Adirondacks...boondocking

[dcason]

Hubby and I are hoping to go to Adirondacks in the fall for some hiking and free camping. I looked on freecampsite.net but was hoping for something more near Mt. Marcy.

Any other ideas?
Donna
24/25 foot class c with no toad

[Uplander]

Try this website: campadk.com. Over 12,000 detailed photos of campsites and maps of camping areas in the Adirondack system....no shortage of sites or information.
The multi-million acre Adirondack Park has no shortage of remote locations to explore.
Most camping areas will have plenty of water taps to refill your tanks and dump stations.
Restrooms and showers at many locations.
Reservations needed in prime season (July/August) best times to avoid crowds is when school is in session...May/June and Sept/October....note because of early snow and freeze this far north the campgrounds close and drain their water pipes. Many stay open to late October. Don't miss the great fall colors in late Sept and October in this region!
Plenty of Deer, Moose and Bear roam these wilderness areas....and bring your fishing pole too!

Happy Camping!

[OldRadios]

I might add that if you decide in the fall that a campground site is OK (most are under $20/night) many of the campgrounds are usually closed by October 15th as the temps start to get down to freezing at night and they have to drain water lines and and get the campgrounds winterized.

[dcason]

We did a driveby while passing through there and are confident enough that we could find a place to pull road for the night in a few spots....without being bothered. Not looking to set up camp just someplace to overnight after hiking up there.
Thanks for the input.
Donna

[bukhrn]

32vld wrote:
NYS DEC allows free camping on state lands. Though the DEC does have a few regular for pay campgrounds. Do not confuse the DEC with NYS Parks Campgrounds. Those you have to pay.

You may not pay to boondock on DEC lands, But You will surely pay for DEC campgrounds too. http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/camping.html

[mbopp]

I don't know of any free campsites near Mt Marcy or in the High Peaks area.
There are roadside sites on Floodwood Rd in the St Regis area, and Horseshoe Lake near Sabattis. The Moose River Plains used to have sites but I heard a rumor DEC was closing the road to vehicle traffic.

[OldRadios]

In the Adirondacks we usually find a site on the water in a campground for the RV and then canoe to remote sites using the RV as a base camp. There are several areas you can canoe for miles and remote tent camp along side the water.

[KMP44]

32vld wrote:
NYS DEC allows free camping on state lands. Though the DEC does have a few regular for pay campgrounds. Do not confuse the DEC with NYS Parks Campgrounds. Those you have to pay.

A few? DEC operates 52 cg's. In the Adirnodack Park and the Catskills they operate every public campground. NYS Park Service runs the cg's in the rest of the state.

And even though camping is free on DEC lands, some places have restrictions, and there is a minimum setback you have to be from roads, which makes places to boondock in an RV limited. If you want to camp while hiking or kayaking there are tons of great free spots. But for the OP's question, I haven't run across many good rv boondocking spots.

[32vld]

NYS DEC allows free camping on state lands. Though the DEC does have a few regular for pay campgrounds. Do not confuse the DEC with NYS Parks Campgrounds. Those you have to pay.

[KMP44]

Came across this today. DEC just opened up some new campsites (free) including 5 that are accessable by road. Might be a little south of where you want to be, but worth a look...

http://www.esf.edu/aic/essex/essex.htm

[JaxDad]

Once you know where you want to go spend some time on Google Maps Sat. View. You can scout huge areas by doing a fly over, then when you find a promising spot you can switch to street view and get a better look at it. If you find a few in the area you want you have some choices.

[KMP44]

There doesn't seem to be too much info out there. We typically stick to the SP's, but you could try looking on the link below. Most of the "dispersed camping" is only accessable by hiking or canoe.

http://www.adkforum.com/index.php?

[narcodog]

I found it difficult to find boondocking spots. Your bet bet is trailheads. Though it is a huge SP there is many private lands that block access. Most of the State lands are accessible by hiking only.

[ed6713]

Try this site

Public campgrounds