Best Tent Camping near Cranberry Lake, NY

Not that they would do this place any justice, but I sincerely wish I had pictures. Unfortunately my last visit here was before smart phones were so commonplace. North Lake Reservoir is one of the Adirondack Park’s best kept secrets. Extremely primitive, you must get off Rte 28, heading toward the old Buffalo Head restaurant and passed there, keep going another 30-40 minutes along a dirt/gravel road until you reach N Lake Rd.

The DEC-run facility offers about 25 primitive sites along North Lake. There is a campers log where you can sign in at the entrance and the sites are dispersed along a long dirt road. A few are drive-in, while many you must park and walk-in. These sites are primitive-no tables, no facilities or running water. Best of all, no generators or electrical hookups for those of us in it to truly be in nature.

I don’t recall the site number, but we had about a 1/2-3/4 mile hike along a narrow path to the site. It was completely worth it- the site was large and right on the water, completely surrounded by trees and shade. The only sounds came from the occasional boat across the lake and loon calls in the morning.

Coming here has absolutely been one of my favorite experiences. If you’re adventurous and up for the challenge and seclusion, I highly recommend checking out North Lake Reservoir!

As I sat having by my coffee, watching steam rise from the pond, I listened to the distant calls of Loons.

I’d describe this campground as a hidden gem, but it’s not for everyone. To get here you leave the paved road and take a gravel road a little ways. On our way we spotted a group of Turkeys wandering about. This campground is for the adventurous. No electric or water hook ups (for RVs) and no shower facilities, but there are restrooms.

Staff was friendly and helpful. Helped me pick out a site and made sure I was good once I set up. Bring or rent a Canoe and you can travel out to an island in the middle of the pond from which families jump from a large rock into the lake.

As the sun sets and the stars come out, you’ll look up and suddenly realize just how small you are as you stare at the heavens and see the Milky Way.

Nothing but peace and quiet. When it’s quiet hours, the only thing you here is nature and the occasional crackle of someone’s fire.

Would I go here again? Brown Tract is one of those places that after you go once, you find yourself going again and again. Our tripped was booked as soon as we could.

Soft Maple is a truly gorgeous small campground. Only about a dozen sites or so, first come first serve. Level sites for RVs or tent or hammock camping. Each site has a nice space with fire ring and picnic table. The beach is lovely and clean. There’s boat access for canoes and kayaks as this is part of the Beaver River route. 

The entire campground is accessible, with gravel pack paths, and level sites.  

Charlie is the caretaker here and everyone says he is the nicest person you’ll meet.  You can’t beat site number 11 for the perfect mix of treelined and water view!

There is space for RVs and a dump station but the sites do not have power or hookups. 

If you come in to the campground from “number 4 road” (aka state rt. 26) it’s exactly five miles from the Left turn on to Soft Maple rd. If you have time, stop halfway- the 2.5 mile mark will bring you to the entrance for Eagle falls, a short hike with a fantastic reveal.

Though just moments away from the heart of Old Forge, Nicks Lake provides a nice balance between the hustle and bustle of Main Street and the tranquility of the Adirondacks.

The grounds are a wonderful option for families, not only hosting a number of amenities (i.e. campers beach, hiking trails), but providing opportunities to observe the local wildlife. You can catch sight of deer or a bear at any moment. (Just keep in mind to maintain a safe distance and respect their space!)

The sites were fairly sized and shaded- my family and I reserved sites 38 and 36 for our brief visit. We enjoyed our stay and are likely to return!

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.

First thing about Cranberry Lake: the staff are wonderful. We arrived when the check in staff had the day off. Not a problem we only needed wood which was available just down the street from the campground. No need, the ranger, who let us know the overworked staff was off, brought it to our site once he had figured out the key. Sweet. Our site was on the uphill slope so we had some road noise due to that. We walked a bit of the campground until we realized it's larger than first assumed. I will say do your homework, check out the site photos which you can easily find online. Get a waterfront site but be aware the privacy isn't great at many sites, at least the ones we saw. There is a shower house which is great but be ready to drive to it, as I said the campground is bigger than expected! Some sites are super close which would be great for groups who may like to visit or it could be a nightmare with loud folks. The lake is beautiful. We weren't set up for it but if you can plan for the sunset view I think it's worth rescheduling your trip for the right site. Brand new sewer dump area for folks who need it.