Mason Lake 1A (Jessup River Wild Forest)
FREE backcountry primitive camping. DEC-designated primitive tent site ('Mason Lake 1A') 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 on Perkins-Clearing Road near Mason Lake, which the DEC page files as a roadside cluster, so it is most likely a DRIVE-UP / roadside site along the Perkins-Clearing Road dirt corridor -- but confirm the exact parking and access on the DEC unit page / DECinfo Locator. 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 camp
- ShShower4 mi
- WWater7 mi
- GGrocery7 mi
- @Mail7 mi
- DDump7 mi
- FFuel7 mi
- LLaundry8 mi
- +Urgent care8 mi
- MMechanic15 mi
- HHardware21 mi
- RxPharmacy23 mi
- OOutfitter30 mi
- AAir-up39 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 featureMason Lake (water) · nearby
- Nearest townSpeculator · ~7.4 mi
- Drinking waterDrinking water · ~4.1 mi
- FuelStewart's · ~15.1 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump stationDump station · ~7.4 mi
- GroceriesCharlie Johns · ~7.2 mi
- PharmacyRite Aid Pharmacy · ~23.1 mi
- Hospital / clinicNorth Creek Health Center · ~22.9 mi
- HardwareAce Hardware - Old Forge Department Store · ~28.4 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.
- Mason Lake 2 (Jessup River Wild Forest)~0.1 mi
- Mason Lake 1 (Jessup River Wild Forest)~0.2 mi
- Mason Lake 3 (Jessup River Wild Forest)~0.3 mi
- Mason Lake 4 (Jessup River Wild Forest)~0.4 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