If you are planning to go to the Black Pond Wildlife Management Area, this article will help you plan for and enjoy your visit.
Whether you want to explore the beach dunes, birdwatch, fish, or just hike and explore nature, you will love this nature preserve. It is one of the quietest and pristine places in the North Country, and it’s 30 minutes from Watertown and an hour from Syracuse.
One of the great things about visiting the Black Pond Wildlife Management Area is that it is beautiful, fun, and located near lots of other fun things to do in the outdoors. For example, you will find Southwick Beach State Park and Westcott Beach State Park only a short drive away.
These are both great parks for camping, too, which will make exploring this nature preserve easy. If camping isn’t your style, you will find lots of great rentals available in the area on sites like AirBnb.
What is the Black Pond Wildlife Management Area?
The Black Pond Wildlife Management Area is a 526 acre property that is centered around the preservation and management of wildlife, and the recreational enjoyment of the abundance of birds, mammals, fish, and other fauna and flora that are unique to this area.
This is a very unique area, as it has coastal dunes, wetlands, a barrier beach, marshes, open water, wooded areas, and a swamp. You are almost guaranteed to find something beautiful and of interest to you during your visit.
How much does it cost to visit?
There is no cost to visit the Black Pond Wildlife Management Area. It is free to park, explore, and enjoy the property.
There are many State Forests and Wildlife Management Areas in the State of New York that are free for the public to access, which is one of the reasons that New York is such a great place to live and play!
Where is Black Pond Wildlife Management Area Located?
The Black Pond Wildlife Management Area is located about 32 minutes south from downtown Watertown, one hour north of Syracuse, and just over 5 hours from the greater New York City area. In fact, it’s close enough to almost any part of New York to be a part of a three-day weekend trip.
Where can you park?
There are only a few places to park at Black Pond Wildlife Management Area, but they are all free to use and access. The following three locations are the designated parking areas, and they are the only places where you are allowed to park on the property:
- Bolton Road, pull off to a small, gravel lot (Google Map Driving Directions)
- Bolton Road, fairly area, most popular parking area with access to short, accessible boardwalk trail (Google Map Driving Directions)
- Bolton Road, pull off to a small 4-5 car lot (Google Map Driving Directions)
How to access the accessible trail at Black Pond Wildlife Management Area
There is an accessible trail that leads from a small parking area to a fishing pier, which is also a great place to observe wildlife such as birds, fish, and mammals. In fact, we saw a beaver swimming close to the fishing platform during one of our visits.
This accessible path can be found from the gravel parking area at the end of Black Pond WMA Access Road off of Bolton Rd via Route 3.
The accessible path is paved beginning at the parking area and then it becomes a boardwalk-type path with wooden planks. It should be noted that the part of the trail that leads to the sand dunes is not currently accessible due to high water damage and is closed to the public until further notice.
However, the path to the fishing platform is in good condition and is accessible. There are no restrooms along the path or at the gravel parking area.
Things to do at Black Pond Wildlife Management Area
There are a variety of activities that you can participate in at the Black Pond Wildlife Management Area. For example, one of the most popular reasons to visit this wildlife area is to walk on the elevated, wooden boardwalk to the fishing platform that overlooks the pond, or visit the dunes.
While there are few trails on the property, other than the one that I mentioned above, those who are experienced in exploring the outdoors in the North Country will enjoy back country hiking, fishing, hunting and trapping. In addition, this place is a great place to watch and photograph birds and other wildlife.
In short, these are the activities that are recommended:
- Hiking
- Fishing
- Hunting and trapping
- Birdwatching
- Admiring nature
- Wildlife photography
Since this is a protected area designed for wildlife and the human enjoyment of wildlife, there are a few things that it is important to know that you can’t do at Black Pond Wildlife Management Area:
- No swimming
- No picnicking
- No camping
I am not a hunter (unless you count fishing!), but if you are interested in hunting on this property, I would encourage you to visit the NY State page on hunting regulations to make sure that you know the limitations of using the Black Pond Wildlife Management Area.
Conclusion
I wrote this article to help you decide whether and how to visit the Black Pond Wildlife Management Area. For many of us, it might be a bit of a drive away, and so I hope that this article encourages you to make the trip (with a bit of prior planning!).
I hope that you have learned everything that you hoped to know from this post about the Black Pond Wildlife Management Area. It’s really very beautiful and a great way to really get a feel for the Eastern Lake Ontario region of New York.
If you love nature, you’ll love this spot!
If you have any questions, please post them below and I will try to answer for you.
Thanks for reading!