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Best Dispersed Camping near Carthage, NY

20 Reviews

Several dispersed camping options exist in the forested areas surrounding Carthage, New York. Payne Lake Dispersed Site and Stillwater Reservoir provide free camping opportunities with drive-in access for both tents and RVs. Additional primitive sites can be found at Winona State Forest, Towsley Road, and Sunday Lake. Most locations are situated on public land with varying levels of accessibility, from drive-in sites to areas requiring hiking or boat access to reach remote campsites.

Access to these dispersed sites typically involves travel on unpaved roads or trails with no designated parking areas. Most locations lack basic amenities such as drinking water, restrooms, picnic tables, or trash service. Fire regulations vary by location, with fires permitted at Stillwater Reservoir, Winona State Forest, and Sunday Lake, but prohibited at sites like Payne Lake. Campers must pack in all necessary supplies, including water, and follow leave-no-trace principles by packing out all waste. Cell service is limited throughout the region, with spotty coverage reported at some locations.

The area provides opportunities for solitude and water activities, particularly at reservoir sites. Stillwater Reservoir features numerous island campsites accessible primarily by boat, with only one campsite accessible by vehicle. A review noted, "Having both camped, and trained with my SAR Unit, on Stillwater Reserve, I must say it's a wonderful place to get lost voluntarily at least." The Blue Lagoon primitive site offers "great beach for swimming or paddling" with "clean and clear" water according to visitor reports. Sunday Lake provides a quiet camping experience with a short 0.3-mile hike in from McCarty Road, making it suitable for those seeking a more secluded experience without needing extensive hiking equipment.

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Best Dispersed Sites Near Carthage, New York (11)

    1. Payne Lake Dispersed Site

    1 Review
    Redwood, NY
    20 miles

    "Public access boat ramp with limited parking available on both sides. No amenities on-site. I'm getting two bars of Verizon signal with the help of a WeBoost. Beautiful views, peaceful and quiet."

    2. Stillwater Reservoir

    9 Reviews
    Old Forge, NY
    28 miles
    Website
    +1 (315) 785-2239

    "We hiked into our site, not easy because almost everything is meant to be accessed by boat so we were guessing our course!"

    "Our spot had gorgeous waterfront to it, a stone fire circle where someone had left extra fire wood, and ample trees."

    3. Winona State Forest

    2 Reviews
    Lorraine, NY
    27 miles

    "While there I talked to a state forest maintenance guy. He said there were currently two camping sites and that more might be added. The campsite was just feet off of Bargy Road."

    "There were some firewood set out except it was wet. Overall a good free quiet place to camp."

    4. Santway Park

    Be the first to review!
    Theresa, NY
    18 miles

    5. Sunday Lake Dispersed Camping

    1 Review
    Thendara, NY
    26 miles
    Website
    +1 (315) 376-3521

    "There’s a small fire ring, and access to the lake for swimming or fishing.  Sunday lake has always been lovely and quiet and a great place to take youth campers. "

    6. Blue Lagoon Primitive Dispersed Camping

    1 Review
    Old Forge, NY
    26 miles

    7. Cranberry Lake Backcountry Sites

    2 Reviews
    Cranberry Lake, NY
    42 miles
    Website

    "Ours had an extensive pile of dry wood, too. There is a decent privy tucked back in the woods. Bring your own TP though! "

    "amazing lake for kayaking and boating. sites not crowded together."

    8. Towsley Road Dispersed Camping

    1 Review
    Richland, NY
    40 miles
    Website

    9. North Lake Reservoir Campground

    2 Reviews
    Otter Lake, NY
    46 miles

    "Very remote and secluded. We got there after dark and it was beautiful to wake up to the view of the lake. Car camped, but there was enough room for a tent."

    "32 sites all around the lake. Some are walk in right on the lake. Quiet, peaceful, and clean."

    10. Seventh Lake Primitive Camping

    1 Review
    Inlet, NY
    47 miles

    "We happened upon it on our way to the seventh lake campground and ended up staying for two nights. We accessed the sites by water on a canoe trip."

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Dispersed Camping Reviews near Carthage, NY

20 Reviews of 11 Carthage Campgrounds

  • Shari G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 28, 2018

    Cranberry Lake Backcountry Sites

    Your Own Private Island for FREE!

    We spent 3 nights backcountry camping on Catamount Island in Cranberry Lake and absolutely loved it! The sunsets from the island were truly incredible. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. Ours had an extensive pile of dry wood, too. There is a decent privy tucked back in the woods. Bring your own TP though! Also, you will either need to bring your own potable water or filter from the lake, so don’t forget your water filter.

    In addition to many cool places to kayak from the island, there are a few hiking trails where you can land your boat and hike for a few hours. The Curtis Pond hike was our favorite and there are some incredible beaver dams along the way. While the mosquitoes weren’t bad at the campsite itself or while kayaking, they are terrible on the trails this time of year; so bring your bug spray, or better yet, bug shirts! The millions upon millions of dragonflies help make up for the mosquitoes!

    The Village of Cranberry Lake (which is accessible from the lake) has some supplies, but not much except the very basics at the general store.  You’ll need to head to Star Lake or Tupper Lake for anything of significance.

    Backcountry camping is first come, first served…no reservations necessary or even possible. No permit is needed. The only fee is if you want to park your vehicle in the state park while you are camping on the island, it is $8 per day.

  • Geoff W.
    Aug. 16, 2017

    Stillwater Reservoir

    Another great trip

    This was my 3rd trip to Stillwater in 3 yrs and it gets better each time!

    Our first trip was an overnight to test some backpacking gear, it was September and the weather was perfect! We hiked into our site, not easy because almost everything is meant to be accessed by boat so we were guessing our course! Cooler weather meant no bugs to contend with

    Next year we took a canoe to our site, it was July, warm weather, warm water and the bugs were not terrible, we were at Site 1, secluded in a cove, not a lot of traffic but there is a hiking trailhead near the site so there is potential for visitors.

    Our latest trip was to site 10, an island site with a large sandy beachfront, we borrowed a motor boat to get there this year and brought plenty of gear for 4 days. Weather was great again, some rain each day but we had time to get setup and get shelters to keep dry.

    Camping if free here but it is first come first serve but with 40+ sites you can almost always get something. There is a small store at the boat launch to get provisions if you need, public restrooms and wifi. Very limited cell service.

    You should bring water or something to filter it from the reservoir. I believe all the site have privy boxes on them.

    There are opportunities for fishing, a few local attractions, a nice restaurant at the launch.

  • Kevin C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 8, 2024

    Winona State Forest

    Small but quiet campsite

    Pulled in on a Thursday afternoon and found a single camp site. While there I talked to a state forest maintenance guy. He said there were currently two camping sites and that more might be added.

    The campsite was just feet off of Bargy Road. The only amenity was a fire ring made of rocks. The campsite appears to be the trailhead for a man-made trail.

    It rained while we were here but overall the campsite was quiet and peaceful.

  • Ashlee C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 28, 2024

    North Lake Reservoir Campground

    Beautiful spot!

    Very remote and secluded. We got there after dark and it was beautiful to wake up to the view of the lake. Car camped, but there was enough room for a tent. Fire pit at the site and a bathroom across the way from the first site.

  • Mona M.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 6, 2025

    Payne Lake Dispersed Site

    Beautiful Lake

    Public access boat ramp with limited parking available on both sides. No amenities on-site. I'm getting two bars of Verizon signal with the help of a WeBoost. Beautiful views, peaceful and quiet.

  • J B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 28, 2023

    North Lake Reservoir Campground

    Pristine lake

    32 sites all around the lake. Some are walk in right on the lake. Quiet, peaceful, and clean. Make sure to take a left at the start of the lake, the right is all private road and you will have to turn around.

  • Elizabeth B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 1, 2020

    Blue Lagoon Primitive Dispersed Camping

    Dispersed camping on stillwater reservoir

    Primitive site on the beautiful south eastern end of Stillwater. A short hike in to a great beach for swimming or paddling.

    We’ve stayed here many times in tents and hammock tents. The swimming is fantastic- water is clean and clear.

    Because you can’t make a reservation here sometimes there’s competition for a spot. There is a good fire circle with space all around. The trail down to the beach is only about a hundred feet, but it is downhill.

    This site is close to the trailhead for the Stillwater firetower, an original Adirondack firetower.

  • Elizabeth B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 1, 2020

    Sunday Lake Dispersed Camping

    Primitive dispersed camping. 1/4 mile walk in, lovely quiet lake

    This is a small primitive site. No services, but a very beautiful spot. There’s a small fire ring, and access to the lake for swimming or fishing. 

    Sunday lake has always been lovely and quiet and a great place to take youth campers. 

    Take Stillwater rd. to McCarty road, the trail is 0.3 miles To Sunday lake. Space to park two cars or a small RV off the road.

  • MARY B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jan. 22, 2021

    Seventh Lake Primitive Camping

    Canoe Camping at Its Best

    There are a few camping sites and one lean-to that I know of in this area. We happened upon it on our way to the seventh lake campground and ended up staying for two nights. We accessed the sites by water on a canoe trip. There is a large sand bar within a very short walk which was a great place to hang out. Seventh lake is pretty quiet but there were a few boats there both days we visited.  There is a trail that connects the campsites to Seventh Lake Rd. and to the Bug Lake trail and we had some Hikers travel through the campsite. If you are looking for the site from the water, look for a HUGE rock and there will be a sign that reads camp here, there are two more campsites, one with a lean-to within a short walk as well.

Guide to Carthage

Dispersed camping near Carthage, New York provides numerous options on state forest land within the western Adirondacks. The terrain features mixed hardwood forests punctuated by small lakes and reservoirs at elevations ranging from 800-1,500 feet. Cell phone service remains limited across most sites, with connectivity dropping completely in valley locations and more remote areas.

What to do

Fishing opportunities: North Lake Reservoir Campground offers 32 sites around a pristine lake. A camper noted, "Quiet, peaceful, and clean. Make sure to take a left at the start of the lake, the right is all private road and you will have to turn around."

Kayaking excursions: Stillwater Reservoir provides extensive water recreation. A visitor shared, "My wife and I kayaked to Long Island and stayed for a weekend. It was quiet and had the whole island to our self. Would recommend if you want to break away from technology because you get zero service out there."

Hiking nearby: From Seventh Lake Primitive Camping, access connecting trail systems. According to one review, "There is a trail that connects the campsites to Seventh Lake Rd. and to the Bug Lake trail and we had some Hikers travel through the campsite."

What campers like

Privacy and seclusion: Cranberry Lake Backcountry Sites offers island camping. As one camper experienced, "We spent 3 nights backcountry camping on Catamount Island in Cranberry Lake and absolutely loved it! The sunsets from the island were truly incredible."

Swimming beaches: Primitive sites often feature natural swimming areas. A camper at Stillwater Reservoir described, "We saw Bald Eagles and Loons, enjoyed swimming, canoing and paddleboarding with the family. It was so peaceful with our site #37 accomodating 20 members of the family plus 3 dogs!"

Campfire accessibility: Most dispersed sites allow fires in established rings. A reviewer at Stillwater Reservoir shared, "Our spot had gorgeous waterfront to it, a stone fire circle where someone had left extra fire wood, and ample trees."

What you should know

Limited facilities: No potable water exists at most sites. For Cranberry Lake, a camper advised, "You will either need to bring your own potable water or filter from the lake, so don't forget your water filter."

Access challenges: Payne Lake Dispersed Site has specific parking limitations. A recent visitor reported, "Public access boat ramp with limited parking available on both sides. No amenities on-site."

Weather preparation: The region experiences significant seasonal variation. A Stillwater visitor noted, "Even in cold rainy weather we had a phenomenal time at Stillwater... The season had had unusually low water all over and it left a really unusual landscape on the beach to explore."

Tips for camping with families

Short hike-in options: Sunday Lake Dispersed Camping offers accessible primitive camping. A visitor explained, "Take Stillwater rd. to McCarty road, the trail is 0.3 miles To Sunday lake. Space to park two cars or a small RV off the road."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Carthage, NY?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Carthage, NY is Payne Lake Dispersed Site with a 5-star rating from 1 review.

What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Carthage, NY?

TheDyrt.com has all 11 dispersed camping locations near Carthage, NY, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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