Blue Ridge Wilderness Area
Encyclopedia
The Blue Ridge Wilderness Area, a unit of New York's Forest Preserve
in the Adirondack Park, is located in the towns of Arietta
, Lake Pleasant
and Indian Lake
in Hamilton County
. It is roughly bounded on the north by NY 28
; on the east by Route 28 and private lands immediately west of this route; on the south by private lands immediately north and west of Cedar River Flow; and on the west by the Lake Kora and Sagamore Lake properties and the South Inlet of Raquette Lake
. It contains 19 bodies of water covering 275 acres (1.1 km2) and features 15 miles (24 km) of foot trails and three lean-to
s.
runs from the south boundary northward to the vicinity of Stephens Pond and Lake Durant. Campers from the Lake Durant public campground make use of the trails in that vicinity while the chief use of the foot trails in the Wilson Pond section appears to be by fishermen, hunters and summer visitors to the community of Blue Mountain Lake
.
Forest Preserve (New York)
New York's Forest Preserve is all the land owned by the state within the Adirondack and Catskill parks, managed by its Department of Environmental Conservation. These properties are required to be kept "forever wild" by Article 14 of the state constitution, and thus enjoy the highest degree of...
in the Adirondack Park, is located in the towns of Arietta
Arietta, New York
Arietta is a town in Hamilton County, New York, United States. The population was 293 at the 2000 census. The town was named after the mother of one of the first settlers, Rensselaer Van Rennslaer...
, Lake Pleasant
Lake Pleasant, New York
Lake Pleasant is a town in Hamilton County, New York, United States. The population was 876 at the 2000 census. It contains the county seat of Hamilton County, which is also called Lake Pleasant....
and Indian Lake
Indian Lake, New York
Indian Lake is a town in Hamilton County, New York, United States. The population was 1,471 at the 2000 census. The name is from a large lake partly inside the town.The Town of Indian Lake is on the east border of the county and is northeast of Utica....
in Hamilton County
Hamilton County, New York
Hamilton County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is named after Alexander Hamilton, the only member of the New York State delegation who signed the United States Constitution in 1787 and later the first United States Secretary of the Treasury. Its county seat is Lake Pleasant...
. It is roughly bounded on the north by NY 28
New York State Route 28
New York State Route 28 is a state highway extending for in the shape of a "C" between the Hudson Valley city of Kingston and southern Warren County in the U.S. state of New York. Along the way, it intersects several major routes, including Interstate 88 , U.S. Route 20 , and the...
; on the east by Route 28 and private lands immediately west of this route; on the south by private lands immediately north and west of Cedar River Flow; and on the west by the Lake Kora and Sagamore Lake properties and the South Inlet of Raquette Lake
Raquette Lake
Raquette Lake is the source of the Raquette River in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State, USA. It is near the community of Raquette Lake, New York. The lake has 99 miles of shoreline with pines and mountains bordering the lake. It is located in the towns of Long Lake and Arietta,...
. It contains 19 bodies of water covering 275 acres (1.1 km2) and features 15 miles (24 km) of foot trails and three lean-to
Lean-to
A lean-to is a term used to describe a roof with a single slope. The term also applies to a variety of structures that are built using a lean-to roof....
s.
Geography
It is dominated by Blue Ridge, a height of land ranging from 2,700 to 3,497 feet (823 to 1,066 m) in elevation and running in a general east-west direction for a distance of more than six miles. On the lower north slopes of the ridge there are a number of attractive little trout ponds with foot trails leading to them from Route 28. The forest cover is typical mixed hardwood-softwood types with the higher elevations predominantly covered with spruce and balsam. Most of the old growth spruce and hemlock suffered heavy damage in the 1950 blow down, which affects the character of the area even to this day.Recreation
The Blue Ridge Wilderness is easily accessible along most of its perimeter. A portion of the 133 miles (214 km) Northville-Placid TrailNorthville-Placid Trail
The Northville-Lake Placid Trail, also known as the NPT, is a lightly travelled foot trail that runs 133 mi through the Adirondack Park in northern New York State. It was laid out by the Adirondack Mountain Club in 1922 and 1923, and is now maintained by the New York State Department of...
runs from the south boundary northward to the vicinity of Stephens Pond and Lake Durant. Campers from the Lake Durant public campground make use of the trails in that vicinity while the chief use of the foot trails in the Wilson Pond section appears to be by fishermen, hunters and summer visitors to the community of Blue Mountain Lake
Blue Mountain Lake, New York
Blue Mountain Lake is a rural hamlet in the Town of Indian Lake of Hamilton County, New York located at the intersection of New York Routes 28 and 30 with a population of 146 according to the 2000 United States Census. Blue Mountain Lake also refers to the lake on the banks of which the village is...
.