The Silver Lake

Wilderness Area Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural) are Earth's natural environments that have not been significantly modified by human activity, or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally ...

, an

Adirondack Park The Adirondack Park is a park in northeastern New York (state), New York protecting the Adirondack Mountains. The park was established in 1892 for "the free use of all the people for their health and pleasure", and for watershed protection. At , ...

unit of the

Forest Preserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...

, is located in the towns of Lake Pleasant, Benson, Wells and Arietta in Hamilton County and is roughly bounded on the north by

NY 8 New York State Route 8 (NY 8) is a north-south state highway in the central part of New York in the United States. It runs in a southwest-to-northeast direction from the Southern Tier to the northern part of Lake George. The south ...

and private lands near Piseco Lake, Oxbow Lake, Hamilton Lake, Sand Lake and Lake Pleasant; on the east by

NY 30 New York State Route 30 (NY 30) is a state highway in the central part of New York in the United States. It extends for from an interchange with NY 17 (Future Interstate 86) in the Southern Tier to the US–Canada border in ...

; on the south generally by the Hamilton County line; and on the west by

NY 10 New York State Route 10 (NY 10) is a north–south state highway in the Central New York and North Country regions of New York in the United States. It extends for from the Quickway ( NY 17) (Future Interstate 86) in Deposit ...

, the West Branch of the

Sacandaga River The Sacandaga River is a river in the northern part of New York (state), New York in the United States. Its name comes from the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Native American ''Sa-chen-da'-ga'', meaning "overflowed lands". The Sacandaga Ri ...

and the Piseco Outlet. The area contains 48 bodies of water covering 569 acres (2.3 km²), 26.5 miles (42.6 km) of foot trails, and 2

lean-to A lean-to is a type of simple structure originally added to an existing building with the rafters "leaning" against another wall. Free-standing structures open on one or more sides (colloquially referred to as lean-tos in spite of being unattac ...

Geography

The terrain is relatively low with rolling hills and only four mountain tops that exceed elevation. There is a considerable area of conifer swamp as well as some beaver meadows along the streams.

Forest

The forest cover is chiefly mixed hardwoods and softwoods with some stands of nearly pure hemlock in large diameter size. In the swamp area along streams and at the higher elevations around the mountain tops, the forest cover runs predominantly to spruce and balsam.

Water

Silver Lake is the principal attraction near the center of this area, chiefly for brook trout fishermen. Mud lake, Rock Lake and Loomis Pond are also popular trout fishing spots. Big Eddy on the West Branch of the Sacandaga River and Cathead Mountain also attract visitors to the area.

Recreation

The area is suitable for

hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...

and

backpacking Backpacking may refer to: * Backpacking (travel), low-cost, independent, international travel * Backpacking (hiking), trekking and camping overnight in the wilderness * Ultralight backpacking, a style of wilderness backpacking with an emphasis on ...

. The Northville-Placid Trail has its southern terminus in Benson at the southern edge of the area and runs through the center in a northerly direction, crossing the northern boundary near Piseco Lake. Although this trail has some use by hikers, the foot trail from the vicinity of Hamilton Lake to the top of Hamilton Mountain is a more popular trail.

References

* Adirondack Park Agency
"Adirondack State Land Master Plan"
Updated 2001. {{dead link, date=August 2012 * Department of Environmental Conservation
Silver Lake Wilderness Area Unit Management Plan
E. Kasza, April 2006. Wilderness areas in Adirondack Park Protected areas of Hamilton County, New York

Geography

Forest

Water

Recreation

See also

References