Squirrel Ponds — three acres tucked somewhere in the Old Forge township grid — exists in the data but not in the recreational conversation, which usually means either private holdings, landlocked public parcels, or beaver work that comes and goes with the water table. The name suggests local usage rather than official DEC designation, and the absence of fish records points to seasonal depth or access issues that keep it off the stocking rotation. If you're after named water in the Old Forge corridor, the South Branch of the Moose River and the chain lakes (First through Eighth) are the proven destinations — Squirrel Ponds remains more of a map dot than a paddle plan.
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.
+12 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Write a field note →Wrong elevation, outdated access notes, a coordinate that's drifted.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.
