Are you planning a visit to the Cranberry Lake Campground in Cranberry Lake, New York? This state-run campground has a lot to offer visitors, and you will learn what you need to know to make the most of your visit in this post.
The reason that I really wanted to write this post for you guys is because I am the type of person who likes to know as much as I can about a place before I visit. This is the best way to get the most from an adventure, in my experience.
People have been camping at the Cranberry Lake campground since at least 1935, when the Civilian Conservation Corp, a voluntary public works relief program, completed construction.
Cranberry Lake, which happens to be the third largest body of water in New York’s Adirondack Park, is almost completely surrounded by state lands. The Cranberry Lake Wild Forest and the Five Ponds Wilderness Area directly border the lake.
Where is Cranberry Lake NY Campground located?
Cranberry Lake Campground is located in the Adirondack Park on State Route 3 in Cranberry Lake Village, northeast of Watertown, NY. The address of the campground is 243 Lone Pine Road, Cranberry Lake, NY 12927.
After you turn onto Lone Pine Road, you might wonder if you are going the right way, since it looks like it is primarily private property on both sides of the road. Just keep driving until you get to the end of Lone Pine Road where you will see the registration booth for entrance to the campground:
Cranberry Lake NY Campground is an easy drive for a day or weekend-long trip from the following cities:
- 1.5 hours from Watertown, NY
- 2 hours from Plattsburgh, NY
- 2.5 hours from Syracuse, NY
- 2.5 hours from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- 3.25 hours from Albany, NY
- 5.5 hours from NYC
A visit to Cranberry Lake is definitely worth the drive. The Adirondacks are stunningly beautiful, the lake is gorgeous, and the people are friendly.
How much does it cost to camp at Cranberry Lake?
Camping at Cranberry Lake Campground NY is very affordable! At $20 per night for New York residents and $25 for out-of-state visitors, it is a low-cost, family-friendly vacation.
There are excellent facilities at this campground, which is open for camping from May 15-Oct 12 each year. The campground is closed during the winter, since it does get pretty cold and snowy in the North Country.
If you don’t want to camp at Cranberry Lake and would just like access to the property for the day, you can get a day pass for $8.00 (for those who bring their cars) or $2.00 (for those who can walk to the campground). This is a fun place to spend the day if you are staying in Cranberry Lake and want to do some of the recreational activities at the campground, yet don’t need to camp there.
Those of you who spend a lot of time in New York in the summer, or live in New York State all year, might want to consider getting an Empire Pass. The Empire Pass is essentially a pass to New York State Parks and Department of Environmental Conservation recreation locations.
The Empire Pass covers parking and day-use access, but does not include camping fees.
Is camping at Cranberry Lake accessible?
Cranberry Lake Campground is a well-maintained property that has accessible campsites and picnic areas, as well as restroom and shower facilities. In addition, the fishing platform (more on this below) was also designed to be accessible.
Can you swim in Cranberry Lake New York?
Yes, swimming is allowed from the beach at the campground. There is no lifeguard, but there is a sandy beach that provides a peaceful place to swim in the lake.
Below, you can see a photograph of the beach area. The photo was taken in early September, and you can see from the picture that people were enjoying the sunny day before the arrival of cool weather.
There is a bathhouse near the swimming area where you can change your clothes. You can also find bathrooms, picnic tables, and even a covered picnic area near the beach.
Coincidentally, the swimming beach is also a short walk to the fishing platform. This is very convenience for families who would like to do a little of both activities.
You could park in the same parking lot in order to have quick access to the beach, the bathroom, picnic and fishing areas.
Can you fish at Cranberry Lake New York Campground?
Yes, fishing is allowed at Cranberry Lake Campground. In fact, there is a beautiful, well-constructed fishing platform that extends from the shore that is designed specifically for those who would like to fish.
The fishing platform, which is really a short pier with a platform at the end, is located very close to the beach swimming area. There is parking immediately adjacent to the short path to the platform.
We found fishing from the platform to be a bit challenging, since the bottom of the lake was very rocky and the water fairly rough. Be sure to bring the right kind of tackle!
In addition to the fishing platform at the campground, there is a public fishing access and boat launch area located near the dam, which is outside of the campground at a different part of Cranberry Lake.
Click here to open Google maps with the coordinates plugged in to get directions to the boat launch and fishing access that is NOT on the campground property.
The boat launch is a great option for those visitors who have a boat that is too big to use with the hand carry launch site that is located at the Cranberry Lake Campground. As you know, this is a popular lake, so the boat launch is a hard surface launch, and there is parking at the site for up to 55 cars.
What kind of fish are in Cranberry Lake?
There are a variety of fish in Cranberry Lake, such as bass, trout, and sunfish like Bluegill. In addition, you can also find Northern Pike, which are very common in this part of New York, as well as Yellow Perch and Brown Bullhead Catfish.
How did Cranberry Lake NY get its name?
Cranberry Lake was given its name because of the cranberry bogs that used to be located in the areas surrounding the lake. These bogs generally no longer exist, since the bogs and thousands of trees were covered by water when the dam was constructed, which you will learn more about below.
Is Cranberry Lake a natural lake or man-made lake?
Both. Cranberry Lake is a natural lake that existed before the construction of a dam in the Oswegatchie River that significantly expanded the size of the lake.
In other words, it is a natural lake that was made bigger by a man-made dam. Prior to the construction of the dam, there was forest and cranberry bogs where the “new” portion of the lake now sits.
The Oswegatchie River was first dammed at Cranberry Lake when a log crib dam was built around 1867. The dam, now more modern and substantial, now produces hydroelectric power and is operated by Ampersand Cranberry Lake Hydro.
It is very likely that it is due to this original dam that Cranberry Lake is such a popular place to enjoy some leisure time more than 154 years later!
The current dam, which is the same location as the original one, is on the north side of the lake in Clifton, New York, not far from Route 3 and near the public boat launch.
Is there hiking at Cranberry Lake Campground?
There are two trails that leave Cranberry Lake Campground. The most popular is the Bear Mountain Trail, which is a loop of about 2.4 miles.
The Bear Mountain Trail goes through a beautiful woods and gives you access to some beautiful mountain views. Below is a glimpse of the forest on the Bear Mountain Trail, just a few minutes from some campsites:
Conclusion
I hope that this article has helped answer all of your questions about the beautiful Cranberry Lake, New York and the state-run campground located there.
If I missed something, please let me know in the comments below.
Thanks for reading today!