Russell Brook Primitive Campsite [DEC #20972] (Delaware Wild Forest)

FREE primitive camping along Russell Brook near Russell Brook Falls in the Delaware Wild Forest, reached on foot from the Russell Brook Road trailhead near Roscoe (Delaware County, western Catskills, DEC Region 4). New York provides this at NO CHARGE: the DEC Delaware Wild Forest page lists the fee as 'Free', and Catskill Mountaineer confirms the campsites in this Trout Pond / Mud Pond / Russell Brook area are free and first-come, first-served with no reservation. This is one of DEC's mapped, established primitive tent sites, so camp at the marked, already-cleared site rather than making a new one; if you ever camp away from a marked site, New York's rule is to stay at least 150 feet from any road, trail, or water. COUNT / CONFIDENCE NOTE: DEC's Delaware Wild Forest page names only one designated primitive campsite in this area (the accessible Mud Pond/Russell Brook Falls site) plus the Trout Pond and Mud Pond lean-tos, but DEC's own mapping data marks about 22 established primitive tent sites here and Catskill Mountaineer independently reports 20-plus free, first-come campsites across this Trout Pond / Mud Pond / Russell Brook area. Because DEC's page does not individually name each one, most sites in this cluster are listed at MEDIUM confidence -- they are real DEC-mapped free primitive sites whose location we measured against OpenStreetMap, but confirm the specific site on the ground; the only HIGH-confidence site here is the accessible Russell Brook Falls campsite the DEC page names outright. Every distance quoted was measured against OpenStreetMap; no pins were invented. These are FREE, first-come DEC primitive campsites -- no reservation, no fee, no registration; the Russell Brook Road DEC parking area (about 15 spaces) is free. Do NOT confuse them with a reservable DEC FEE campground -- the nearest ones (Little Pond, about 7 miles northeast, and Mongaup Pond, about 5 miles southwest) charge and take reservations; these sites do not. SEASON / ACCESS: DEC lists the Delaware Wild Forest as open YEAR-ROUND and free. Sites are reached on foot from the free Russell Brook Road trailhead (Russell Brook Falls is a short walk in; the pond sites are roughly a quarter-mile to about a mile and a half up the trail). Russell Brook Road and the trails can be muddy, washed or snow-covered off-season and parking fills on summer weekends, so confirm current conditions with the DEC Region 4 Stamford office (607-652-7365) or the unit page before you go. RULES: no reservation and no fee; 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 4 Office in Stamford at (607) 652-7365 (Forest Rangers via 911 or DEC dispatch 1-833-NYS-RANGERS)). These are primitive sites: expect a fire ring and, at some, a shared privy -- no hookups, no showers and no potable water, so bring water or treat what you take from the pond or brook. This site is around 1915 feet elevation. 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 and this specific site's status on the DEC page (dec.ny.gov/places/delaware-wild-forest) or with the Stamford office (607-652-7365) before you go; we have not visited.

USGS topo — contours & terrain

Aerial — USGS / NAIP

Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)

• Highway rest areaRoscoe · ~6.2 mi SE
• Highway rest areaEast Branch · ~11.5 mi W
• RestroomLordville Access Seasonal Toilet · ~16.9 mi SW · NPS
• RestroomCallicoon PA Access Seasonal Toilet · ~17.8 mi S · NPS

Open this spot elsewhere

Other camps nearby

If this one is full, gated or washed out.

• Russell Brook Primitive Campsite [DEC #20975] (Delaware Wild Forest)~0.0 mi
• Russell Brook Primitive Campsite [DEC #20969] (Delaware Wild Forest)~0.1 mi
• Russell Brook Primitive Campsite [DEC #20973] (Delaware Wild Forest)~0.1 mi
• Russell Brook Primitive Campsite [DEC #20968] (Delaware Wild Forest)~0.1 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