Mud Lake.
Mud Lake sits in the Lake Pleasant / Speculator township — a 21-acre pond with no public fish stocking records and no formal trail infrastructure in the DEC inventory. The name suggests either shallow muck-bottom habitat or a seasonal draw-down pattern that leaves exposed shoreline; both are common in the lower-elevation ponds west of the main High Peaks corridor. Without designated access or lean-to sites, this is likely private-land bordered or otherwise undeveloped — worth checking the current DEC Unit Management Plan for the area if you're looking for a paddle-in option. For stocked trout lakes in the region, Elm Lake and Lake Pleasant are the reliable bets.
Mud Lake has public access.
The water, surveyed.
Seasonal pattern for this lake · live closures appear above
1 parking area
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.
- 01Billy Hamlin Road Parking AreaTrailhead4.1 miunpavedDirections →
Getting in, staying over.
Camping.
What the lake is doing today.
What rings this water.
The waters.
The trails.
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.
1— 18.3 mi to the nearest table out here; plan the drive to dinner.
Drink.
2- Nick Stoner Inn Seafood & Steakhouse18.1 mi
Caroga Lake restaurant at 1810 NY-10 doing hand-cut, in-house steaks, fresh seafood, and a tight made-to-order menu. 19 craft beers on tap, NY Finger Lakes wines. Open Thursday through Sunday; Sunday 11–5.
- Vrooman's Hotel18.7 mi
On the shore of West Caroga Lake, this family-owned hotel and tavern has been a beloved community fixture for generations, serving exceptional dishes and warm hospitality daily.
— 18.1 mi to the nearest pint; appoint a driver.
Stay.
4- The Bears Den Vacation Rental Resort14.3 mi
Booked as an exclusive buyout. Sleeps up to 20 across the main log lodge in Caroga Lake. Full kitchen and bar, three fireplaces, hot tub, sand volleyball court, wood-fired pizza oven, and a private sand beach on the West Branch Sacandaga River.
- The Balsam Inn & Cafe14.4 mi
Historic inn at 140 NY-10 in Caroga Lake, with newly renovated boutique rooms on the second floor and the Forever Wild Tavern downstairs. A minute from the West Branch of the Sacandaga and adjacent to state park land.
- Pine Lake Lodge15.4 mi
Pine Lake Lodge is a spacious eight-bedroom vacation rental near Great Sacandaga Lake, offering ample space and amenities for large groups, family reunions, and celebrations.
- The Inn on Piseco Lake17.4 mi
Established in 1892 as the Irondequoit Inn, the historic Inn on Piseco Lake is a 600-acre lakefront retreat in the Hamilton County hamlet of Piseco — nine guest rooms, two-bedroom cabins that sleep six, beachfront and wooded campsites, and a restaurant open to the public. The Northville-Placid Trail crosses nearby. A rare survivor of the late-19th-century Adirondack hotel era.
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Suggest an edit →Frequently asked.
- Where is Mud Lake located?Mud Lake is a lake in the Speculator region of the Adirondack Park in northern New York State.
- How big is Mud Lake?Mud Lake has a surface area of approximately 21 acres, a smaller backcountry water.
- Is Mud Lake open to the public?Yes, Mud Lake 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 Mud Lake?Within roughly seven miles of Mud Lake: 7 designated campsites. Permit and primitive-camping rules vary; check NYSDEC before you go.