Crooked Lake sits in the Old Forge corridor at 46 acres — small enough to feel contained, large enough to paddle for an hour without retracing your wake. The name likely comes from an irregular shoreline or a bend that distinguishes it from the dozens of rounder ponds in the western Adirondacks, though the lake doesn't appear on many standard recreation lists and fish survey data hasn't surfaced in DEC records. It's the kind of water that gets overlooked in a region dense with bigger destinations — Stillwater Reservoir, the Fulton Chain, Raquette Lake — but that's often the trade-off for solitude. Check local access points in Old Forge; many smaller lakes in this area are private or require permission.
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.
+13 more on the map above
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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.