Trailside Campsite (Silver Lake Wilderness)

FREE primitive camping in the Silver Lake Wilderness, part of New York's Adirondack Forest Preserve, in the southern Adirondacks west of the Sacandaga River -- Hamilton County (Towns of Arietta, Lake Pleasant, Wells and Benson) in DEC Region 5, reached from NY 8 on the north, NY 30 on the east and the Benson / Godfrey Road side roads on the south. This is a DEC-designated primitive tent site ('Trailside Campsite'). New York provides these designated sites at NO CHARGE -- the DEC unit page lists the fee as 'Free' -- and they are first-come, first-served and cannot be reserved. This is an INTERIOR BACKCOUNTRY site on the Northville-Placid Trail. Be aware that DEC does not describe this particular site's route -- the page accounts for the Spy Lake, West River Road, Woods Lake and Chub Lake sites by name and then says only that "the remaining sites are found along the Northville-Placid Trail". What we can say honestly from DEC's own coordinates is that the nearest published parking area is the Godfrey Road NPT trailhead parking area, about 4.5 miles away in a STRAIGHT LINE, so the real walk on the NPT will be longer. Treat this as a backpacking site and confirm the route with DEC before you rely on it. 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 Northville Office at 518-863-4545 (Mon-Fri, 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM). 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, no potable water and no dump station, and designated TENT sites are for tents only. If you want amenities, DEC points you at its own Sacandaga Campground nearby, but that one CHARGES -- the sites listed here are the free ones. 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 travel here is on ski or snowshoe -- confirm current conditions, road status, closures and this site's access with the DEC unit page (dec.ny.gov/places/silver-lake-wilderness) or the Northville office 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 areaParking/Rest Area · ~22.8 mi S
• Highway rest areaParking/Rest Area · ~22.8 mi S
• Highway rest areaIroquois Travel Plaza WB · ~25.7 mi SW
• Highway rest areaIndian Castle Travel Plaza EB · ~25.9 mi SW

Open this spot elsewhere

Other camps nearby

If this one is full, gated or washed out.

• Rock Lake Campsite (Silver Lake Wilderness)~0.9 mi
• Silver Lake Tent Site (Silver Lake Wilderness)~1.4 mi
• Canary Pond Campsite (Silver Lake Wilderness)~2.5 mi
• Chub Lake Campsite #1 (Silver Lake Wilderness)~5.0 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