Bessie Pond.
Bessie Pond is an 18-acre water tucked into the working forest west of Tupper Lake — small enough to paddle in an hour, remote enough that you won't share it with anyone on a Tuesday in June. No formal trail, no DEC campsite, no fish stocking records in the state database — this is more exploratory bushwhack than destination hike, the kind of pond that shows up on a topo map when you're plotting a longer route and makes you wonder if it's worth the detour. If you're camped at one of the nearby private sites or hunting camp access points and you've got a canoe, it's worth the look; otherwise, it stays quiet.
Bessie Pond reaches a maximum depth of 50 feet, with a mean depth of 15 feet. Bessie Pond has public access. Summits nearby include Long Pond Mountain and East Pond Mountain.
The water, surveyed.
- Peak foliage from the water — the best seats in the Park are in a canoe this month.
Seasonal pattern for this lake · live closures appear above
12 parking areas
Closest parking lots within range, ranked by walking distance. Accessibility flags come from Google verified-data and NYSDEC records; surface and capacity from NYSDEC and OpenStreetMap. Confirm hours and seasonal closures before you go.
- 01Little Square Pond Trail ParkingTrailhead2.7 miunpavedDirections →
- 02Middle Pond Parking2.8 miunpavedDirections →
- 03Horseshoe Pond Trail Parking2.9 miunpavedDirections →
- 04Long Pond Parking Lot3.0 miunpavedDirections →
- 05Hoel Pond Water Access Parking3.0 miunpavedDirections →
- 06Floodwood Crossing Parking Lot3.0 miunpavedDirections →
- 07West Pine Pond Trail Parking3.1 miunpavedDirections →
- 08East Pine Pond Fishing Access Parking3.1 miunpavedDirections →
+4 more on the map above
Getting in, staying over.
Camping.
What the lake is doing today.
What rings this water.
Read before you launch.
Make a weekend of it.
Closest editorial picks for a meal, a scoop, a pint, a bed, and a sight worth your time.
Eat.
4- Hohmeyer's Adirondack Alps Restaurant7.3 mi
A family-owned restaurant in the Adirondacks offering seasonal, 100-mile-focused fusion cuisine, a 1920s Speakeasy, and a hidden Beer and Wine Cellar.
- PorkBusters BBQ10.8 mi
PorkBusters BBQ is a Tupper Lake restaurant serving barbecue dishes seven days a week from 11 AM to 9 PM. They offer a menu for dine-in or takeout, plus catering for parties and events.
- ADK Food Hub11.2 mi
A year-round market and casual eatery on Park Street in Tupper Lake, with a deli case, pantry staples, and a summer buffet built around the on-site Whitten Family Farm. Sunday farmhouse breakfast in July and August.
- Guido's Pizzeria11.6 mi
Guido's Pizzeria in Tupper Lake has been serving hand-thrown pizzas, subs, calzones, dinners, and wings since 1988. They offer free delivery within the Town of Tupper Lake on any size order and make fresh dough daily.
Sip.
4- Blue Moon13.0 mi
Blue Moon Café in Saranac Lake offers dine-in, pick-up, and curbside delivery services. Guests can enjoy weekly specials, restaurant menus, baked goods, coffee, grocery items, and adult beverages.
- Origin Coffee13.0 mi
Origin Coffee Co is a specialty coffee shop with locations in Lake Placid and Saranac Lake serving a chef-driven breakfast and lunch menu.
- Nori's Village Market13.1 mi
Nori's Village Market and Riverside Cafe offers a market with organic and local produce, bulk foods, coffee, and teas, alongside a cafe serving natural, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and local meat options.
- Saranac Juice15.1 mi
Cold-pressed juices, cleanses, protein elixirs, and nut mylks from Saranac River Ranch in Bloomingdale, made from organic produce grown on the farm or sourced from local Adirondack growers.
Sweet.
4- Skyline Ice Cream11.7 mi
A roadside soft-serve stand on Route 30 in Tupper Lake since 1985 — vanilla and black-raspberry twists, gelato, Dole Whip, and Michigans, now with an expanded burger-and-fries menu.
- Mark Twain Maple Works11.9 mi
Mark Twain Maple Works produces New York State maple syrup on the shore of Saranac Lake in the Adirondack Park. They have been making syrup since 2013, expanding their operation and offering various grades.
- Mountain Mist Custard13.4 mi
A summer fixture on the shore of Lake Flower in Saranac Lake, with picnic tables and a dock you can tie a boat to. Frozen custard and soft serve with weekly-rotating flavors, shakes, and sundaes.
- Donnelly's Soft Ice Cream15.6 mi
A fourth-generation Saranac Lake institution on a former dairy farm, serving exactly one rotating soft-serve flavor each day — twisted with vanilla on the same 1953 machine. Cash only; check the daily flavor. Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Drink.
4- The 1892 Bar & Grille7.6 mi
The 1892 Bar & Grille is a locally owned rustic bar and restaurant in Lake Clear, NY, offering homemade food. Recently under new ownership, it brings fresh energy and an updated menu to its patrons.
- Raquette River Brewing11.8 mi
A family- and dog-friendly taproom pouring year-round craft beer alongside four permanent food trucks, from wood-fired pizza to Carolina barbecue.
- Lakeview Lanes & The Foul Line Sports Bar12.5 mi
Lakeview Lanes & The Foul Line Sports Bar in Tupper Lake offers 8 lanes of bowling, an arcade, a sports bar, and outdoor seating with food and drinks for family fun.
- Bitters & Bones12.9 mi
Saranac Lake's only downtown brewery, restaurant, and bar, Bitters & Bones offers craft beer brewed upstairs, fresh local cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and craft cocktails. It features rooftop decks and unique private event spa…
Stay.
4- Fish Creek Pond Campground5.4 mi
This expansive campground offers 355 sites with direct water access to Fish Creek and Square Ponds, providing ample opportunities for boating, fishing, and swimming from May to October.
- The Point5.9 mi
An all-inclusive Great Camp on Upper Saranac Lake, built by William Avery Rockefeller II a century ago. The first Relais & Chateaux property in North America and the only Forbes Five Star property in Upstate New York. Adults-only, communal dining.
- Hohmeyer's Lake Clear Lodge & Resort7.4 mi
Wooded lakefront resort featuring homey rooms & cabins, local dining, a pub & outdoor recreation.
- The St. Regis Suites9.8 mi
Five well-appointed suites of various sizes, between Saranac Lake and Paul Smith's College in Gabriels, NY. Renovated by Cedar Circle LLC with green building techniques. Stays from three days to three months.
See.
4- Topridge4.9 mi
The sprawling Gilded Age estate Marjorie Merriweather Post built on Upper St. Regis Lake — later New York State's, now privately held. Best seen from the St. Regis lakes.
- White Pine Camp9.3 mi
The 1907 Great Camp on Osgood Pond that served as Calvin Coolidge's Summer White House in the summer of 1926. Seasonal guided tours, and several cottages rent by the week.
- The Adirondack Sky Center & Observatory9.7 mi
Free 2-Day Space Camp at the Adirondack Sky Center Calling all future space explorers— get ready for an out-of-this-world adventure! Join us to explore some of the most fascinating topics in outer space! We’ll cover black holes, space tra…
- THE GREAT ADIRONDACK CORN MAZE10.7 mi
The Great Adirondack Corn Maze at Tucker Farms in Gabriels offers a new maze design each year, providing a fun experience of getting lost in the cornfield.
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- Where is Bessie Pond located?Bessie Pond is a pond in the Tupper Lake region of the Adirondack Park in northern New York State.
- How big is Bessie Pond?Bessie Pond has a surface area of approximately 18 acres, a smaller backcountry water.
- How deep is Bessie Pond?Bessie Pond has a maximum depth of 50 feet, with a mean depth of 14.8 feet.
- Is Bessie Pond open to the public?Yes, Bessie Pond has public access. See the listing page for current trailhead, parking, and boat-launch details, and check active DEC advisories before visiting.
- Can you camp at Bessie Pond?Within roughly seven miles of Bessie Pond: 329 designated campsites, 6 lean-tos or shelters, 1 listed campground. Permit and primitive-camping rules vary; check NYSDEC before you go.