Every named pond in the Adirondack Park — quiet waters, lean-to destinations, swimming holes. Browse by region or jump to a name.
Pansy Pond is a two-acre pocket of water tucked into the Old Forge township — small enough that it registers more as a widening in a wetland corridor than a named destination, but it carries a survey pin and appears on the DEC inventory all the same. No fish data on record, which typically means either seasonal drawdown, shallow muck bottom, or both — the kind of water that holds frogs and dragonflies but not much else. Old Forge proper is dense with better-documented paddling (the Fulton Chain, Fourth Lake access, the Moose River Plains gates), so Pansy functions more as a map curiosity than a launch point. If you're nearby and hunting for solitude over size, it's worth a look — but confirm access and conditions locally before committing to the bushwhack.
Panther Pond is a 12-acre water in the Old Forge town network — small enough to kayak in an afternoon, tucked into the working forests south of the Fulton Chain where state land and private timber parcels checker the map. No official fish stocking records on file, which usually means native brookies or nothing at all; local anglers will know which. Access typically requires either permission across private land or a longer approach through state forest — confirm access and boundaries before heading in, as this is timber country where gates and roads shift with harvest schedules. Worth the recon if you're after solitude within striking distance of Old Forge.
Parsons Pond is a nine-acre pocket water in the Old Forge township — small enough that it doesn't pull much traffic but legible on the DEC map grid if you're looking for it. No fish stocking records on file, which usually means either wild brookies that never got surveyed or a pond that winters hard and doesn't hold fish year-round. Access details are sparse in the public record; if you're targeting it, expect either a short bushwhack or a seasonal road depending on where you're coming from. Worth a call to the Old Forge visitor center or the local DEC office before you commit the day.
Pepperbox Pond is a 26-acre water tucked into the Old Forge backcountry — remote enough that most day-trippers miss it, accessible enough that it stays on the radar for paddlers working the region's pond-hopping routes. The name suggests colonial-era survey markers or an old hunting camp, but the pond itself is what matters: shallow, marshy shoreline in places, deeper pockets that hold fish even if the species record is incomplete. No established trails make this a destination hike, but canoe access from connected waters turns it into a waypoint rather than a terminus. Bring a topo map — this is old-school navigation country where the pleasure is in the route-finding, not the amenities.
Pine Hill Pond is an 8-acre pocket of water in the Old Forge region — small enough to hold no official fish data and quiet enough to sit outside the typical touring circuit. The name suggests modest relief rather than dramatic elevation, which tracks for the terrain west and south of the main Fulton Chain corridor. Without maintained access or DEC infrastructure on record, this is likely private-access or bush-league territory — the kind of pond that shows up on the quad map but not on the trailhead kiosk. If you know the landowner or the old logging road that leads in, you know.
Pine Pond is a 10-acre pocket water in the Old Forge lake district — small enough to be overlooked in a corridor dense with larger destinations like Fourth Lake and the Fulton Chain. No fish records on file, which typically signals limited depth or winter oxygen issues, but that also means it's quiet: no boat traffic, minimal angling pressure, and the kind of stillness that comes with low expectations. Access and shoreline character depend on whether it falls within a camp association or state land — the Old Forge area is a patchwork of both, and not every pond is publicly accessible. Worth scouting if you're staying nearby and the bigger lakes feel crowded.
Pitcher Pond is a five-acre pocket tucked into the Old Forge working forest — small enough that it reads more like a wide spot in a drainage than a named destination, but it holds water year-round and sits within the spiderweb of seasonal logging roads and footpaths that define the southern Adirondacks. No formal trail, no DEC signage, no stocking records — this is the kind of water you find by studying the quad map and bushwhacking in from the nearest two-track. The pond likely sees more moose traffic than human traffic, and if you do fish it, you're on your own for what's down there.
Pocket Ponds — plural, though often mapped as singular — is a small, roadside water just outside Old Forge, more of a wetland complex than a defined pond shore. The five-acre system sits in second-growth forest typical of the western Adirondacks, accessible but largely overlooked by paddlers headed to the Fulton Chain or Fourth Lake. No fish stocking records and no established trails — this is the kind of quiet, marginal water that gets used by locals who know where to pull off and slip a canoe in. Worth a look if you're camping nearby and want an hour of solitude before the lake traffic starts.
Poplar Pond is a three-acre pocket water in the Old Forge township — small enough that it lives outside the main paddling circuit but large enough to show up on the quad. No fish stocking records and no maintained trail access in the DEC database, which usually means either private inholdings or a bushwhack approach through second-growth hardwood and wetland margin. The name suggests an old burn or clearing — poplar moves in fast after disturbance — but without access intel it's worth a call to the Old Forge visitor center before making the drive. If you're looking for a similar-sized pond with a marked trail, consider heading toward the Ha-de-ron-dah Wilderness instead.
