This Quiet Campground Is A Great Jumping-Off Point For The Pharaoh Lake Wilderness Area In The Adirondacks

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If you want to explore the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness Area, Putnam Pond Campground is the only place you should start. New York boasts a ton of Adirondack campgrounds, but Putnam Pond Campground gets you really close to the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness hiking trails, and it has some of the only developed campsites in the area. It's perched at the very edge of the wilderness area, and only a 15-minute drive from Ticonderoga, home to one of "America's best-preserved forts."

So, before embarking on an off-grid backpacking trip, take a night or two to relax just steps from the banks of Putnam Pond, or "Putts Pond" as the locals call it. You definitely won't be bored here as it's a great spot for paddling or smallmouth bass fishing — you can rent canoes or kayaks directly from the campground. Numerous day hikes wind around the campground before leading into the wilderness or towards nearby ponds. However, it's the overall peace that makes Putnam Pond Campground so desirable. Devoid of city noise, only the loons break up the quiet. 

Welcoming tents and small RVs, the campground is divided between two sections: 63 developed sites around the main camping loop and 9 so-called "interior sites." Accessible only by boat, the interior sites are primitive in every sense of the word — no drinking water, outhouse-style toilets, and lots of privacy. There's also one site on Putnam Pond's tiny island (Remote Site 001-005) that will make you feel like Thoreau at Walden Pond. However, if you want a little more comfort, the main campground has flush toilets, warm showers, a dump station, and a place to buy ice or firewood.  

Covering over 46,000 acres, the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness Area is a prime example of why New York's Adirondack Mountains are a gateway to the outdoors. It hides 70-plus miles of hiking trails, untouched lakes filled with trout and bass, and lean-tos and primitive sites for backpackers. The trails spread out like a web across the wilderness area, so depending on which ones you take, your hike can be short or very long. Consider printing out a topographical trail map in case you get lost or need to alter your route.

The Berrymill Pond Trailhead and the Grizzle Ocean Trailhead are both located in the parking area by the Putnam Pond boat launch. Measuring 5.5 miles (one-way), the Berrymill Pond Trail passes through thick woods and wetlands before dropping hikers at Berrymill Pond. From here, you can either spend the night at the lean-to, continue to the end point at New Hague Road, or come back the way you came. Considered a good first-time backpacker destination, Grizzle Ocean Pond can be reached via a not-too-challenging, 4.4-mile trail (round-trip). For a longer hike and views over the forest, try the 7.8-mile route (round-trip) up Treadway Mountain. 

A quick note on paddling: you're allowed to canoe and kayak on the ponds in the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness, but, from the campground, it's at least a half-mile hike to the nearest water. Also, taking boats rented from the campground into the wilderness is prohibited. So, it may be easier to stick to paddling on the pond at the campground if you plan on renting a boat.

The campground is open seasonally between mid-May and mid-October, but there are a few more dates and times you should pay attention to. From May to July, make sure to arrive before 4:00 p.m. if you've reserved an interior site. Late arrivals will be unable to reach their campsites as the canoe and kayak rental booth closes at 4:00 p.m. However, the public boat launch remains open, in case you have your own boat (motorized or human-powered).

One small drawback is the sheer number of mosquitoes near the water. They aren't there all the time, but if you're unfortunate enough to arrive during a "bloom," so to speak, you'll be thankful for mosquito coils and a truly effective repellent. Off! Deep Woods might not be organic, but it does the job and also works on the biting black flies that you'll encounter between May and early July in the Adirondacks. This TikToker's simple coffee hack for camping mosquito-free is also worth a try, but it shouldn't be your only line of defense. 

The campsites are on New York Department of Environmental Conservation land, so they can be booked up to nine months in advance via ReserveAmerica. If Putnam Pond is full, check Paradox Lake Campground or Rogers Rock Campground. Both campgrounds are developed (expect hot showers and running water in the bathrooms) and located just outside the wilderness area.