A small island in Lower Saranac Lake, part of Saranac Lakes Wild Forest.

This is a list of wild forests in the state of New York. Lands designated as "wild forest" in New York are managed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as part of the Forest Preserve.

Management

Wild forests are intended to retain an essentially wild and natural character, however management facilitates a greater amount of recreational use than areas designated by the state as wilderness, which feature an increased sense of remoteness and solitude.[1] Most are located within the boundaries of Adirondack Park or Catskill Park.

List of New York wild forests

Forest County or counties[2] Park Area Notes
Aldrich Pond Herkimer, St. Lawrence Adirondack 26,702 acres (108.06 km2)[3]
Balsam Lake Mountain Ulster Catskill 13,500 acres (55 km2)[4]
Black River Herkimer, Lewis, Oneida Adirondack 121,506 acres (491.72 km2)[5]
Blue Mountain Essex, Hamilton Adirondack 37,800 acres (153 km2)[6]
Bluestone Ulster Catskill 2,895 acres (11.72 km2)[4]
Champlain Islands Clinton, Essex Adirondack 4 acres (0.016 km2)[7] Includes four small islands (Garden Island, Cole Island, Sheepshead Island, and Signal Buoy Island) in Lake Champlain.[7]
Colgate Lake Greene Catskill 1,500 acres (6.1 km2)[4]
Cranberry Lake St. Lawrence Adirondack 24,111 acres (97.57 km2)[8]
Crystal Lake Sullivan 497 acres (2.01 km2)[4]
Debar Mountain Franklin Adirondack 83,405 acres (337.53 km2)[9]
Delaware Delaware Catskill 27,800 acres (113 km2)[4] Created in 2008 through re-classification of Cherry Ridge-Campbell Mountain Wild Forest and Middle Mountain Wild Forest.[10]
Dry Brook Ridge Delaware, Ulster Catskill 8,900 acres (36 km2)[4]
Elm Ridge Greene Catskill 1,355 acres (5.48 km2)[4]
Ferris Lake Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer Adirondack 147,454 acres (596.73 km2)[11]
Fulton Chain Herkimer Adirondack 15,140 acres (61.3 km2)[12]
Grass River St. Lawrence Adirondack 1,274 acres (5.16 km2)[13]
Halcott Mountain Greene Catskill 4,760 acres (19.3 km2)[4]
Hammond Pond Essex Adirondack 45,558 acres (184.37 km2)[14]
Horseshoe Lake Franklin, St. Lawrence Adirondack 21,336 acres (86.34 km2)[15]
Independence River Herkimer, Lewis Adirondack 76,574 acres (309.88 km2)[16]
Jessup River Hamilton Adirondack 47,350 acres (191.6 km2)[17]
Kaaterskill Ulster Catskill 8,550 acres (34.6 km2)[4]
Lake George Warren, Washington Adirondack 71,133 acres (287.87 km2)[18]
Moose River Plains Hamilton, Herkimer Adirondack 64,322 acres (260.30 km2)[19]
Overlook Mountain Ulster Catskill 590 acres (2.4 km2)[4]
Phoenica Ulster Catskill 7,315 acres (29.60 km2)[4]
Raquette River St. Lawrence Adirondack 3,057 acres (12.37 km2)[20]
Rusk Mountain Greene Catskill 3,900 acres (16 km2)[4]
Saranac Lakes Essex, Franklin Adirondack 79,000 acres (320 km2)[21]
Sargent Ponds Hamilton Adirondack 49,768 acres (201.40 km2)[9]
Shaker Mountain Fulton, Hamilton Adirondack 40,500 acres (164 km2)[22]
Shandaken Ulster, Greene Catskill 5,376 acres (21.76 km2)[4]
Split Rock Mountain Essex Adirondack 3,383 acres (13.69 km2)[23]
Sundown Sullivan, Ulster Catskill 30,500 acres (123 km2)[4]
Taylor Pond Clinton, Essex, Franklin Adirondack 45,637 acres (184.69 km2)[24]
Vanderwhacker Mountain Essex, Warren, Hamilton Adirondack 91,854 acres (371.72 km2)[25]
Watson East Triangle Herkimer, Lewis Adirondack 13,417 acres (54.30 km2)[26] Also known as Watson's East Triangle Wild Forest.[26]
White Hill St. Lawrence Adirondack 9,932 acres (40.19 km2)[27]
Wilcox Lake Fulton, Hamilton, Saratoga, Warren Adirondack 124,643 acres (504.41 km2)[28]
Willowemoc Sullivan, Ulster Catskill 15,900 acres (64 km2)[4]
Wilmington Essex, Clinton Adirondack 16,938 acres (68.55 km2)[29]

See also

References

  1. ^ "State Land Classifications". NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  2. ^ "Title 9, Chapter I, Subchapter A, Part 384: Listing of State Parks, Parkways, Recreation Facilities, State Land and Historic Sites (Facilities), DEC Facilities". Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York. WestlawNext. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  3. ^ Aldrich Pond Wild Forest Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. February 1995. p. 1. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Catskill Park State Land Master Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. August 2008. pp. 64–70. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  5. ^ Draft Amendment to the 1996 Black River Wild Forest Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. January 2016. p. 1. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  6. ^ Blue Mountain Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. May 1995. p. iv. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  7. ^ a b Lake Champlain Islands Complex Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. August 2015. p. 6. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  8. ^ "Cranberry Lake Wild Forest". NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  9. ^ a b Eastern New York All-Outdoors Atlas & Field Guide. Sportsman's Connection. September 1, 2012. p. 59. ISBN 9781885010780. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  10. ^ "Delaware Wild Forest - Unit Management Plan". NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
  11. ^ Ferris Lake Wild Forest Draft Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. October 2006. p. 1. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  12. ^ Fulton Chain Wild Forest Unit Management Plan Amendment (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. October 3, 2006. p. 1. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  13. ^ Grass River Wild Forest Unit Management Plan Amendment (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. February 2004. p. 1. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  14. ^ Draft Amendment to the 1988 Hammond Pond Wild Forest Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. May 2016. p. 3. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  15. ^ Bog River Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. November 12, 2002. p. 3. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  16. ^ Independence River Wild Forest Unit Management Plan Amendment (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. October 2011. p. 1. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  17. ^ Jessup River Wild Forest Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. August 2006. p. 1. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  18. ^ Lake George Wild Forest Draft Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. November 2006. p. 2. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  19. ^ "Moose River Plains Complex". NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  20. ^ Raquette Boreal Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. December 2006. p. 9. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  21. ^ "Saranac Lakes Wild Forest - Unit Management Plan". NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  22. ^ Shaker Mountain Wild Forest Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. January 2006. p. 2. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  23. ^ Split Rock Mountain Wild Forest Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. May 2005. p. 5. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  24. ^ Taylor Pond Management Complex Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. February 2013. p. 4. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  25. ^ Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. April 2005. p. 1. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  26. ^ a b Watson's East Triangle Wild Forest Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. December 2010. p. 1. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  27. ^ White Hill Wild Forest Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. December 2006. pp. 1–2. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  28. ^ Wilcox Lake Wild Forest Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. December 2006. p. 4. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  29. ^ Wilmington Wild Forest Draft Unit Management Plan Amendment (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. 2015. p. 2. Retrieved June 11, 2016.

External links

Protected areas of New York
Categories