Larry B.
Scout
ScoutWeaver Acres
Great setting. We were there by ourselves, so very quiet place to view the sky. The hookups were 50A only, no 30A connection, so we just used a conversion to 20A.
Tent Camping near Indian Lake, NY
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Tent campers in the Adirondack region find multiple primitive campgrounds surrounding Indian Lake, New York, ranging from drive-in tent campsites with basic amenities to remote backcountry sites requiring several miles of hiking. Cedar River Entrance Camping offers waterside tent sites with picnic tables, fire rings, and outhouses nearby. Cod Pond Dispersed Pull-Off provides more secluded options with river access, while sites at Seventh Lake Primitive Camping are free and accessible by foot or vehicle. Several backcountry tent locations, including Lake Colden and Flowed Lands, require hiking several miles from trailheads.
Many primitive tent sites feature dirt or natural forest floor surfaces with minimal site preparation. Drive-in locations like Cedar River have outhouses, picnic tables, and fire rings, while backcountry sites often require campers to bring bear canisters, especially in the High Peaks Wilderness area where bears are active. Most dispersed camping areas follow typical Adirondack Park regulations with 14-day stay limits and requirements to camp at designated sites only. Fires are prohibited at high-elevation sites including Lake Colden and Flowed Lands, necessitating camp stoves for cooking. During peak summer weekends, walk-in tent sites fill quickly, particularly those closer to popular trailheads.
Backcountry tent camping areas provide exceptional access to hiking trails and natural features. Flowed Lands offers tent campers direct access to trails leading to Mt. Skylight and Mt. Marshall, with lean-to options available for those preferring more shelter. Lake Colden provides tent sites ideal for backpackers exploring multiple high peaks, though visitors should prepare for variable weather conditions year-round. A visitor noted, "The sites are primitive to say the least, but are near a ranger station. The rangers I met were nice, friendly and willing to provide recommendations of hikes to take in the area." Walk-in tent locations around Indian Lake generally offer more solitude than developed campgrounds, though they require more preparation and self-sufficiency.
Best Tent Campgrounds near Indian Lake (40)
1. Cedar River Entrance Camping
"Stayed at site number 5, I think. It was by the water in the woods just a little bit. Picnic table, fire ring and several outhouses nearby. Beautiful surroundings. "
2. Tioga Point Campground
"Needless to say that it is tough to get the travel trailer across the lake if you go make sure you charcoal up a stick and write your name in the lean to watch out for the neighborly bears"
"This definitely saves some space in your boat. Pets are allowed!"
from $18 / night
Check Availability3. Cod Pond Dispersed Pull-Off
"This site is campsite 6 and very private (I believe there must be others located close by). The site has it’s own private road. A car is not reccomended."
4. Saranac Lake Islands Adirondack Preserve Campground
"You'll need a boat or canoe (rentals available in Saranac Lake). Sites have tables, fire rings, and outhouses. You'll need a tent, bag, pad, cooking equipment, etc."
"All campsites have picnic tables, firepits/grills, and privies. Saranac Lake Marina has great rental boats. I even think the dogs look forward to these camping trips."
from $22 - $40 / night
Check Availability5. Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake
"There’s no explaining the views around here. The mountains are beautiful, Lake Placid is beautiful, and this campsite is amazing."
"Rode in on a motorcycle late at night expecting to not be able to get in, but you can take a parking pass and drop an envelope with your fee at the entrance booth. $15 for a full day $8 after 1PM."
from $25 - $55 / night
Check Availability6. Seventh Lake Primitive Camping
"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."
7. Flowed Lands
"The view of the lake is stunning, and there's a quick walk down to the edge of the lake."
"The lake is gorgeous, although it wasn't as big as I thought it was going to be. I went late August, so I beat the initial summer rush, but there was still a good amount of people there."
8. Feldspar Lean-to
"One lean-to and 3 campsites. 2 near the lean-to across the bridge.
1 on the other side.
There's also a privy.
It's far out and the only way to access is by hiking."
"If you’re coming from Marcy Dam by way of Lake Colden, this campsite is a great spot to stop for the night on the way to Mt. Marcy."
9. Lake Colden
"First and foremost, I had a black bear encounter at this location. Make sure that you remain bear aware and are taking the appropriate safety measures. "
"Lake Colden camping area is a spread out collection of campsites lean-tos surrounding the south side of Lake Colden in the High Peaks Wildnerness in Adirondack Park."
from $30 - $60 / night
10. Ward Brook Campsite
"Fire pit, picnic table, and a privy. A bit further you will find some tent spots too.
Plenty of water around."
Drive Time
- 1 hr 1 min from Glens Falls, NY
- 1 hr 30 min from Utica, NY
- 1 hr 45 min from Albany, NY
- 2 hrs 11 min from Burlington, VT
Recent Tent Camping Photos near Indian Lake, NY
51 Photos of 40 Indian Lake Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
BLACK HOLE and DUNKLEY FALLSK
Lake Colden
Ward Brook Campsite
Feldspar Lean-to
Lillian brook campground
Stony Creek Family CampgroundE
Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake
Adirondack Safari
Glen Island Group — Lake George Islands
Saranac Lake Islands Adirondack Preserve Campground
Long Island Group — Lake George IslandsA
Davey Falls ADK
Tent Camping Reviews near Indian Lake, NY
794 Reviews of 40 Indian Lake Campgrounds
- BBob A.Scout
Lake Placid Volunteer Fire Dept.
Lake Placid volunteer fire dept campground
Basic hook ups with grass cover sites next to a road that had some traffic but didn’t disturb us at night. A good price comparatively.
- DDwight F.
GuideMoffitt Beach Campground
Many waterfront sites,bathrooms clean.
Got a super site almost level with the water. Went for a swim. Oddly, the lake has no plant life, but a sand bottom. Lots of ducks. Many people enjoying the shallow warm water on kayaks and such. Most sites level. The bathrooms did not offer hot water, or any way to dry your hands .They were clean, and enough to go around. The showers on the other hand were quite distant. A 5 minute walk . But clean, and plentiful. I guess better that than dirty and close by? No hiking trails is a letdown, but here its all about the lake.
Maureen G.
RangerLake Durant Campground
Beautiful lakeside campground
Shadey lakeside campground with large sites, mine has easy lake access.
- Maureen G.Ranger
Golden Beach Campground
Golden Sand Beach
Large sites, shade, beautiful beach,
- mmichel M.Scout
Weaver Acres
Hipcamp
This space is just off the road. It very flat water, power,sewer. Its Pack in pack out. 5 minutes walk from Tupper Lake. Bring your kayak they're hundreds of little lakes around this site.
- ddan H.Guide
Crown Point Campground
NY State park campground. Worth staying at
Good size campground with three loops. 2 shower / restroom facilities. Many of the sites are simply grass. There are a few gravel ones. The staff has no problem with driving on the or parking on grass. All sites have a firepit. Wood can be obtained locally. There is no store at the camp. There is only one dump station. There is a boat launch with limited trailer parking although when we stayed (Aug 2026) the water was only 18 in to 2 ft deep at docks. Heavily choked with vegetation. Shower facilities were clean enough but could use more attention, heavy cobwebs at lights, corners and edges of shower pretty dark with mold. Plenty of fresh water spigots throughout the camp. Camp is on the banks of lake Champlain, although only a couple sites have a lake view. Ruins of two pre-revolutionary war forts are within walking distance and offer a great introduction to life in the early 18th century. Fort Ticonderoga is a 30 min drive and will take most of the day to tour. Well worth the trip. Only 3 min drive to Vermont. I would stay again.
Matt S.
LegendMoose Hillock Camping Resorts
Huge sites but sloped, dirty, and pricey
We spent a long weekend at Moose Hillock in Fort Ann, New York, to visit Lake George. This is a difficult place for me to review. But I’ll do my best to share my experience.
The pool is the main attraction here and probably the largest and most ridiculous I’ve ever seen at a campground. Great for young kids.
THINGS I LIKED:
— The sites are enormous and private, probably the biggest sites we’ve ever seen at any campground we’ve stayed at.
— The mature trees are everywhere, great for privacy.
— It’s located about 25-minutes to the heart of Lake George. Easy drive away but not in the loud and busy area.
— The camp store is pretty good and sells snacks, drinks, basic supplies, and souvenirs.
THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH:
— Our site(# 709) was sloped, so much that even with leveling boards under the rear wheels, rear jacks fully extended and front jacks fully retracted, we couldn’t level. That’s annoying and so easily fixed by a campground this size with this array of equipment and resources.
— Except for the entry roads, the rest of the park is gravel and dirt, which was extremely dusty. Our vehicles and our stuff were instantly covered by this dusty dirt which was a never-ending battle to keep outside.
— I’m ok paying premium money for a great site, but this site wasn’t matched to the price. I paid$647.38 for 3-nights. That’s$215.79 per night.
WOULD WE COME BACK?
Probably not. For me, having a level site that’s not covered in dirt and dust is important— especially when it costs$215 per night. There’s a much nicer park about 10-minutes away(closer to Lake George) where we’ve stayed in the past. The sites are smaller, but they’re level.
MJ W.GuideSacandaga Campground — Adirondack Preserve
Very nice!
Had a great time. The sites are very spacious. Bathrooms and showers fine. Very pretty. Learned this is a BIG lake, for motor boats, not really for kayaks.
Guide to Indian Lake
Indian Lake's camping areas range from 1,700 to 2,800 feet in elevation across the central Adirondacks. Winter temperatures regularly drop below zero, while summer highs average in the mid-70s with nighttime lows in the 50s. Many tent sites require at least a quarter-mile hike from parking areas, with several offering waterfront locations on the region's numerous lakes and ponds.
What to do
Kayaking on Seventh Lake: The water access at Seventh Lake Primitive Camping connects to excellent paddling routes. "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," notes Mary B.
Hiking to mountain summits: Backpackers staying at Lake Colden can access multiple peaks. According to Ethan A., "From Lake Colden, if you'd like to bag some peaks you can hike Mt. Colden, Mt. Skyline, the backside of Mt. Marcy, or Algonquin Peak. A word of caution, I'm in relatively good shape and I found some of these hikes quite strenuous."
Fishing for multiple species: The lakes near Cedar River Entrance Camping offer good fishing opportunities. Matthew D. explains, "There is a small landing to launch kayaks or canoes. A dam with some additional sites on the other side. Several trails nearby."
What campers like
Privacy at riverside sites: Cod Pond Dispersed Pull-Off provides seclusion with natural features. Taylor A. reports, "The site has its own private road. A car is not recommended. Possible to turn around but you definitely need a smaller SUV. There is a firepit at the site and plenty of space for multiple tents. You can hear cars from the site but the cars can't see you."
Island camping solitude: Tioga Point Campground offers boat-only access. Carrie J. notes, "You can only reach this campground by boat. The campground is very secluded and there are lean-to style campsites. You don't have to bring a tent unless you want to. This definitely saves some space in your boat."
Close proximity to trails: Feldspar Lean-to serves as a strategic base camp for peak bagging. Seth K. shares, "If you're coming from Marcy Dam by way of Lake Colden, this campsite is a great spot to stop for the night on the way to Mt. Marcy. There's a good water flow for water that is safe to drink."
What you should know
Bear safety requirements: The High Peaks region requires proper food storage. At Lake Colden, Ethan notes, "Make sure that you remain bear aware and are taking the appropriate safety measures. You're required to have a bear-proof container when camping in this area and you can find some for rent on your drive in."
Fire restrictions: Many backcountry sites prohibit open fires. At Feldspar Lean-to, fires are not allowed, and the same applies to Lake Colden and other High Peaks sites, requiring campers to bring camp stoves.
Campsite availability challenges: During peak season (June-September), sites fill quickly, especially on weekends. Maggie F. advises about Lake Colden, "When camping in September, arriving at 5pm, we got the last campsite in the area. This area is busy and the campsites can be really hard to find so if you plan to camp here in the summer, do come early."
Tips for camping with families
Choose lake-accessible sites: For the best tent camping near Indian Lake, New York with children, waterfront locations provide entertainment. At Tioga Point, Lee W. shares, "The campsites are private and you can enjoy the beach with crystal clear water. Fishing is great."
Consider lean-tos for weather protection: Ward Brook Campsite offers sturdy shelter options. Alex R. notes, "Great campsite with a nice lean-to. Fire pit, picnic table, and a privy. A bit further you will find some tent spots too."
Prepare for rapid weather changes: Mountain environments experience significant temperature swings. For camping at Seventh Lake, pack layers as temperatures can drop 20-30 degrees from day to night, even in summer months.
Tips from RVers
Access limitations: Most primitive sites near Indian Lake cannot accommodate RVs. At Cod Pond Dispersed Pull-Off, Josie W. cautions, "Site was big enough to pull our mid-size SUV down and unfold rooftop-tent, but we did have to back out in the morning; not enough room to turn around."
Consider developed alternatives: For RV camping needs, Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake offers more amenities. Laura Nicole A. explains, "They have cabins, lean-tos, and tent sites. The facilities are clean and well kept."
Road conditions: Access roads to many camping areas require careful navigation. Max warns about the Heart Lake area, "Road going in is very rough use extreme caution on a motorcycle with street tires."
Frequently Asked Questions
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campsite near Indian Lake, NY?
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Indian Lake, NY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Indian Lake, NY is Cedar River Entrance Camping with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
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Indian Lake, NY?
What is the best site to find tent camping near Indian Lake, NY?
TheDyrt.com has all 40 tent camping locations near Indian Lake, NY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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