Wilderness Areas
Adirondack Park Wilderness Areas
Condensed from the Adirondack State Land Master Plan - June 2001
A wilderness area, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man - where man himself is a visitor who does not remain. A wilderness area is further defined to mean an area of state land or water having a primeval character, without significant improvements or permanent human habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve, enhance and restore, where necessary, its natural conditions, and which (1) generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man's work substantially unnoticeable; (2) has outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation; (3) has at least ten thousand acres of land and water or is of sufficient size and character as to made practicable its preservation and use in an unimpaired condition; and (4) may also contain ecological, geological or other features of scientific, educational, scenic or historical value.
Wilderness Areas
Blue Ridge
This wilderness area is located in the towns of Arietta, Lake Pleasant and Indian Lake in Hamilton County. It is roughly bounded on the north by Route 28; on the east by Route 28 and private lands immediately west of this route; on the south by private lands immediately north and west of Cedar River Flow; and on the west by the Lake Kora and Sagamore Lake properties and the South Inlet of Raquette Lake.
The area is dominated by Blue Ridge, a height of land ranging from 2,700 to 3,497 feet in elevation and running in a general east-west direction for a distance of more than six miles. On the lower north slopes of the ridge there are a number of attractive little trout ponds with foot trails leading to them from Route 28. The forest cover is typical mixed hardwood-softwood types with the higher elevations predominantly covered with spruce and balsam.
The Blue Ridge wilderness is easily accessible along most of its perimeter. A portion of the Northville-Lake Placid foot trail runs from the south boundary northward to the vicinity of Stephens Pond and Lake Durant. In all there are 15 miles of foot trails, 3 lean-tos and 19 bodies of water.
Dix Mountain
This area is in the towns of Elizabethtown, Keene and North Hudson, Essex County. It is roughly bounded on the north by Route 73, on the east by the Adirondack Northway, on the south by Blue Ridge Road and on the west by Elk Lake and AuSable Club lands.
The terrain is rough, rocky and mountainous, with several of the mountain tops exceeding 4,000 feet. Twelve small ponds, with a total surface area of about 115 acres, lie in the wilderness. Vertical cliffs of considerable height are common, particularly in the northern and eastern parts. Most of the mountains do not have any marked, maintained foot trails leading to their summits, even though excellent views are features of this area. The steep, rugged terrain, characteristic of nearly the whole area, has been responsible for the region's retaining a wilderness atmosphere.
Some of the most severe and extensive forest fires of the Adirondacks occurred in this area during a prolonged drought period in 1903. As a result, the tops and upper slopes of the mountains not only lost their forest cover but the humus was also consumed and the mineral soil eroded down to bare rock.
The present forest cover consists chiefly of pole-size yellow birch, aspen and stunted balsam at the higher elevations with mixed hardwoods and softwoods on the better soils at lower elevations. Some of the mountains, such as Dix, South Dix and McComb, have had small landslides in recent years which occur mostly on the near vertical north slopes. This has left a series of prominent, bare rock scars on the upper slopes.
Their are four trailless peaks in the area - South Dix, East Dix, Hough and McComb - that are over 4,000 feet in elevation. The use of areas such as this by the public, without marked and maintained foot trails, is high, as indicated by the registers that are located on the peaks.
The Adirondack Trail Improvement Society, with headquarters at St. Huberts, maintains a system of foot trails in the northern and northwestern part of the area, with approval of the New York State DEC. Their trails extend to such mountain tops as Round Top, Noonmark, Bear Den, Dial, Nippletop, Colvin, Blake and Pinnacle.
Five Ponds
This wilderness is located in the towns of Fine and Clifton in St. Lawrence County, the town of Webb in Herkimer County and the town of Long Lake in Hamilton County. It is bounded on the north by Cranberry Lake, a portion of the Oswegatchie River, the road leading to Inlet and private lands; on the east by the Colton town line and private lands in the vicinity of Gull Lake, a road leading to Gull Lake and the Remsen to Lake Placid railroad; on the south by Stillwater Reservoir; on the southwest by the Pepperbox Wilderness Area and on the west by private lands and the Aldrich Pond Wild Forest.
The terrain is low, rolling and interspersed with many small ponds. Swamp areas and small brooks are numerous. The forest cover varies from pole-size hardwoods in the sections that were heavily logged and burned more than forty years ago to virgin pine and spruce stands.
This is one of the few locations in the northeastern United States where stands of virgin timber can be found. When early logging was in progress and the Oswegatchie River carried the softwood logs downstream to the sawmills, it was found to be impractical to haul the huge logs by horse and oxen from the Five Ponds area out to the landing on Wolf Creek, so that section was not logged. The old growth pine and red spruce stand on the esker between Big Five, Little Five and Big Shallow, Little Shallow and Washbowl ponds is an example of this virgin timber. The pure pine stand at Pine Ridge along the Oswegatchie is another well known spot where examples of original growth timber may be seen.
In addition to these spots, other points of interest to the hiker, camper and fisherman are: High Falls on the Oswegatchie River; Alder Bed Flow on the Middle Branch of the Oswegatchie River; Cat Mountain; "The Plains;" and the numerous clear, spring-fed ponds, most of which support brook trout. The Oswegatchie River was long considered the top brook trout stream in the state, with catches of three to four pound brook trout common during the summer months. This distinction was lost when perch, apparently introduced accidentally or otherwise into Cranberry Lake several years ago, virtually eliminated the brook trout population. At the present time, the area is popular with hunters and fishermen who frequent the interior ponds.
The Oswegatchie is a fine canoeing stream and is used as such to reach interior wilderness points of interest. In 1975 it was classified as a wild river by the Wild, Scenic and Recreational Rivers Act, and in 1977 was closed to motorboat use.
The Five Ponds area is accessible to the public from the north and also from the south if one has a boat or canoe, from the east in the Lake Lila Primitive Area and the Remsen to Lake Placid railroad. The area can also be reached from the southwest via the Raven Lake primitive corridor, and from the east, by boat or canoe, via the newly acquired Bog River/Low's Lake tract. The western boundary in Herkimer County is accessible from the Bear Pond road in the Aldrich Pond Wild Forest.
Giant Mountain
This area lies in Essex County, in the towns of Elizabethtown and Keene, and is roughly bounded by Route 9N on the north, by Route 73 on the west and south and Route 9 on the east.
During 1903 one of the major forest fires of the Adirondacks swept over the greater part of this area, burning the topsoil down to bare rock and leaving the two dominant mountains of this area, Giant and Rocky Peak Ridge, practically bald. A few pockets on the lower slopes escaped the intense burn and are easily distinguishable as they now contain old growth white-pine and hemlock stands with some mixed hardwoods.
The topography of the area is steep and rocky with a considerable number of vertical or near vertical cliffs. A number of landslides have occurred on the west side of Giant Mountain, exposing bare rock. Numerous small brooks cascade down from the upper slopes.
From the eastern boundary of Route 9, a few miles south of Elizabethtown, to the top of Giant Mountain, a horizontal distance of about six miles, the elevation change is about 4,000 feet, which represents the greatest differential in elevation per horizontal mile of any wilderness area.
Only two small ponds are in the area, but each one is rather unique because of its location and attractiveness. Giant's Washbowl lies in a small depression near the 2,300 foot level on the lower south slope of Giant Mountain and has a surface area of about five acres. The lovely little tarn near the summit of Rocky Peak Ridge has been referred to locally by a number of different names, but a sign appeared in the early '70's with the name "Lake Marie Louise." It is reminiscent of the subalpine lakes of the western United States. The sharp col, referred to as Gusty Gap, between Giant Mountain and Rocky Peak Ridge is another attractive feature of the area.
Many small brooks cascade down from the upper slopes and one in particular, Roaring Brook, has a scenic waterfall which may be seen from Route 73, about one mile north of Chapel Pond. A number of similar brooks in the area provide scenic spots as well as trout fishing pools.
Access to the state lands around the perimeter is excellent, with trailheads available on each of the four sides.
HA-DE-RON-DAH
This area is located in the town of Webb, Herkimer County, and the Town of Greig, Lewis County. It is bounded on the north by private lands in the vicinity of North Pond, Hitchcock Pond, Moose Pond and the headwaters of the Independence River; on the east by private lands along the Remsen to Lake Placid railroad right-of-way; on the south by private lands along Route 28 and by the wood road leading to the Copper Lake property; and on the west by Pine Creek and a DEC maintained foot trail from Pine Creek to Pine Lake, East Pine Pond, and Big Otter Lake.
The terrain consists of low rolling hills with many beaver meadows and swamps. Although the area is forest covered, extensive forest fire damage in the southern half has resulted in much of it now being covered with brush, pin cherry, aspen and bracken fern.
In the northern half, mixed hardwood and softwood stands of trees relatively small in diameter predominate. The exceptions are the scattered individual white pine trees just north of the former truck trail which were not cut in the last logging operation. Some of these trees exceed 100 feet in height and are more than 40 inches in diameter.
Public access from the north and south is nearly all blocked by private lands. The same is true for most of the eastern and western boundaries except at the state truck trail entrance near Thendara and the Big Otter jeep road from the west.
High Peaks
This is the largest of the wilderness areas and is located in three counties and six towns; the towns of Harrietstown, North Elba, Keene, North Hudson, Newcomb and Long Lake. It is roughly bounded on the north by Route 3, the old Haybridge Road, which runs from Cold Brook to Averyville, the Adirondack Loj property at Heart Lake, the Mount Van Hoevenberg Winter Recreation Center and Route 73 near the Cascade Lakes. Private land to the west of Route 73 forms the eastern boundary. The southern boundary is formed by privately owned lands, including the AuSable Club, Finch Pruyn, National Lead Company and the State University College of Environmental Science and Forestry's Huntington Wildlife Forest. This wilderness is bounded on the west by Long Lake and the Raquette River.
The topography ranges from small areas of low-lying swampland (e.g., along the Raquette and Saranac Rivers) to the highest point in New York State at the top of Mount Marcy. Although there is a considerable variety of topography, it is predominantly high mountain country. Like the topography, the forest cover also varies from pole-size hardwoods to mature, large diameter hardwood and softwood stands to the spruce-fir of the subalpine region.
The tops of Mount Marcy and Algonquin are above the timberline and a number of other mountain tops are at or close to timberline. The subalpine and alpine vegetation on the tops of these mountains has been of interest to many people, including students of botany, ecology and zoology, as well as recreationists willing to hike to the mountain tops for superb views of the High Peak region and close observation of unique plant associations. Overuse threatens the continued existence of some of these associations.
The range trail, which traverses a series of mountain summits from Mount Marcy to Keene Valley, has long been considered the most rugged and the most scenic trail in the state. This trail traverses eight of the mountain peaks in this area that exceed 4,000 feet in elevation.
The western portions of the area receive substantially less public use than the Mount Marcy region and afford one of the greatest senses of remoteness obtainable in the Adirondacks.
Many crystal-clear streams cascade from the mountain slopes, providing numerous scenic waterfalls, deep pools and brook trout fishing opportunities. Such streams as the Opalescent River, Johns Brook, Klondike Brook, Marcy Brook, Cold River, Moose Creek and Cold Brook are photographers' favorites. Lake Tear, the source of the Hudson River, lies at about 4,300 feet altitude on a flank of Mount Marcy.
Hoffman Notch
This area lies in the towns of Schroon, North Hudson and Minerva in Essex County. It is bounded on the north by private lands lying south of the Blue Ridge Road and the Sand Pond Mountain tract donated to the state by Finch, Pruyn and Company for fish and wildlife management and silvicultural research and experimentation purposes, on the east by the Adirondack Northway and private lands immediately west of the Northway, on the south by private lands lying north of the Loch Muller Road and on the west by the jeep road and trail that extends from Irishtown along Minerva Stream northward to the Blue Ridge Road near Cheney Pond.
The area is mountainous and rugged with three north-south ridges in excess of 3,000 feet dominating the area: Blue Ridge, Texas Ridge and Washburn Ridge.
The forest cover ranges from second growth hardwoods of sapling and pole-size to nearly solid conifer stands of near mature size at the higher elevations. On some of the better soil, exceptionally large diameter hardwoods occur.
Jay Mountain
This area lies within the towns of Jay and Lewis in Essex County. It is bounded by the Glen Road on the south and private land boundaries elsewhere except where the road west of Mt. Fay severs an appendage of state lands.
The high and precipitous mountains in this area are generally similar in character to the Hurricane range and require careful management in order to avoid natural resource degradation. The vistas from Jay, Saddlebrook and Slip Mountains make the climb to the vantage points well worthwhile. The AuSable Valley can be seen as well as the Champlain Valley and the High Peaks.
McKenzie Mountain
This area is located in western Essex County in the towns of St. Armand, North Elba and Wilmington. In general, the Saranac River and Franklin Falls Reservoir border on the north; the Wilmington-Franklin Falls road, the Whiteface Mountain Memorial Highway and the west branch of the AuSable River form the eastern boundary; the Saranac Lake-Lake Placid Road, Route 86, forms the southern boundary; and the Saranac River forms the western boundary.
McKenzie Mountain, sometimes referred to as Saddleback, and Moose Mountain, sometimes called St. Armand Mountain, dominate the topographical features of the area.
McKenzie Pond, from which the village of Saranac Lake obtains its water supply, forms part of the boundary on the west side as does Moose Pond, but few ponds are encompassed within the boundaries of this area. Bartlett Pond, lying at about 2,800 feet altitude on the southeast side of McKenzie Mountain, and Loch Bonnie which is at about 2,900 feet altitude on the southeast side of Moose Mountain are, however, in the wilderness.
The area is densely forested with softwoods, with spruce and balsam predominating above the 2,500 foot level and mixed hardwoods and softwoods predominating at the lower elevations.
The attractiveness of the area is enhanced by the excellent views that may be obtained from the top of McKenzie Mountain and Moose Mountain. There are numerous spring-fed brooks, mostly on the north slopes of the area. Lincoln Brook and French Brook, with their tributaries originating high on the northwest slopes of Esther Mountain and Whiteface Mountain, are crystal clear trout streams with many scenic spots along their courses.
The Department of Environmental Conservation maintains a foot trail from the pull-off east of the Saranac Lake Golf Course on Route 86 to the top of McKenzie Mountain. The Lake Placid Shore Owners Association trail over private lands along the west shore of Lake Placid is open to those who obtain the association's permission to use it. After leaving private land this trail winds its way to the tops of Moose, McKenzie, Tamarac and Colburn Mountains.
Public access to the area is relatively good from all sides.
Pepperbox
The Pepperbox Wilderness lies totally within the town of Webb in Herkimer county. Stillwater Reservoir and the Beaver River Primitive Area form the southern boundary, while the north bank of the West Branch of the Oswegatchie River generally forms the northern boundary. The western boundary is the county line, and the eastern boundary is the Raven Lake Road and the Five Ponds Wilderness Area.
The terrain is generally flat with a few small, rolling hills. Swampland predominates with spruce, fir and red maple. Alder swamps, marsh and beaver flows are also common. The drier sites are vegetated with pole-size northern hardwoods. The entire area appears to have been heavily burned over and logged in the past and is not particularly scenic by usual standards. It is, however, ideally suited for snowshoeing and crosscountry skiing.
Several ponds are found in the area. They are generally of low productivity and some may even be sterile. The area is classed as wilderness because of its remoteness and also due to the extensive wetland ecosystems involved. The flora and fauna associated with moist ecosystems, such as found in the Pepperbox, seem to exhibit more species diversity than any others in the Adirondacks. Birdlife and small mammals are especially abundant. The protection afforded wilderness tracts will insure an outdoor laboratory of significant biological importance.
There is very little human use of the area at present, except for light hunting. Access is moderately difficult because of the distance from public roads and the lack of a trail system. There is little or no demand for a trail system, and this offers an opportunity to retain a portion of the Adirondack landscape in a state that even a purist might call wilderness.
Pharaoh Lake
The Pharaoh Lake Wilderness straddles the Essex-Warren County line in the towns of Ticonderoga, Hague, Horicon and Schroon. The county road along the east shore of Schroon Lake forms the western boundary; to the north, private land and Route 74 form the boundary. The state land boundary forms most of the remaining perimeter except for a stretch of Route 8 on the south.
Pharaoh Lake, an extremely attractive body of water, is one of the largest lakes in the Adirondack Park totally surrounded by forest preserve lands. Due to its configuration, it can provide a wilderness experience to relatively large numbers of people. In addition, the numerous crystal-clear ponds, vistas resulting from rock outcrops and severe fires, and intriguing geographic names such as Grizzle Ocean, Thunderbolt Mountain, Oxshoe Pond and Desolate Brook, make this one of the most appealing of all Adirondack areas.
Fires have burned over most of the region in the past. As a result of this and the dry sites, much of the tree growth is coniferous with some white birch mixed in. The white pine-white birch type along the shores of several of the lakes and ponds adds immeasurably to their attractiveness. Stands of some of the best quality Adirondack hardwoods exist in the covelike pockets of the unburned area in the northeast.
Pharaoh Mountain is the only mountain of much size, although the smaller hills have very steep sides and cliffs, presenting more of an impression of relief than actually exists. There are a total of 48 miles of foot trails, 15 lean-tos and 39 bodies of water.
Pigeon Lake
This area lies in the town of Webb, Herkimer County, and the towns of Long Lake and Inlet in Hamilton County. It is bounded on the north by Stillwater Reservoir and large blocks of private land in the vicinity of Rose Pond, Shingle Shanty Pond and Upper Sister Lake; on the east by a private road from Brandreth Lake to North Point and by Raquette Lake; on the south by private lands along the Uncas Road; and on the west by the Big Moose Road, private lands near Big Moose Lake, Thirsty Pond, Twitchell Lake, Razorback Pond, and the Remsen to Lake Placid railroad tracks.
The terrain consists of low, rolling hills, with the exception of West Mountain near the eastern boundary. There are many brook trout ponds and streams and a considerable expanse of swampland along the courses of Sucker Brook and Beaver Brook.
The forest cover runs to mature or near-mature mixed softwoods and hardwoods, with some dense spruce-balsam types near the summit of West Mountain and in the swamplands. Old growth white pine in the vicinity of Pigeon Lake and a few other places adds to the wilderness atmosphere.
It is easily accessible to the public from the south, southeast and southwest, but to a lesser extent from the west and north because of posted private lands. The chief attractions for the public are the trout ponds, which entice fishermen as well as campers who frequent scenic spots around Cascade Lake, Queer Lake, Constable Pond, Pigeon Lake and Gull Lake. It is also a popular area for hunters during the big game season.
The Department of Environmental Conservation maintains Brown Tract Pond Campground on the southeast perimeter. Motorboats are now banned from operating on Brown Tract Ponds to provide a more compatible situation for canoes and other non-motorized boats utilized by the campers. This site makes a fine jumping-off place for wilderness users.
Sentinel Range
This area is located in the towns of Wilmington, North Elba and Keene, Essex County. It is bounded by Route 86 on the north, Route 73 on the south, and private lands on the east and west.
The Sentinel Range and its slopes dominate the area and five small ponds are situated near the northern and northwestern boundaries. Sentinel Mountain and the general northeastern quarter of the area are characterized by bare rock outcropping that resulted from forest fires more than a half century ago. The terrain is steep and rugged, with some vertical cliffs facing north and northeast.
The eastern slopes of the area have a hardwood forest that regenerated after the forest fires. There are mixed hardwood and softwood stands, primarily along brooks on the eastern slopes. The remainder of the area has a mixed hardwood-softwood cover with some small pockets of white pine between ledges near the northern boundary.
Good views may be obtained from the top of Sentinel and Pitchoff Mountains, but forest cover restricts the view of Kelburn Mountain, Stewart Mountain, Slide Mountain and Black Mountain. There is an excellent view of the Wilmington Notch-Whiteface Mountain section from a lean-to site on the south side of Copperas Pond.
More than thirty years ago a ski trail was constructed from the west boundary to South Notch, and a lean-to was constructed at the terminus in the Notch. The trail was reported to have been little used for skiing, but is maintained as a foot trail. The lean-to was eliminated because of deterioration and lack of use.
The major portion of the perimeter is readily accessible to the public from highways but has not been as susceptible to penetration as some of the less rugged state land because of its terrain.
There are 5 bodies of water, 14 miles of foot trails and 1 lean-to
Siamese Ponds
The Siamese Ponds area is located in the towns of Lake Pleasant, Wells and Indian Lake in Hamilton County and the towns of Johnsburg and Thurman in Warren County. It is one of the largest wilderness areas, extending about 18 miles from north to south and about 13 miles from east to west at its widest part.
It is roughly bounded by Route 28 on the north; by private land tracts near Thirteenth Lake, Gore Mountain and Bakers Mills and by Route 8 on the east; by Route 8 on the south; and by Route 8, International Paper Company lands and Indian Lake on the west.
The topography consists of relatively low rolling hills with a few mountain summits like Bullhead, Eleventh, Puffer and South Pond Mountains above the 3,000 foot level. In addition, the area contains a large number of beaver meadows and swamps. On most of the higher elevations, except those in severely burned spots, spruce and hemlock predominate, while mixed hardwoods and softwoods cover the remainder of the area.
This area is known for its lovely natural features. Some of the more popular attractions are Thirteenth Lake, Chimney Mountain, Puffer Pond, Siamese Ponds, Augur Falls on the West Branch of the Sacandaga River, and John Pond. Chimney Mountain has ice caves that usually retain snow and ice through the summer months and provide an interesting spot for visitors.
Thirteenth Lake has a small sand beach at the northern end that makes a very desirable spot for picnics, bathing and camping. There are also other desirable camping spots on this lake.
Silver Lake
This area is located in the towns of Lake Pleasant, Benson, Wells and Arietta in Hamilton County and is roughly bounded on the north by Route 8 and private lands near Piseco Lake, Oxbow Lake, Hamilton Lake, Sand Lake and Lake Pleasant; on the east by Route 30; on the south generally by the Hamilton County line; and on the west by Route 10, the West Branch of the Sacandaga and the Piseco Outlet.
The terrain is relatively low with rolling hills and only four mountain tops that exceed 3,000 feet elevation. There is a considerable acreage of conifer swamp as well as some beaver meadows along the streams.
The forest cover is chiefly mixed hardwoods and softwoods with some stands of nearly pure hemlock in large diameter size. In the swamp area along streams and at the higher elevations around the mountain tops, the forest cover runs predominantly to spruce and balsam.
The Northville-Placid Trail has its terminus at the southern edge of the area and runs through the center in a northerly direction, crossing the northern boundary near Piseco Lake. Although this trail has some use by hikers, the foot trail from the vicinity of Hamilton Lake to the top of Hamilton Mountain is a more popular trail.
Silver Lake is the principal attraction near the center of this area, chiefly for brook trout fishermen. Mud lake, Rock Lake and Loomis Pond are also popular trout fishing spots. Big Eddy on the West Branch of the Sacandaga River and Cathead Mountain also attract visitors to the area.
The perimeter of the area is quite accessible to the public except for a few parcels of private, posted land.
West Canada
This wilderness is located in the town of Ohio in Herkimer County and the towns of Morehouse, Arietta, Lake Pleasant and Indian Lake in Hamilton County. It is bounded on the north by the Moose River Plains area and private lands in the vicinity of Little Moose Lake, Squaw Brook, Snowy Mountain and Squaw Mountain; on the east by Route 30, lands of International Paper Company and the Spruce Lake-Piseco Lake trail; on the south by private lands north of Route 8, the South Branch of West Canada Creek and an access road to private lands; on the west by West Canada Creek and private lands east of Honnedaga Lake.
The terrain ranges from swamp flats and rolling hills to steep mountains such as Snowy. Water drains from the area into three basins: the Hudson, the Mohawk and the Black.
Among the area's chief attributes are its numerous ponds, lakes and streams, most of which support a brook trout population.
The forest cover consists chiefly of mixed hardwood-softwood types with large diameter trees of both types on the more fertile soils. There is also considerable acreage in spruce-balsam swamp and beaver meadows. Among the spots that attract hikers and campers in addition to the previously mentioned lakes are T Lake Falls and T Lake Mountain, West Canada Creek, Panther Mountain, Snowy Mountain and Cedar River.
William C. Whitney
This wilderness area is located in the town of Long Lake, Hamilton County. It is bounded on the east by County Route 10, on the south by lands of Whitney Industries, on the west by private lands owned by International Paper and the Brandreth Park Association, on the northwest by the Remsen to Lake Placid Railroad right-of-way, and on the north by other private land holdings.
The terrain is comprised of lakes, ponds, wetlands, and low forested hills with a few modest mountains ranging as high as 2,297 foot Antediluvian Mountain. The centerpieces of this area are 2,300 acre Little Tupper Lake and 1,400 acre Lake Lila, respectively the seventeenth and twenty-second largest water bodies in the Adirondack Park. This area also includes twelve smaller water bodies, a short section of the Beaver River, pond and lake outlets and numerous other small streams and flows. There are extensive wetland complexes within the area, particularly along the western end of Little Tupper Lake and the southeastern portions of Lake Lila.
The vast expanses of the area are important to many species of mammals and the area abounds with bird life.
The property contains an extensive network of logging roads which provide prime cross-country skiing trails. However, the primary access to the interior of this area is by water. The DEC Little Tupper Lake Headquarters provides the only legal access to Little Tupper Lake, whereas the existing put-in provides canoe access to Lake Lila.