Siamese Ponds Wilderness Area
Encyclopedia
The Siamese Ponds Wilderness Area, an Adirondack Park unit of the Forest Preserve
, is located in the towns of Lake Pleasant
, Wells
and Indian Lake
in Hamilton County
and the towns of Johnsburg
and Thurman
in Warren County
. It is one of the largest wilderness areas, extending about 18 miles (29 km) from north to south and about 13 miles (21 km) from east to west at its widest part.
It is roughly bounded by NY 28
on the north; by private land tracts near Thirteenth Lake, Gore Mountain
and Bakers Mills and by New York State Route 8
on the east; by Route 8 on the south; and by Route 8, International Paper
lands and Indian Lake on the west.
The area contains 33 bodies of water covering 945 acres (3.8 km2), 33 miles (53 km) of foot trails
, and 4 lean-to
s.
The topography consists of relatively low rolling hills with a few mountain summits like Bullhead, Eleventh, Puffer and South Pond Mountains above the 3,000 foot (914 m) level. In addition, the area contains a large number of beaver meadows and swamps. On most of the higher elevations, except those in severely burned spots, spruce and hemlock predominate, while mixed hardwoods and softwoods cover the remainder of the area.
This area is known for its lovely natural features. Some of the more popular attractions are Thirteenth Lake, Chimney Mountain, Puffer Pond, Siamese Ponds, Augur Falls on the West Branch of the Sacandaga River
, and John Pond. Chimney Mountain has ice caves that usually retain snow and ice through the summer months.
Thirteenth Lake has a small sand beach at the northern end that makes a very desirable spot for picnics, bathing and camping. There are also other desirable camping spots on this 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...
, is located in the towns of 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....
, Wells
Wells, New York
Wells is a town in Hamilton County, New York, United States. The population was 737 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Joshua Wells, a land agent, who built the first mills in the area....
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...
and the towns of Johnsburg
Johnsburg, New York
Johnsburg is a town in the northwest corner of Warren County, New York, United States. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town population was 2,450 at the 2000 census. The town is named after John Thurman, an early settler and founder. Johnsburg is the largest town in...
and Thurman
Thurman, New York
Thurman is a town in the western part of Warren County, New York, United States. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town population was 1,199 at the 2000 census. The town is named after John Thurman, an early landowner...
in 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...
. It is one of the largest wilderness areas, extending about 18 miles (29 km) from north to south and about 13 miles (21 km) from east to west at its widest part.
It is roughly bounded 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 north; by private land tracts near Thirteenth Lake, Gore Mountain
Gore Mountain (New York)
Gore Mountain is a mountain located near the village of North Creek in Warren County, New York, of which its peak is the highest point.Gore is flanked to the north by South Mountain, and to the southwest by Height of Land Mountain....
and Bakers Mills and by New York State Route 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 east; by Route 8 on the south; and by Route 8, International Paper
International Paper
International Paper Company is an American pulp and paper company, the largest such company in the world. It has approximately 59,500 employees, and it is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.-History:...
lands and Indian Lake on the west.
The area contains 33 bodies of water covering 945 acres (3.8 km2), 33 miles (53 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 4 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.
The topography consists of relatively low rolling hills with a few mountain summits like Bullhead, Eleventh, Puffer and South Pond Mountains above the 3,000 foot (914 m) level. In addition, the area contains a large number of beaver meadows and swamps. On most of the higher elevations, except those in severely burned spots, spruce and hemlock predominate, while mixed hardwoods and softwoods cover the remainder of the area.
This area is known for its lovely natural features. Some of the more popular attractions are Thirteenth Lake, Chimney Mountain, Puffer Pond, Siamese Ponds, Augur Falls on the West Branch of the Sacandaga River
Sacandaga River
The Sacandaga River is a river in the northern part of New York in the United States. Its name comes from the Native American Sa-chen-da'-ga, meaning "overflowed lands"....
, and John Pond. Chimney Mountain has ice caves that usually retain snow and ice through the summer months.
Thirteenth Lake has a small sand beach at the northern end that makes a very desirable spot for picnics, bathing and camping. There are also other desirable camping spots on this lake.