Round Lake Campsite #3 (Round Lake Wilderness)
FREE backcountry primitive camping (WATER-ACCESS -- this is Round Lake canoe country: most designated sites line the Round Lake / Little Tupper shoreline and are reached by paddle from the Round Lake waterway access site into the Little Tupper Lake outlet, not drive-up). DEC-designated primitive tent site ('Round Lake Campsite #3') in the Round Lake Wilderness, part of New York's Adirondack Forest Preserve, in the central Adirondacks in Hamilton County (Town of Long Lake; DEC Region 5), the Round Lake / Little Tupper Lake canoe country. 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. Camping for more than 3 nights in one spot requires a FREE New York State Forest Ranger permit; the overnight group size may be up to nine people in the Round Lake Wilderness (the place page's stricter local cap; a free permit is otherwise the statewide rule for groups of 10 or more). Arrange any permit in advance through the local DEC Region 5 Forest Ranger at (518) 828-0236. 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 a paddle-in shoreline site on Round Lake -- reached by canoe/kayak from the Round Lake waterway access site into the Little Tupper Lake outlet (not drive-up); confirm the launch, route and distance on the DEC unit page / DECinfo Locator. Rules and site status change -- confirm with the DEC unit page (dec.ny.gov/places/william-c-whitney-wilderness-and-round-lake-wilderness) or a regional DEC office before you go; we have not visited.
Everything you need — measured from Round Lake Campsite #3 (Round Lake Wilderness) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY
- FFuel10 mi
- OOutfitter10 mi
- GGrocery10 mi
- @Mail10 mi
- +Urgent care11 mi
- HHardware12 mi
- MMechanic12 mi
- RxPharmacy12 mi
- WWater18 mi
- ShShower18 mi
- DDump19 mi
- LLaundry24 mi
- EVEV fast charger25 mi
The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 10 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); the EV fast charger from the US DOE station locator. Open in Google Maps ↗
The site — Round Lake Campsite #3 (Round Lake Wilderness)
Nearby & resupply — around Round Lake Campsite #3 (Round Lake Wilderness) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureRound Lake (water) · nearby
- Nearest townHorseshoe · ~5.2 mi
- Drinking waternone within 10 mi
- FuelKickerville Station · ~9.6 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump station~18.7 mi
- GroceriesNorthen Borne · ~10.2 mi
- PharmacyKinney Drugs · ~12.5 mi
- Hospital / clinicCamp Massawepie Health Lodge · ~13.8 mi
- HardwareSturdy Supply & Rental · ~28.3 mi
EV charging — from Round Lake Campsite #3 (Round Lake Wilderness) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY — nearest public DC fast & Level 2 (US DOE station data)
- Nearest public DC fast charger25.3 mi straight-line SE — Indian Lake - Welcome Center · VIALYNK · CCS · 4 fast ports listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-09-16 · hours: 24 hours daily · directions
- Public DC fast stations within reachnone within 25 mi · 17 within 50 · 201 within 100 · 425 within 150
- Nearest listing NACS (Tesla)28.1 mi — ChargeSmart EV - Saranac Lake, Saranac Lake
- Nearest listing CHAdeMO42.7 mi — EVolve NY North Hudson, North Hudson
- Nearest public Level 2 (J1772)10.5 mi — Long View Lodge, Long Lake, NY · EV Connect · J1772 · 2 Level 2 ports listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-09-16 · hours: 24 hours daily
- Pricing at the fast chargernot listed
- Power (kW)not listed by AFDC — “DC fast” spans roughly 24 to 350 kW, so ask the network.
- Read this honestlyStraight-line miles, like every distance on this site. Roads run longer than this, and you have to get back. We know where a charger is listed. We don’t know if it works today, how fast it is, or the road miles. Check the network before you commit.
Snapshot 2026-09-16 · AFDC record 405740 · US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center
Nearby restrooms — around Round Lake Campsite #3 (Round Lake Wilderness) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- No mapped restroom within 30 miles — plan to pack it out.
Open Round Lake Campsite #3 (Round Lake Wilderness) elsewhere
Other camps near Round Lake Campsite #3 (Round Lake Wilderness)
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Round Lake Campsite #2 (Round Lake Wilderness)~0.1 mi
- Round Lake Campsite #1 (Round Lake Wilderness)~0.7 mi
- Round Lake Campsite #8 (Round Lake Wilderness)~0.7 mi
- Round Lake Campsite #4 (Round Lake Wilderness)~0.8 mi
How we know this — Round Lake Campsite #3 (Round Lake Wilderness)
What we don’t know about Round Lake Campsite #3 (Round Lake Wilderness)
A land record can put you within a few meters 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
- Whether a listed EV charger works today, or the road miles to it