The Powley-Piseco Road offers visitors to the Ferris Lake Wild Forest in the southern Adirondacks the unique opportunity to explore remote sections of the forest from their vehicles. The road dissects the middle of this large 147,454 acre wild forest. There are numerous road side campsites allowing for convenient car camping. Camping here is free, however primitive.

Powley-Piseco Road

On a weekday you can drive and probably not see another car. Weekends tend to bring campers looking for free camping in this forest. The campsites normally never fill up, so you can still expect to find a secluded spot to get away from the busy world. Camping along the Powley-Piseco Road isn't as well known as other Adirondack hot spots like Moose River Plains, Wakely Dam, Mason Lake, Horseshoe Lake, Floodwood Road to name a few.  The most popular camping spots are in the "Oregon" area along East Canada Creek and at the Potholers. 

Campsite along road near Sand Lake

There is a very nice, although well used camping spot overlooking East Canada Brook at the confluence of Brayhouse Brook.  To reach this pleasant camp site you'll need to park your vehicle along the road, north of the culvert and walk 100 feet along Brayhouse Brook to the overlook of its confluence with East Canada Creek.  Further 500 feet upstream on East Canada Creek is an area called the Potholers.

Campsite near East Canada Creek

The best feature along the Powley-Piseco Road are the old growth forests located along the road.  If you look closely from the road you may see some of these enormous trees.

East Canada Creek from Powley-Piseco Road

The area is extremely popular in the winter with the numerous snowmobile trails, with fisherman along East Canada Creek, Brayhouse Brook as well as other spots and with hunters. There are a few trails used by hikers in the summer and fall as well as a few bushwhacks to remote spots in the forest.  Look below for a detailed description of the road as well as numerous maps.

For more information on this area we suggest purchasing the Adirondack Central Trails Map Pack from the Adirondack Mountain Club.

---

Key Points along the Powley-Piseco Road (South to North)

   0.0 miles    NY 29A just east of bridge over East Canada Creek. Start of Powley-Piseco Road.

   2.5 miles    Hawes Road on left.  Take road to an abandoned farm.  It's 0.5 miles to the bridge over East Canada Creek. Drive as far as you want and walk the rest. The old farm is on a plateau with open fields of blueberries and raspberries. Both sides of the road are posted, the road does eventually enter state land in the woods.  The road ends at Edick Road, which is a popular snowmobile trail.

   3.0 miles    Snowmobile trail on right heads east to Seeley Road.

   3.8 miles    Beaver Meadow.

   6.35 miles   Pavements ends and start of seasonal dirt road. Cross bridge over East Canada Creek. Area is known as Oregon. Entering Ferris Lake Wild Forest. Snowmobile Trail to Edick Road on left. Possible bushwhack to Redlouse Lake from here.

   6.95 miles   Campsites. Old road (unmarked path) leads to House Pond.

   7.25 miles   Campsites.

   7.5 miles    Campsites.

   7.6 miles    Campsites.

   7.75 miles   Nice spot on East Canada Creek. Small waterfalls upstream.

   8.05 miles   Gated old road to Brayhouse Gore.

   8.2 miles    Gate.  Bushwhack along Brayhouse Brook on left and herd path to Potholers on right just north of the culvert over Brayhouse Brook.

   9.65 miles   Hidden herd path leads to Brayhouse Brook.

  10.65 miles   Campsites.

  10.9 miles    Trail to Big Alderbed Lake on left. Powley Place Bridge. Campsites. West Branch of East Canada Creek. 

  11.1 miles    Campsites.

  11.3 miles    Campsites then private road to Ferris Lake is on right. OK to walk along road to Ferris Lake, then south near shore to state land. No camping or vehicles are allowed along private road. We read a DEC UMP for Ferris Lake Wild Forest that states a hiking trail may be built in the future to Ferris Lake from Powley-Piseco Road.

  12.3 miles    Campsites

  12.45 miles   Trail to Goldmine Stream Falls on left.

  14.2 miles    Bushwhack to Christian Lake.

  14.8 miles    Clockmill Corners. Snowmobile trail leads to possible hikes to Clockmill Pond, Rock Lake and Kennels Pond as well as bushwhacks to Black Cat Lake and Iron Lake.

  15.4 miles    Path to Mud Pond on right. Another 300 feet is a snowmobile trail to Meco Lake on left.

  16.15 miles   Campsites.

  17.1 miles    Campsites and trail to Sand Lake.

  18.7 miles    Pavement starts.

  19.1 miles    Reach NY 10.

---

Directions: The Powley-Piseco Road can be accessed either via NY 29A from the south (just east of the bridge over East Canada Creek) or via NY 10 from the north (just south of Piseco Outlet).