Mill Brook Site #1 (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 ('Mill Brook Site #1') 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 camp
- @Mail3 mi
- DDump5 mi
- FFuel6 mi
- LLaundry6 mi
- GGrocery6 mi
- HHardware6 mi
- WWater7 mi
- ShShower8 mi
- +Urgent care14 mi
- MMechanic14 mi
- RxPharmacy16 mi
- OOutfitter21 mi
- AAir-up33 mi
The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 6 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 featurePharaoh Lake Brook (stream) · nearby
- Nearest townAdirondack · ~3.6 mi
- Drinking waterDrinking water · ~7.4 mi
- FuelSunoco · ~7.7 mi
- Propane / LPGAmeriGas · ~14.9 mi
- Dump stationDump station · ~5.0 mi
- GroceriesAdirondack General Store · ~3.4 mi
- PharmacyRite Aid Pharmacy · ~15.7 mi
- Hospital / clinicElizabethtown Community Hospital - Ticonderoga · ~13.5 mi
- HardwareCurtis Lumber Co., Inc. · ~6.4 mi
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Highway rest areaHigh Peaks (North) · ~16.6 mi N
- Highway rest areaHigh Peaks (South) · ~16.8 mi N
- Highway rest areaFair Haven Welcome Center · ~23.7 mi SE
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Mill Brook Site #2 (Pharaoh Lake Wilderness)~0.1 mi
- Crab Pond Primitive Tent Site (Pharaoh Lake Wilderness)~1.5 mi
- SUCKER BROOK PRIMITIVE TENT SITE (Pharaoh Lake Wilderness)~2.2 mi
- Pharaoh Lake PRIMITIVE TENT SITE 14 (Pharaoh Lake Wilderness)~2.5 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