Round Pond Campsite (Siamese Ponds Wilderness)
FREE primitive camping in the 114,010-acre Siamese Ponds Wilderness, part of New York's Adirondack Forest Preserve, in the east-central Adirondacks between Indian Lake and North Creek -- Towns of Johnsburg and Thurman in Warren County and Towns of Indian Lake, Lake Pleasant and Wells in Hamilton County (DEC Region 5), reached from NY 8, NY 30 and the Thirteenth Lake / Old Farm Clearing roads off NY 28. DEC-designated primitive tent site ('Round Pond Campsite'). New York provides these designated primitive tent sites at NO CHARGE (the DEC unit page lists the fee as 'Free'); sites are first-come and cannot be reserved. This is a HIKE-IN backcountry site. DEC's page routes it from the Kunjamuk trailhead on Big Brook Road via the Kunjamuk Trail, which traverses the shore of Round Pond. For orientation, the nearest DEC-published trailhead or parking coordinate is the Kunjamuk trailhead parking area off Big Brook Road, about 2.0 miles away in a straight line -- trail mileage will be longer. PERMITS: 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 threshold, so the statewide rule governs). Arrange any permit in advance through the DEC Region 5 Warrensburg Office at 518-623-1200 (Mon-Fri, 8:30 to 4:45). Camp only at the marked site (look for the yellow 'Camp Here' disc) -- elsewhere on the Forest Preserve, camping is prohibited within 150 feet of any road, trail, spring, stream, pond or other water. These are primitive sites: typically just a fire ring, no hookups and no potable water, and designated TENT sites are for tents only. Pack out all trash, follow Leave No Trace and the DEC fire rules, and store food away from black bears. The unit is open year-round, but winter access is on ski or snowshoe and several stream crossings here have no bridge -- confirm current conditions, closures and this site's access with the DEC unit page (dec.ny.gov/places/siamese-ponds-wilderness) or the Warrensburg office before you go; we have not visited.
Everything you need — measured from Round Pond Campsite (Siamese Ponds Wilderness) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY
- FFuel7 mi
- GGrocery7 mi
- LLaundry7 mi
- MMechanic7 mi
- @Mail7 mi
- EVEV fast charger7 mi
- ShShower8 mi
- +Urgent care13 mi
- RxPharmacy13 mi
- WWater14 mi
- DDump15 mi
- OOutfitter21 mi
- HHardware26 mi
- AAir-up41 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); the EV fast charger from the US DOE station locator. Open in Google Maps ↗
The site — Round Pond Campsite (Siamese Ponds Wilderness)
Nearby & resupply — around Round Pond Campsite (Siamese Ponds Wilderness) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY (OpenStreetMap)
- Drinking waternone within 10 mi
- FuelRoute 30 One Stop · ~7.1 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump station~14.9 mi
- GroceriesRoute 30 One Stop · ~7.1 mi
- PharmacyRite Aid Pharmacy · ~13.1 mi
- Hospital / clinicNorth Creek Health Center · ~12.9 mi
- HardwareBraley Noxon Hardware · ~25.9 mi
EV charging — from Round Pond Campsite (Siamese Ponds Wilderness) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY — nearest public DC fast & Level 2 (US DOE station data)
- Nearest public DC fast charger7.4 mi straight-line N — 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 reach2 within 25 mi · 35 within 50 · 273 within 100 · 592 within 150
- Nearest listing NACS (Tesla)23.1 mi — Chestertown, NY - Tesla Supercharger, Chestertown
- Nearest listing CHAdeMO31.9 mi — EVolve NY North Hudson, North Hudson
- Nearest public Level 2 (J1772)7.4 mi — GARNET HILL LOG HOUSE #2, North River, NY · ChargePoint Network · 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 Pond Campsite (Siamese Ponds 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.
Coming out here — Round Pond Campsite (Siamese Ponds Wilderness) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY
- No surface water within about a mile and a half in our records — which is not proof there is none, only that we found none. Plan to carry washing water as well as drinking water.
- Power: Dave carries his own — batteries or solar. A generator will run your rig and it is also the thing everybody camped near you can hear.
- Getting online: Dave recommends Starlink. He has had it since SpaceX introduced it, used it for four years living on the road, and it delivers as promised — several hundred nights out, and he can count on one hand the places he could not connect. The cable on his unit runs 150 feet, which is usually all it takes to find enough sky. Starlink → Referral link — Starlink pays Dave $100 in cash if you sign up through it, and that money funds this site and the next trip. It costs you nothing and does not change the recommendation.
Open Round Pond Campsite (Siamese Ponds Wilderness) elsewhere
Other camps near Round Pond Campsite (Siamese Ponds Wilderness)
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Long Pond Site 3 (Siamese Ponds Wilderness)~3.3 mi
- Long Pond Site 2 (Siamese Ponds Wilderness)~3.4 mi
- John Mack Pond Campsite (Siamese Ponds Wilderness)~3.5 mi
- Long Pond Site 1 (Siamese Ponds Wilderness)~3.5 mi
How we know this — Round Pond Campsite (Siamese Ponds Wilderness)
What we don’t know about Round Pond Campsite (Siamese Ponds 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
- 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