Middle Settlement Lake Designated Campsite [DEC #18825] (Ha-De-Ron-Dah Wilderness)

FREE backcountry primitive camping on the shore of Middle Settlement Lake in the Ha-De-Ron-Dah Wilderness of New York's ADIRONDACK Forest Preserve (DEC Region 6, Herkimer County, west of Old Forge). This is a DEC-mapped primitive tent site ('Middle Settlement Lake Designated Campsite [DEC #18825]'), and New York provides it at NO CHARGE: the DEC Ha-De-Ron-Dah page lists the fee as 'Free' and the unit as open year-round, first-come first-served. It sits about 58 feet from Middle Settlement Lake (measured against OpenStreetMap). This is a hike-in: reach it on foot, about 1.2 miles in via the Middle Settlement Lake Access Trail from the Brown's Tract Trail (cnyhiking.com) -- the Ha-De-Ron-Dah Wilderness is closed to motor vehicles and bicycles, so you carry in. COUNT DISCLOSURE: DEC's GIS 'Primitive Campsite' layer tags 7 tent-site records for this wilderness, but the DEC unit page names only this one designated tent site (on Middle Settlement Lake) plus two lean-tos and says 'there are no additional designated campsites on the unit.' This IS that one DEC-named site, so it is shipped at high confidence; the other six GIS pins were held pending review, not shipped. This is free, first-come Adirondack Forest Preserve backcountry camping in the Ha-De-Ron-Dah Wilderness -- do NOT confuse it with a reservable fee campground; the nearest paid DEC campgrounds (Nicks Lake near Old Forge, Limekiln Lake near Inlet) are a separate, paid system several miles to the east. SEASON / ACCESS: DEC lists Ha-De-Ron-Dah Wilderness as open YEAR-ROUND and free, but every site here is a HIKE-IN reached on foot (Wilderness = no motor vehicles and no bicycles) -- trails can be wet, snow-covered or blowdown-blocked, so confirm current trail and site conditions with the DEC Region 6 Herkimer office (315-866-6330) or the unit page before you go, especially in winter or mud season. RULES: no reservation and no fee; camp only at a designated site (look for the round yellow DEC 'Camp Here' marker) or, elsewhere in the wilderness, more than 150 feet from any road, trail or water; 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 6 Herkimer Office at (315) 866-6330 (Forest Rangers via 911 or DEC dispatch 1-833-NYS-RANGERS)). This site is around 1744 feet, well below any Adirondack high-elevation camping restriction. These are primitive sites: expect at most a fire ring -- no hookups, no showers and no potable water, so bring water or treat what you take from the lake. 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, trail status and this site's status on the DEC page (dec.ny.gov/places/ha-de-ron-dah-wilderness) or with the Herkimer office (315-866-6330) before you go; we have not visited.

USGS topo — contours & terrain

Aerial — USGS / NAIP

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.

• Big Otter Lake Campsite #1 [DEC #15492] (Ha-De-Ron-Dah Wilderness)~2.6 mi
• Primitive Tent Site (Independence River Wild Forest)~2.8 mi
• Primitive Tent Site (Independence River Wild Forest)~3.1 mi
• Primitive Tent Site (Independence River Wild Forest)~4.9 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