Drinking waterDrinking water · ~7.7 mi
- FuelFuel · ~7.1 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump stationDump station · ~19.1 mi
- GroceriesKalil's Market · ~7.5 mi
- PharmacyKinney Drugs · ~14.5 mi
- HardwareAce Hardware - Old Forge Department Store · ~14.3 mi
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.
- Moose River Plains Campsite 61 (Moose River Plains Camping Area)~0.0 mi
- Moose River Plains Campsite 60 (Moose River Plains Camping Area)~0.1 mi
- Moose River Plains Campsite 59 (Moose River Plains Camping Area)~0.1 mi
- Moose River Plains Campsite 58 (Moose River Plains Camping Area)~0.2 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