Upper Beech Ridge Pond is a 16-acre pocket water in the Old Forge tract — small enough to miss on a map, large enough to hold your attention if you're the kind of paddler who prefers solitude over amenities. No fish data on file with DEC, no maintained trail marked on the standard-issue maps, and no nearby peaks to anchor a day hike — this is backcountry by virtue of isolation rather than terrain. Access likely involves old logging roads or beaver-flooded corridors; worth checking current USGS quads and asking at the Old Forge visitor center before committing to the bushwhack. Bring a compass and don't expect cell service.
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Write a field note →Wrong elevation, outdated access notes, a coordinate that's drifted.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.
Suggest an edit →
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.