Turtle Pond.
Turtle Pond sits south of Tupper Lake village in a quiet corridor of working forest and seasonal camps — 68 acres with no formal public access infrastructure and no fish stocking records on file with DEC. The pond shows up on the paddling circuit for people launching from nearby Raquette River access points, but it's not a destination water in the way the bigger flow-through ponds are. This is the kind of place that gets its pressure from locals who know the put-in and don't advertise it — a pond that holds its secrets because it doesn't make anyone's top-ten list. Check the DEC Region 5 mapping for surrounding land status before you plan a visit.
Turtle Pond reaches a maximum depth of 33 feet, with a mean depth of 10 feet. Turtle Pond has public access. Summits nearby include Long Pond Mountain and East Pond Mountain.
The water, surveyed.
Seasonal pattern for this lake · live closures appear above
12 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.
- 01Hoel Pond Water Access ParkingTrailhead1.4 miunpavedDirections →
- 02Horseshoe Pond Trail Parking1.5 miunpavedDirections →
- 03Middle Pond Parking1.6 miunpavedDirections →
- 04Polliwog Pond Water Access Parking1.7 miunpavedDirections →
- 05Little Square Pond Trail Parking1.8 miunpavedDirections →
- 06Floodwood Road, Gordon Pond Parking1.8 miunpavedDirections →
- 07Green Pond Access Water Access Parking2.2 miunpavedDirections →
- 08Upper Saranac Lake Boat Launch Parking2.5 mipavedDirections →
+4 more on the map above
Getting in, staying over.
Camping.
On the water.
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- Hohmeyer's Adirondack Alps Restaurant6.2 mi
A family-owned restaurant in the Adirondacks offering seasonal, 100-mile-focused fusion cuisine, a 1920s Speakeasy, and a hidden Beer and Wine Cellar.
- PorkBusters BBQ10.2 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.
- ADK Food Hub10.3 mi
A year-round market and casual eatery on Park Street in Tupper Lake, with a deli case, pantry staples, and a summer buffet built around the on-site Whitten Family Farm. Sunday farmhouse breakfast in July and August.
- Guido's Pizzeria10.8 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.
Sip.
4- Blue Moon11.7 mi
Blue Moon Café in Saranac Lake offers dine-in, pick-up, and curbside delivery services. Guests can enjoy weekly specials, restaurant menus, baked goods, coffee, grocery items, and adult beverages.
- Origin Coffee11.7 mi
Origin Coffee Co is a specialty coffee shop with locations in Lake Placid and Saranac Lake serving a chef-driven breakfast and lunch menu.
- Nori's Village Market11.8 mi
Nori's Village Market and Riverside Cafe offers a market with organic and local produce, bulk foods, coffee, and teas, alongside a cafe serving natural, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and local meat options.
- Saranac Juice14.3 mi
Cold-pressed juices, cleanses, protein elixirs, and nut mylks from Saranac River Ranch in Bloomingdale, made from organic produce grown on the farm or sourced from local Adirondack growers.
Sweet.
4- Mark Twain Maple Works10.5 mi
Mark Twain Maple Works produces New York State maple syrup on the shore of Saranac Lake in the Adirondack Park. They have been making syrup since 2013, expanding their operation and offering various grades.
- Skyline Ice Cream10.9 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.
- Mountain Mist Custard12.1 mi
A summer fixture on the shore of Lake Flower in Saranac Lake, with picnic tables and a dock you can tie a boat to. Frozen custard and soft serve with weekly-rotating flavors, shakes, and sundaes.
- Donnelly's Soft Ice Cream14.2 mi
A fourth-generation Saranac Lake institution on a former dairy farm, serving exactly one rotating soft-serve flavor each day — twisted with vanilla on the same 1953 machine. Cash only; check the daily flavor. Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Drink.
4- The 1892 Bar & Grille6.6 mi
The 1892 Bar & Grille is a locally owned rustic bar and restaurant in Lake Clear, NY, offering homemade food. Recently under new ownership, it brings fresh energy and an updated menu to its patrons.
- Raquette River Brewing11.1 mi
A family- and dog-friendly taproom pouring year-round craft beer alongside four permanent food trucks, from wood-fired pizza to Carolina barbecue.
- Bitters & Bones11.6 mi
Saranac Lake's only downtown brewery, restaurant, and bar, Bitters & Bones offers craft beer brewed upstairs, fresh local cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and craft cocktails. It features rooftop decks and unique private event spa…
- Lakeview Lanes & The Foul Line Sports Bar11.7 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.
Stay.
4- Fish Creek Pond Campground4.0 mi
This expansive campground offers 355 sites with direct water access to Fish Creek and Square Ponds, providing ample opportunities for boating, fishing, and swimming from May to October.
- The Point4.3 mi
An all-inclusive Great Camp on Upper Saranac Lake, built by William Avery Rockefeller II a century ago. The first Relais & Chateaux property in North America and the only Forbes Five Star property in Upstate New York. Adults-only, communal dining.
- Hohmeyer's Lake Clear Lodge & Resort6.3 mi
Wooded lakefront resort featuring homey rooms & cabins, local dining, a pub & outdoor recreation.
- Saranac Lake Islands Campground - Campsite #778.3 mi
Explore the Lower Saranac Lake Islands, offering extensive boater recreation and access to four other lakes via locks. Camp on designated island sites for a primitive, boat-access-only experience.
See.
4- Topridge5.0 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.
- The Adirondack Sky Center & Observatory9.1 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…
- White Pine Camp9.4 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.
- Adirondack Railroad10.1 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…
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- Where is Turtle Pond located?Turtle Pond is a pond in the Tupper Lake region of the Adirondack Park in northern New York State.
- How big is Turtle Pond?Turtle Pond has a surface area of approximately 68 acres, a smaller backcountry water.
- How deep is Turtle Pond?Turtle Pond has a maximum depth of 33 feet, with a mean depth of 10.2 feet.
- Is Turtle Pond open to the public?Yes, Turtle 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 Turtle Pond?Within roughly seven miles of Turtle Pond: 320 designated campsites, 6 lean-tos or shelters, 1 listed campground. Permit and primitive-camping rules vary; check NYSDEC before you go.