Lean To Shelters in Adirondack Park

A lean to is a three sided shelter with an overhanging roof and one open side.  Many are located along the trails inside of Adirondack Park, giving visitors opportunities for backcountry camping.  They are available on a first come basis up to the capacity of the lean to, usually about 7-8 people.  Thus a small party can not claim exclusive use of a shelter and should allow late arrivals equal use.

Normally you won't see anyone camping at a lean to, except in the high traffic areas as the High Peaks region.  Usually your odds are pretty good that you'll have that lean to for yourself, even during holiday weekends.

Most of the shelters have a fireplace in front (some with a primitive grills), some have privy's close by, some have benches as well as a picnic table and many are located close to water.  It is in poor taste to write or carve your initials into a lean to.  Please keep the lean to clean for the next visitor.

Since reservations are not accepted or possible for a lean to (except campgrounds like Tioga Point), it is important that you carry alternative shelter as a tent.  The DEC has also imposed the following rules when dealing with a lean to.

1. No plastic can be used to close off the front of a shelter
2. No nails or other permanent fasteners can be used to affix a tarp on a lean to, however you may use rope to tie canvas or nylon tarps across the front
3. No tent can be pitched inside of a lean to

Remember if your camping in an area with no lean to, unless there is a "camp here" disc there is no camping allowed 150 feet from water, road or a trail.  It is usually pretty easy to find a good tenting spot in the backcountry when no lean to is available.

Below is a list of the over 200 lean to shelters available for backcountry camping in Adirondack Park.  The list is sorted by each forest preserve inside of the park.  Please e-mail us if we're missing a lean to or if a lean to we have listed has been removed.

Black River Wild Forest (8)

Remsen Falls

Woodhull Lake

Sand Lake Falls

Gull Lake

North Lake

Chub Pond #1

Chub Pond #2

Bear Lake

Ha-De-Ron-Dah Wilderness (2)

Middle Branch Lake

Middle Settlement Lake

Independence River Wild Forest (2)

Panther Pond

Pine Lake

Pigeon Lake Wilderness (6)

Queer Lake

Russian Lake

Andy's Creek

Upper Gull Lake

Sister Lake

Upper Sister Lake

Moose River Plains Wild Forest (10)

Arnolds Rock

Seventh Lake #1

Seventh Lake #2

Eighth Lake #1

Eighth Lake #2

Eighth Lake Island

Beaver Bay #1

Beaver Bay #2

Big Island #1

Big Island #2

West Canada Lakes Wilderness (16)

Brooktrout Lake

West Lake #1

West Lake #2

West Canada Creek

South Lake

T Lake

Spruce Lake #1

Spruce Lake #2

Spruce Lake #3

Sampson Lake

Pillsbury Lake

Cedar Lake #1

Cedar Lake #2

Cedar Lake #3

Colvin Brook

Carry

Shaker Mountain Wild Forest (2)

Chase Lake

Holmes Lake

Silver Lake Wilderness (3)

Silver Lake

Mud Lake

Hamilton Lake Stream

Wilcox Lake Wild Forest (4)

Wilcox Lake #1

Wilcox Lake #2

Murphy Lake

Lizard Pond

Siamese Ponds Wilderness (4)

Siamese Ponds

Puffer Pond #1

Puffer Pond #2

John Pond

Hour Pond

Gore Mountain Ski Area (0)

None

Lake George Wild Forest (9)

Fishbrook Pond #1

Fishbrook Pond #2

Greenland Pond

Millman Pond

Lapland Pond

Black Mountain Pond

Black Mountain Point

Fifth Peak

Five Mile Mountain

Pharaoh Lake Wilderness (14)

Berrymill Pond

Grizzle Ocean

Pharaoh Lake #1

Pharaoh Lake #2

Pharaoh Lake #3

Pharaoh Lake #4

Pharaoh Lake #5

Clear Pond

Rock Pond

Little Rock Pond

Tubmill Marsh

Lilypad Pond

Crab Pond

Oxshoe Pond

Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest (2)

Stony Pond

Cheney Pond

Hammond Pond Wild Forest (1)

Moose Mountain Pond

Dix Mountain Wilderness (3)

Slide Brook

Lillian Brook

Boquet River

Giant Mountain Wilderness (1)

Giant Mountain

Hurricane Mountain Primitive Area (2)

Gulf Brook

Biesemeyer Memorial

Sentinel Range Wilderness (3)

Copperas Pond

Moose Island #1

Moose Island #2

McKenzie Mountain Wilderness (3)

Whiteface Brook

Placid

Loch Bonnie

Wilmington Wild Forest (1)

Cooper Kiln Pond

Taylor Pond Wild Forest (3)

Taylor Pond #1

Taylor Pond #2

Taylor Pond #3

DeBar Mountain Wild Forest (4)

Grass Pond

Sheep Meadows #1

Sheep Meadows #2

Debar Mountain

Cranberry Lake Wild Forest (2)

Burntbridge Pond

Bear Mountain

Five Ponds Wilderness (14)

Sand Lake

Cage Lake

Wolf Pond

Little Shallow

Big Shallow

High Falls #1

High Falls #2

Cage Lake Springhole

Griffin Rapids

Cowhorn Pond

Olmstead Pond

Janacks Landing

Salmon Lake

Trout Pond

Aldrich Pond Wild Forest (1)

Streeter Lake

Watsons East Triangle Wild Forest (1)

Bryant Pond

Saranac Lakes Wild Forest (14)

Trombley Clearing #1

Trombley Clearing #2

First Island

Hungry Bay

Weller Pond

Norway Point

Saginaw Bay

Follensby Clear Pond

Kiwassa

Saranac River

Deep Hole

Lost Channel

Long Lake #1

Long Lake #2

Saint Regis Canoe Area (3)

Fish Pond #1

Fish Pond #2

Saint Regis Pond

High Peaks Wilderness (71)

Rocky Falls

Blueberry

Ward Brook

Number 4 #1

Number 4 #2

Moose Pond

Duck Hole #1

Duck Hole #2

Cold River #1

Cold River #2

Cold River #3

Cold River #4

Scott Clearing

Mister Van

Bear Brook

Deer Brook

William G Howard

Klondike

Wolf Jaws

Ore Bed Brook

Bushnell Falls #1

Bushnell Falls #2

Marcy Dam #1

Marcy Dam #2

Marcy Dam #3

Marcy Dam #4

Marcy Dam #5

Hudowalski

Kagel

Marcy Brook

Avalanche

Slant Rock

Panther Gorge

Feldspar

Uphill

Number 1

Number 2

Livingston Point

Opalescent

Calamity #1 (recently removed)

Calamity #2

Beaver Point #1

Beaver Point #2

Wallface

Henderson

Henderson Lake

Santanoni

Northern #1

Northern #2

Ouluska

Seward

Moose Pond Stream #1

Moose Pond Stream #2

Ward Pond Brook

Newcomb Lake#1

Calkins Creek

Island House

Plumleys #1

Plumleys #2

Rodney Point #1

Rodney Point #2

Kelly Point #1

Kelly Point #2

Hidden Cove

Catlin Bay #1

Catlin Bay #2

Calkins Brook #1

Calkins Brook #2

Hemlock Hill

Raquette Falls #1

Raquette Falls #2

Horseshoe Lake Wild Forest (1)

Black Bay

William C Whitney Wilderness (1)

Lake Lila

Sargent Ponds Wild Forest (5)

Lower Sargent Pond

Utowana Lake

Boucher Point #1

Boucher Point #2

Woods

Blue Mountain Wild Forest (2)

O'Neil Flow

Tirrell Pond

Blue Ridge Wilderness

Stephens Pond

Cascade Pond

Wilson Pond

Paul Smiths** (6)

Peters Rock

Bent Spike

Upper St Regis

Long Pond

Black Pond #1

Black Pond #2

**Restrictions may apply for Paul Smiths, see their website for more information on any lean to located on their property.

contact CNY HIKING by email at contact@cnyhiking.com

(c) 2006-today CNY Hiking - All rights reserved.  Any use of information from this site without permission is strictly forbidden.