Desert Pond is a six-acre pocket water in the Old Forge corridor — small enough to miss on a map, tucked into the working forest south of the Moose River Recreation Area. No fish records on file, no formal trail infrastructure, no campsite register — this is the kind of place locals know by way of a logging road and a short bushwhack, not by an ADK trail sign. The name likely references the sandy, nutrient-poor soil common to glacial outwash zones in this part of the park, not any lack of water. If you're looking for it, you already know why.
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.
+2 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Write a field note →Wrong elevation, outdated access notes, a coordinate that's drifted.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.