Sentinel Range Wilderness Area
Encyclopedia
The Sentinel Range Wilderness Area, an Adirondack Park unit of New York's Forest Preserve
, is located in the towns of Wilmington
, North Elba
and Keene
, Essex County
. It is bounded by NY 86
on the north, NY 73
on the south, and private lands on the east and west.
The area contains 5 bodies of water covering 74 acres (29.6 ha), 13.8 miles (22.2 km) of foot trails
, and a lean-to
.
The Sentinel Range and its slopes dominate the area and five small ponds are situated near the northern and northwestern boundaries. Sentinel Mountain and the general northeastern quarter of the area are characterized by bare rock outcropping that resulted from forest fires more than a half century ago. The terrain is steep and rugged, with some vertical cliffs facing north and northeast.
The eastern slopes of the area have a hardwood forest that regenerated after the forest fires. There are mixed hardwood and softwood stands, primarily along brooks on the eastern slopes. The remainder of the area has a mixed hardwood-softwood cover with some small pockets of white pine between ledges near the northern boundary.
Good views may be obtained from the top of Sentinel and Pitchoff
Mountains, but forest cover restricts the view of Kelburn Mountain, Stewart Mountain, Slide Mountain and Black Mountain. There is an excellent view of the Wilmington Notch-Whiteface Mountain section from a lean-to site on the south side of Copperas Pond.
More than thirty years ago a ski trail was constructed from the west boundary to South Notch, and a lean-to was constructed at the terminus in the Notch. The trail was reported to have been little used for skiing, but is maintained as a foot trail. The lean-to was eliminated because of deterioration and lack of use.
The major portion of the perimeter is readily accessible to the public from highways but has not been as susceptible to penetration as some of the less rugged state land because of its terrain.
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...
, is located in the towns of Wilmington
Wilmington, New York
Wilmington is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 1,131 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Wilmington, Delaware.The Town of Wilmington is on the county's north border and is southwest of Plattsburgh...
, North Elba
North Elba, New York
North Elba is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 8,661 at the 2000 census. The town is named after the island of Elba.North Elba is on the western edge of the county...
and Keene
Keene, New York
Keene is a town in central Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 1,063 at the 2000 census. Keene is the home of Mount Marcy, the highest mountain in New York state, as well as the Great Range and 15 of the 46 High Peaks, and the Ausable Lakes, the source of the Ausable River...
, 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...
. It is bounded by NY 86
New York State Route 86
New York State Route 86 is a long state highway located within Adirondack Park in northern New York, United States, linking Franklin County to Essex County. The western terminus of the route is at NY 30 in the hamlet of Paul Smiths. The eastern terminus is at NY 9N in Jay...
on the north, NY 73
New York State Route 73
New York State Route 73 is a state highway located entirely within Essex County, New York, United States. The highway begins at an intersection with NY 86 in the village of Lake Placid and ends at a junction with U.S. Route 9 north of the hamlet of Underwood in the extreme...
on the south, and private lands on the east and west.
The area contains 5 bodies of water covering 74 acres (29.6 ha), 13.8 miles (22.2 km) of foot trails
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
, and a 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....
.
The Sentinel Range and its slopes dominate the area and five small ponds are situated near the northern and northwestern boundaries. Sentinel Mountain and the general northeastern quarter of the area are characterized by bare rock outcropping that resulted from forest fires more than a half century ago. The terrain is steep and rugged, with some vertical cliffs facing north and northeast.
The eastern slopes of the area have a hardwood forest that regenerated after the forest fires. There are mixed hardwood and softwood stands, primarily along brooks on the eastern slopes. The remainder of the area has a mixed hardwood-softwood cover with some small pockets of white pine between ledges near the northern boundary.
Good views may be obtained from the top of Sentinel and Pitchoff
Pitchoff Mountain
Pitchoff Mountain is a mountain opposite Cascade Mountain on NY 73 west of Keene Valley in Essex County, New York, in the US. There are two summits; the higher summit is viewless, but the northern summit, at offers 360 degree views of the nearby Cascade Lakes, the High Peaks of the Adirondacks,...
Mountains, but forest cover restricts the view of Kelburn Mountain, Stewart Mountain, Slide Mountain and Black Mountain. There is an excellent view of the Wilmington Notch-Whiteface Mountain section from a lean-to site on the south side of Copperas Pond.
More than thirty years ago a ski trail was constructed from the west boundary to South Notch, and a lean-to was constructed at the terminus in the Notch. The trail was reported to have been little used for skiing, but is maintained as a foot trail. The lean-to was eliminated because of deterioration and lack of use.
The major portion of the perimeter is readily accessible to the public from highways but has not been as susceptible to penetration as some of the less rugged state land because of its terrain.