Woods Lake Campsite #3 (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 ('Woods Lake Campsite #3'). 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 EASY ONE to reach: it lies about 0.44 mile (2337 feet) in a straight line from the Benson Road NPT trailhead parking area, a DEC-published parking coordinate, so it is a short walk in rather than a backpacking trip. DEC confirms designated sites are here but never describes the walk itself, so treat that figure as straight-line distance, not trail mileage, and expect the footpath to wander. 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

EV charging — from Woods Lake Campsite #3 (Silver Lake Wilderness) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY — nearest public DC fast & Level 2 (US DOE station data)

• Nearest public DC fast charger16.5 mi straight-line S — Aldi Johnstown TUL 110 (at a public site) · RED_E · CCS, NACS (Tesla) · 8 fast ports listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-09-16 · hours: not listed · directions
• Public DC fast stations within reach6 within 25 mi · 98 within 50 · 292 within 100 · 785 within 150
• Nearest listing CHAdeMO29.7 mi — Iroquois Travel Plaza, Little Falls
• Nearest public Level 2 (J1772)7.3 mi — Timeless Tavern, Northville, NY (at a parking lot) · Non-Networked · J1772 · 2 Level 2 ports listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2024-08-15 · 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 451463 · US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center

Nearby restrooms — around Woods Lake Campsite #3 (Silver Lake Wilderness) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)

• Highway rest areaParking/Rest Area · ~21.9 mi S
• Highway rest areaParking/Rest Area · ~21.9 mi S
• Highway rest areaMohawk Travel Plaza · ~24.6 mi S
• Highway rest areaPattersonville Travel Plaza · ~26.9 mi SE

Open Woods Lake Campsite #3 (Silver Lake Wilderness) elsewhere

Other camps near Woods Lake Campsite #3 (Silver Lake Wilderness)

If this one is full, gated or washed out.

• Woods Lake Campsite #4 (Silver Lake Wilderness)~0.2 mi
• Woods Lake Campsite #2 (Silver Lake Wilderness)~0.2 mi
• Woods Lake Campsite #1 (Silver Lake Wilderness)~0.2 mi
• Chase Lake Tent Site [DEC #11356] (Shaker Mountain Wild Forest)~3.7 mi

How we know this — Woods Lake Campsite #3 (Silver Lake Wilderness)

What we don’t know about Woods Lake Campsite #3 (Silver Lake 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

Before you go — Woods Lake Campsite #3 (Silver Lake Wilderness)