Darning Needle Pond.
Darning Needle Pond is a 27-acre water in the Tupper Lake region — small enough to be overlooked, which is often the point. The name suggests the kind of old surveyor's or logger's designation that stuck when nothing more official ever replaced it, and without maintained access or stocked fish on record, it sits in that middle category of Adirondack ponds: not remote enough to be a destination, not roadside enough to be convenient. Worth checking local topo maps or asking at a Tupper Lake outfitter if you're plotting a bushwhack or exploring the surrounding drainage by canoe. No data on brookies, but ponds this size in the region sometimes hold them if the inlet is cold and consistent.
Darning Needle Pond reaches a maximum depth of 40 feet, with a mean depth of 13 feet. Darning Needle Pond has public access. Summits nearby include Wolf Mountain and Graves Mountain.
The water, surveyed.
Seasonal pattern for this lake · live closures appear above
6 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.
- 01Roadside pull-offTrailhead2.9 miverified pinDirections →
- 02Roadside pull-off3.0 miverified pinDirections →
- 03Dead Creek Trail Parking Area6.9 miunpavedDirections →
- 04Lake Lila Parking Lot7.1 miunpavedDirections →
- 05Lake Lila Parking Area7.1 mi
- 06Peavine Swamp North Parking Area7.3 miunpavedDirections →
What’s in the water.
NYSDEC has stocked this water across 14 recent seasons — the ledger below is the public record.
The stocking record.
Launch & supply.
Getting in, staying over.
Camping.
What the lake is doing today.
What rings this water.
The peaks.
The waters.
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- The Clubhouse at Tupper Lake Country Club15.6 mi
The Clubhouse Restaurant & Bar at Tupper Lake Golf Club offers a full bar, weekly specials, and hosts events and weddings. Open to the public, enjoy meals with a view of the golf course.
- PorkBusters BBQ16.9 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.
- Amado17.2 mi
A small restaurant on Cliff Avenue in Tupper Lake serving Brazilian dishes (moqueca, feijoada) alongside lamb pot pie, fish fry, and a clearly marked vegan section. Homemade desserts.
- Guido's Pizzeria17.3 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.
— 15.6 mi to the nearest table out here; plan the drive to dinner.
Sip.
2- Waypoint Cafe20.1 mi
Long Lake cafe at 1265 Main St. La Colombe coffee, homemade quiche, avocado toast, artisan sandwiches, salads, poke bowls, soups, and charcuterie. Closed Mondays; weeknight happy hour 4–6 p.m.
- Schoolhouse Grounds Coffee Shop24.6 mi
Seasonal coffee shop inside the 1895 schoolhouse that houses Blue Mountain Designs. Espresso, locally roasted coffee, loose-leaf tea, baked goods, avocado toast, sandwiches, and soups. May through October.
— 20.1 mi to the nearest pour to this spot; pack a thermos.
Sweet.
3- Skyline Ice Cream17.3 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.
- The Park20.5 mi
Trying to find a fast food restaurant in Long Lake? Pay a visit to The Park. We offer a range of burgers, sides, ice cream, drinks and coffee options.
- Custard’s Last Stand20.5 mi
Custard's Last Stand is a historic ice cream shop in Long Lake, established in 1958, serving a variety of soft frozen custard & hard ice cream, sundaes, specialty shakes, floats, and ice cream sodas. They also offer merchandise and gift cards.
— 17.3 mi to the nearest scoop; save it for the ride home.
Drink.
4- Raquette River Brewing16.7 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 Bar16.7 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.
- Brookside Hops & Hoagies20.5 mi
Brookside Hops & Hoagies is a casual, family-friendly shop in Long Lake, founded in 2023, offering craft beers and hoagies made with fresh ingredients and Boars Head deli meats. It operates Wednesday through Sunday from 11 AM to 7 PM.
- Hex and Hop Tasting Room - Blue Mountain Lake24.8 mi
Hex and Hop is a craft brewery and meadery located in Bloomingdale, New York. They offer full-flavored, high-quality craft beer and mead, made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients, emphasizing community and craft.
— 16.7 mi to the nearest pint; appoint a driver.
Stay.
4- The Lodge at Seveys15.2 mi
The Lodge @ Seveys is a spacious and recently remodeled facility that serves as the perfect family getaway in the heart of the Adirondacks. With seven bedrooms accommodating up to fourteen people, the lodge features a fully equipped…
- Red Top Inn LLC15.3 mi
No-frills lodgings by Tupper Lake with boat rentals and nightly bonfires by the lake.
- Pine Terrace Motel & Resort15.5 mi
Waterfront motel offers basic cabins with kitchens & WiFi plus pool & tennis courts.
- Norridgewock Lodge15.9 mi
NORRIDGEWOCK LODGE, an oasis in the Adirondack Mountains. Our lakeside resort is the perfect remote vacation in the wilderness of the Beaver River. Book online!
— 15.2 mi to the nearest bed on the register; book before you go.
See.
4- John Dillon Park16.1 mi
John Dillon Park, run by Paul Smith's College, is an accessible outdoor recreation area in Long Lake featuring a 3.5-mile accessible trail system, lean-tos, and fishing access. It is closed for the summer 2026 season for water system impro…
- Adirondack Railroad17.2 mi
Adirondack Railroad offers scenic train experiences through the beautiful outdoor scenery of New York, departing from stations in Utica, Thendara, and Tupper Lake. They provide various themed rides, including special events and multi-hour…
- The Adirondack Sky Center & Observatory18.0 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 Wild Center18.3 mi
Live animals, hands-on exhibits & forest trails connect guests with the Adirondacks.
— 16.1 mi to the nearest sight on file; fold it into the drive.
Add to the record.
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Add a shot.
Sunrise on the dock, a cairn at the summit, a bend on the trail. Your camera roll, our archive.
Add a photo →File a report.
Trail conditions, water level, bug pressure, blowdown. The kind of detail that helps the next person plan.
Write a field note →Spot something off?
Wrong elevation, outdated access notes, a coordinate that's drifted. We'd rather hear it than miss it.
Suggest an edit →Frequently asked.
- Where is Darning Needle Pond located?Darning Needle Pond is a pond in the Tupper Lake region of the Adirondack Park in northern New York State.
- How big is Darning Needle Pond?Darning Needle Pond has a surface area of approximately 27 acres, a smaller backcountry water.
- How deep is Darning Needle Pond?Darning Needle Pond has a maximum depth of 40 feet, with a mean depth of 12.5 feet.
- Is Darning Needle Pond open to the public?Yes, Darning Needle 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 Darning Needle Pond?Within roughly seven miles of Darning Needle Pond: 162 designated campsites, 11 lean-tos or shelters. Permit and primitive-camping rules vary; check NYSDEC before you go.