Mary Smith Hill Road Primitive Campsite [DEC #16690] (Delaware Wild Forest)

FREE primitive camping at the Mary Smith Hill Road trailhead in the Delaware Wild Forest, in the eastern Mary Smith Hill / Huggins Lake section of the unit (Delaware County, western Catskills, DEC Region 4). New York provides this at NO CHARGE: the DEC Delaware Wild Forest page lists the whole unit's fee as 'Free', and the the Mary Smith Hill Road Parking Lot shown here is free DEC parking. This DEC-mapped site sits about 44-58 ft from the road and trail -- inside New York's 150-ft buffer -- so it is a marked, established trailhead campsite: camp at the already-cleared site rather than making a new one. COUNT / CONFIDENCE NOTE: DEC's page names only two designated primitive campsites in the whole Delaware Wild Forest (Mud Pond/Russell Brook Falls and Big Pond, both elsewhere in the unit); this eastern site is one of DEC's mapped, established campsites that the page does not individually name, so it is listed at MEDIUM confidence -- it is a real, free DEC campsite whose location we measured against OpenStreetMap, but confirm this specific site on the ground before you go. These are FREE, first-come DEC primitive sites -- no reservation, no fee, no registration; do NOT confuse them with a reservable DEC fee campground (the unit's fee campgrounds are miles west near Roscoe). SEASON / ACCESS: DEC lists the Delaware Wild Forest as open year-round and free; the DEC parking here is free, but the roads and trails can be muddy, washed or snow-covered off-season, so confirm current conditions with the DEC Region 4 Stamford office (607-652-7365) or the unit page before you go. RULES: no reservation and no fee; a free Forest Ranger permit is required only if you stay more than 3 nights or camp with a group of 10 or more (arrange it through the DEC Region 4 Office in Stamford at (607) 652-7365 (Forest Rangers via 911 or DEC dispatch 1-833-NYS-RANGERS)). These are primitive sites: expect a fire ring at most -- no hookups, no showers and no potable water, so bring water or treat what you take from the lake or a stream. This site is around 2227 feet elevation. Pack out all trash, follow Leave No Trace and the DEC fire rules, and store food from bears (this is black-bear country). Confirm current rules and this specific site's status on the DEC page (dec.ny.gov/places/delaware-wild-forest) or with the Stamford office (607-652-7365) before you go; we have not visited.

USGS topo — contours & terrain

Aerial — USGS / NAIP

Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)

• Highway rest areaRoscoe · ~8.4 mi S
• Highway rest areaEast Branch · ~18.3 mi W
• RestroomCallicoon PA Access Seasonal Toilet · ~23.4 mi SW · NPS
• RestroomLordville Access Seasonal Toilet · ~23.9 mi SW · NPS

Open this spot elsewhere

Other camps nearby

If this one is full, gated or washed out.

• Mary Smith Hill Road Primitive Campsite [DEC #16689] (Delaware Wild Forest)~0.2 mi
• Huggins Lake Road Primitive Campsite [DEC #16729] (Delaware Wild Forest)~2.0 mi
• Big Pond Campsite 6 [DEC #16697] (Delaware Wild Forest)~4.3 mi
• Big Pond Campsite 5 (Accessible) [DEC #16699] (Delaware Wild Forest)~4.3 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

Before you go