St. Regis Mtn. Campsite (Saint Regis Canoe Area)
FREE primitive camping (Adirondack canoe country -- most sites here are PADDLE-IN, reached by canoe with short carries between ponds, not drive-up). DEC-designated primitive tent site ('St. Regis Mtn. Campsite') in the Saint Regis Canoe Area, part of New York's Adirondack Forest Preserve, in the northern Adirondacks northwest of Saranac Lake -- the Towns of Santa Clara and Brighton in Franklin County (DEC Region 5), a 20-pond paddling network reached off NY Route 30 / Route 186 near Paul Smiths and the Saranac Inn area. New York provides these designated primitive tent sites at NO CHARGE (the DEC unit page lists the fee as 'Free' and describes 70 designated primitive tent sites across roughly 20 ponds); sites are first-come and cannot be reserved. This is a HIKE-IN site on/near St. Regis Mountain, reached on foot by the St. Regis Mountain trail rather than by canoe -- confirm the trailhead and distance with DEC. DON'T CONFUSE THESE FREE SITES WITH THE NEARBY PAID CAMPGROUNDS: the DEC-operated Fish Creek Pond Campground and Rollins Pond Campground on the southern edge of the canoe area -- developed, reservable, fee-based public campgrounds that charge a fee and take reservations -- these primitive 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 page sets no stricter local threshold, so the statewide rule governs). Arrange any permit in advance through the DEC Region 5 Ray Brook Office (Mon-Fri 8:30 AM-4:45 PM) at (518) 897-1200. Camp only at the marked site (look for the yellow 'Camp Here' disc), keep camp 150 feet from water and trails unless the site is otherwise designated, and follow the posted canoe-area rules. These are primitive sites -- typically only a fire ring and a pit privy, no hookups and no potable water; pack out all trash and follow Leave No Trace and the DEC fire rules. The canoe area is open year-round, but winter access is on ice/ski -- confirm conditions, and the current rules and this site's access, with the DEC unit page (dec.ny.gov/places/saint-regis-canoe-area) or the Region 5 Ray Brook office before you go; we have not visited.
Everything you need — measured from St. Regis Mtn. Campsite (Saint Regis Canoe Area) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY
- @Mail4 mi
- FFuel8 mi
- GGrocery8 mi
- DDump8 mi
- WWater9 mi
- ShShower9 mi
- EVEV fast charger10 mi
- RxPharmacy10 mi
- +Urgent care10 mi
- HHardware10 mi
- OOutfitter10 mi
- MMechanic11 mi
- LLaundry38 mi
The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 8 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 — St. Regis Mtn. Campsite (Saint Regis Canoe Area)
Nearby & resupply — around St. Regis Mtn. Campsite (Saint Regis Canoe Area) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY (OpenStreetMap)
- Nearest townPaul Smiths · ~3.4 mi
- Drinking waterWater · ~8.7 mi
- FuelFuel · ~8.2 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump station~8.3 mi
- GroceriesGrocery · ~8.2 mi
- PharmacyKinney Drugs · ~10.0 mi
- Hospital / clinicMountain Medical Urgent Care · ~10.2 mi
- HardwareAubuchon Hardware · ~10.3 mi
EV charging — from St. Regis Mtn. Campsite (Saint Regis Canoe Area) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY — nearest public DC fast & Level 2 (US DOE station data)
- Nearest public DC fast charger9.9 mi straight-line SE — Upstate Auto, Saranac Lake, NY · VIALYNK · J1772, CCS · 2 fast ports listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-09-16 · hours: 24 hours daily · directions
- Public DC fast stations within reach8 within 25 mi · 32 within 50 · 128 within 100 · 354 within 150
- Nearest listing NACS (Tesla)12.1 mi — Aldi TUL 46 Saranac Lake, Saranac Lake
- Nearest listing CHAdeMO30.2 mi — ELLIS CHEVY ELLISDCFC, Malone
- Nearest public Level 2 (J1772)3.5 mi — VIC AND CAMPUS LOT 7 1.1, Paul Smiths, 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 351665 · US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center
Nearby restrooms — around St. Regis Mtn. Campsite (Saint Regis Canoe Area) · 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 St. Regis Mtn. Campsite (Saint Regis Canoe Area) elsewhere
Other camps near St. Regis Mtn. Campsite (Saint Regis Canoe Area)
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Bear Pond Site 1 (Saint Regis Canoe Area)~1.5 mi
- Monty Flats (Saint Regis Canoe Area)~1.6 mi
- Little Long Pond East Site 3 (Saint Regis Canoe Area)~1.8 mi
- Little Long Pond East Site 2 (Saint Regis Canoe Area)~1.8 mi
How we know this — St. Regis Mtn. Campsite (Saint Regis Canoe Area)
What we don’t know about St. Regis Mtn. Campsite (Saint Regis Canoe Area)
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