★ Field-verified · Dave's ownPublic land · dispersedFree
Schuyler County
Drive-up · public land · Schuyler County, NY · 42.39018, -77.00309
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Ask about this camp →Dave's been here. A spot from Dave's own travels on public land — free to camp. Conditions still change, so confirm access, stay limits and fire rules before you go.
This is a great location for boondocking near Watkins Glen State Park. This is a clearing next to the road designated for vehicle-based camping. It is at the entrance to Sugar Hill Recreation Area, which features a fire tower, restrooms, and more free camping during the warm season. It is an equestrian destination. Enough room for multiple vehicles. Some cell service. Highly recommended.
USGS topo — contours & terrain
Aerial — USGS / NAIP
Weather outlook
Loading the latest forecast…
Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 2,008 ft.
Fire & smokeNIFC · AirNow
Checking active fires & air quality…
Active wildfires from NIFC (within ~50 mi); air quality from AirNow. Always confirm current fire restrictions with the managing office before you go.
Everything you need — measured from camp
Straight-line miles · bearings approx · roads run longer
Nearest of each
- @Mail3 mi
- FFuel6 mi
- WWater6 mi
- ShShower6 mi
- GGrocery7 mi
- AAir-up7 mi
- +Urgent care8 mi
- RxPharmacy8 mi
- HHardware15 mi
- DDump16 mi
- MMechanic16 mi
- LLaundry17 mi
- OOutfitter18 mi
- PPropane56 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water is basically at camp, fuel & food sit about 6 mi out.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Open in Google Maps ↗
The site
Access
Drive-up
Land
public land · dispersed
Elevation
2,008 ft
County
Schuyler County, NY
Coordinates
42.39018, -77.00309
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureSpencer Pond (water) · nearby
- Nearest townPine Creek · ~2.9 mi
- Drinking waterDrinking water · ~0.2 mi
- FuelSunoco · ~5.8 mi
- Propane / LPGSuburban Propane · ~18.1 mi
- Dump stationDump station · ~15.8 mi
- GroceriesTops · ~7.1 mi
- PharmacyQuinlan’s Pharmacy · ~8.4 mi
- Hospital / clinicSchuyler Hospital Pain Clinic · ~7.7 mi
- HardwareBranchport Hardware · ~16.3 mi
From the field — what Dave saw, in person
Cell service
Had a signal
Getting there
Any vehicle managed it
Fire ring
No
Toilet on site
Yes
Tent friendly
Yes
Verdict
Highly recommended
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- RestroomFinger Lakes Trail Shelter · ~10.4 mi E · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletBackbone Horse Camp · ~11.9 mi NE · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletBlueberry Patch · ~12.2 mi NE · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletBlueberry Patch Day Use · ~12.3 mi NE · USFS
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Finger Lakes Trail Shelter~10.4 mi
- Potomac Group Campground~13.0 mi
- Backbone Horse Campground~13.9 mi
How we know this
Source
Dave's own travels
Confidence
Researched — The record is detailed and internally consistent, and the coordinates land where the managing agency says this site is.
How it was placed
FIELD VERIFIED by Dave Lalande -- he has stood on this site. Coordinates are his own GPX track point, not a geocode. County and state confirmed against the FCC Census Block API (Schuyler County, NY). Everything under 'From the field' is a direct observation; nothing here is inferred from a land record.
Field check
Verified on the ground. Dave has stood on this one. Conditions still change — confirm before you commit.
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.
- How many rigs actually fit
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
Before you go
Been here? Tell us what changed. This page is built from public records, so the fastest way it gets better is somebody who has actually pulled in. Road washed out, site gone, gate locked, or it is exactly as described — all of it useful. Send a report →