Chain Ponds sits in the Raquette Lake Wild Forest — 23 acres split across multiple basins in dense second-growth forest south of the main lake. Access is bushwhack or by paddling up one of the inlet streams during high water, which makes this more of a local secret than a trailhead destination. No fish stocking records and no maintained campsites, so it's mostly left to hunters glassing for deer sign in October and the occasional canoeist looking for absolute solitude. Bring a compass and a good topo — the ponds don't announce themselves from the water.
No proprietor marinas listed within 7 mi yet.
No public beaches listed within 7 mi yet.
No bait & tackle shops listed yet.
Closest parking lots within range, ranked by walking distance. Accessibility flags come from Google verified-data; surface and capacity from OpenStreetMap. Confirm hours and seasonal closures before you go.
+20 more on the map above
Free, takes thirty seconds. Yours forever.
Every page on this site gets better when readers contribute. Mark a peak you’ve climbed, drop a photo, file a field note, or flag a correction — every addition makes the next visitor’s page better.
Sunrise on the dock, a cairn at the summit, a bend on the trail. Your camera roll, our archive.
Add a photo →Trail conditions, water level, bug pressure, blowdown. The kind of detail that helps the next person plan.
Write a field note →Wrong elevation, outdated access notes, a coordinate that's drifted. We'd rather hear it than miss it.
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What to do, where to stay, and what's reopening across the Park as the snow melts and the calendar fills.
A complete planning guide: difficulty by peak, common combo days, seasonal realities, and a sortable, filterable table of every summit.
Overnight, day, and trip camps in the Park — the camp belt, choosing the right fit, costs and financial aid, ACA accreditation, and the questions every parent should ask before they commit.
