The Pharaoh Lake Wilderness Area, an Adirondack Park unit of New York's Forest Preserve

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...

, straddles the Essex County

Essex County, New York

Essex County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 39,370. Its name is from the English county of Essex. Its county seat is Elizabethtown...

-Warren County

Warren County, New York

Warren County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Glens Falls, New York, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 65,707. It is named in honor of General Joseph Warren, an American Revolutionary War hero of the Battle of Bunker Hill...

 line in the towns of Ticonderoga

Ticonderoga, New York

Ticonderoga is a town in Essex County, New York, USA. The population was 5,167 at the 2000 census. The name comes from the Mohawk tekontaró:ken, meaning "it is at the junction of two waterways"....

, Hague

Hague, New York

Hague is a town in northeastern Warren County, New York, United States located on the scenic Lake George. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 854 at the 2000 census...

, Horicon

Horicon, New York

Horicon is a town in Warren County, New York, United States. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. Horicon's population was 1,479 at the 2000 census.Horicon is on the county's north border and is inside the Adirondack Park.- History :...

 and Schroon

Schroon, New York

Schroon is a town in the Adirondack Park, in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 1,759 at the 2000 census. The town is also known as Schroon Lake, which is actually a centrally located lake, and the name of a hamlet on the lake....

. The county road along the east shore of Schroon Lake forms the western boundary; to the north, private land and NY 74

New York State Route 74

New York State Route 74 and Vermont Route 74 are adjoining state highways in the northeastern United States, connected by one of the last remaining cable ferries in North America. Together they extend for through Essex County, New York, and Addison County, Vermont...

 form the boundary. The state land boundary forms most of the remaining perimeter except for a stretch of NY 8

New York State Route 8

New York State Route 8 is a state highway in the central part of New York in the United States. It runs in a southwest-to-northeast direction from the Southern Tier to the northern part of Lake George. The southern terminus of the route is at an interchange with NY 17 in the town of...

 on the south.

The area contains 39 bodies of water covering 1,100 acres (4.4 km²), 62.8 miles (101 km) of foot trails, and 14 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

Pharaoh Mountain is the only mountain of much size, although the smaller hills have very steep sides and cliffs, presenting more of an impression of relief than actually exists.

Forest

Fires have burned over most of the region in the past. As a result of this and the dry sites, much of the tree growth is coniferous with some white birch mixed in. The white pine-white birch type along the shores of several of the lakes and ponds adds immeasurably to their attractiveness. Stands of some of the best quality Adirondack hardwoods exist in the covelike pockets of the unburned area in the northeast.

Water

Pharaoh Lake, which gives the unit its name, is one of the largest lakes in the Adirondack Park totally within the Forest Preserve.

Recreation

The area is a popular destination for hiking

Hiking

Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...

 and backpacking

Backpacking (wilderness)

Backpacking combines the activities of hiking and camping for an overnight stay in backcountry wilderness...

 because of its proximity to the Adirondack Northway.