Mud Pond.
Mud Pond — 45 acres tucked into the Saranac Lake region — is one of those waters that shows up on the quad map without much fanfare and without a well-marked trailhead on the main roads. The name suggests boggy shoreline and limited access, which tends to keep pressure light and paddlers scarce; ponds like this often hold brook trout in the deeper pockets, though no species data is officially on record. It's the kind of water that requires some old-road navigation or a float-in from a connected pond system — not a destination so much as a find. Worth checking the DEC unit management plan for the tract if you're planning a bushwhack or exploratory paddle.
Mud Pond has public access. Summits nearby include Brand Pinnacle and Whipple Hill.
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.
- 01Gate Road Parking AreaTrailhead6.0 miunpavedDirections →
Getting in, staying over.
Camping.
What the lake is doing today.
What rings this water.
The peaks.
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.
Sip.
1— 23.7 mi to the nearest pour to this spot; pack a thermos.
Drink.
1— 22.7 mi to the nearest pint; appoint a driver.
Stay.
1— 21.8 mi to the nearest bed on the register; book before you go.
See.
3- White Pine Camp20.9 mi
The 1907 Great Camp on Osgood Pond that served as Calvin Coolidge's Summer White House in the summer of 1926. Seasonal guided tours, and several cottages rent by the week.
- THE GREAT ADIRONDACK CORN MAZE22.5 mi
The Great Adirondack Corn Maze at Tucker Farms in Gabriels offers a new maze design each year, providing a fun experience of getting lost in the cornfield.
- Topridge24.9 mi
The sprawling Gilded Age estate Marjorie Merriweather Post built on Upper St. Regis Lake — later New York State's, now privately held. Best seen from the St. Regis lakes.
— 20.9 mi to the nearest sight on file; fold it into the drive.
Add to the record.
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.
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 Mud Pond located?Mud Pond is a pond in the Saranac Lake region of the Adirondack Park in northern New York State.
- How big is Mud Pond?Mud Pond has a surface area of approximately 45 acres, a smaller backcountry water.
- Is Mud Pond open to the public?Yes, Mud 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 Mud Pond?Within roughly seven miles of Mud Pond: 2 designated campsites. Permit and primitive-camping rules vary; check NYSDEC before you go.