Moose River Plains Campsite 41 (Moose River Plains Camping Area)

FREE roadside primitive camping. DEC-designated primitive ROADSIDE campsite ('Moose River Plains Campsite 41') 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.

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.

• Moose River Plains Campsite 40 (Moose River Plains Camping Area)~0.3 mi
• Moose River Plains Campsite 42 (Moose River Plains Camping Area)~0.3 mi
• Moose River Plains Campsite 48 (Moose River Plains Camping Area)~0.4 mi
• Moose River Plains Campsite 43 (Moose River Plains Camping Area)~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

Before you go