Chazy Highlands Wild Forest

General information on hiking includes how-to and safety tips and links to rules and regulations.

Lyon Mountain is the highest point in Clinton County and the highest point north of the Saranac River at 3,830 feet. A 3.4-mile trail beginning on Chazy Highlands State Forest winds its way to the summit and a fire tower, which are located on Chazy Highlands Management Complex. The trail has an overall elevation gain of 1,900 feet. The state forest also has several other multiple use trails on the eastern end of the property off State Route 374.

Currently there are no official hiking trails on the Sable Highlands CE, although all roadways in Public Use Areas and Linear Recreation Corridors currently open to the public may be hiked. There are no maps of these roads, so hikers must have map and compass skills to properly navigate around.

Many users also enjoy walking on the numerous miles of logging roads in the area. These informal routes are open to non-motorized recreation use.

General information on backcountry camping includes how-to and safety tips and links to rules and regulations.

On Chazy Highlands Management Complex, there is one designated campsite on Chazy Lake that can be accessed from the end of Wilfred King Road. Additionally, primitive camping is allowed. Campsites must be at least 150 feet away from the nearest road, trail, or body of water. Camping for more than three nights or in groups of ten or more requires a permit from a Forest Ranger.

On the Sable Highlands Conservation Easement, camping and campfires are only allowed at designated campsites. Currently, six accessible campsites have been designated and constructed on the Barnes Pond PUA (View the Barnes Pond Public Use Area Map).

The Barnes Pond PUA campsites are only accessible to the general public using motor vehicles from the start of small game hunting season (September 20th annually) until the close of the big game rifle season. The rest of the year, they may only be accessed by foot, non-motorized watercraft (where applicable) or mountain bike. Only people with a permit through the Motorized Access Program for People With Disabilities (MAPPWD) can access the campsites by motor vehicle from the end of spring break-up through September 20th.

During fall hunting seasons, high clearance motor vehicles (pickups and SUVs) can use Barnes Pond Road to access the surrounding lands and the campsites. The campsites can accommodate wheeled camping equipment up to 20 feet in length, such as pop-up campers, truck campers and tow-behind camper trailers.

While nuisance black bears are not a big problem in this unit, overnight campers are encouraged to store all food, toiletries and garbage in bear-resistant canisters.

General information on paddling includes how-to and safety tips and links to rules and regulations.

Experienced paddlers can enjoy a trip on the North Branch of the Great Chazy River. There are also public boat launches on Chazy Lake and Upper Chateaugay Lake.

General information on boating includes safety tips with links to rules and regulations and lists of DEC boat launches by county.

There is a hard surface boat ramp on the northern end of Chazy Lake in Dannemora and on the northern end of Upper Chateaugay Lake in Ellenburg, along with other informal boating opportunities.

Help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species! Boats and trailers can spread invasive species from waterbody to waterbody unless properly cleaned after use. Regulations prohibit boats from launching from or leaving DEC launch sites without first draining the boat and cleaning the boat, trailer and equipment of visible plant and animal material.

General information on biking includes how-to and safety tips with links to rules and regulations.

Biking is permitted on maintained roads that are open to public bicycling. Many users also enjoy biking on the numerous miles of logging roads in the area. These informal routes are open to non-motorized recreation use.

On the Sable Highlands CE, numerous logging roads provide ample opportunities for biking. Mountain bike use is allowed on any road or trail in a Public Use Area and on Linear Recreation Corridors open to the public except those that are specifically posted closed for mountain bike use. CAUTION: Logging may be occurring on the property and timber harvesting equipment may be utilizing these roads and trails.

General information on fishing includes fishing tips with links to seasons, rules and regulations.

Fish species present in Chazy Lake are lake trout, landlocked salmon, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, northern pike, brown bullhead, yellow perch, rainbow smelt, and pumpkinseed. The lake trout, rainbow trout and landlocked salmon fishing is concentrated in the center of the lake over the deepest water. While not very numerous, the pike can attain large sizes. Chazy Lake is stocked with rainbow trout, lake trout, and landlocked salmon. Special Regulations Apply. Consult the fishing regulations guide (PDF).

Upper Chateaugay Lake contains lake trout, landlocked salmon, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, northern pike, rainbow smelt, yellow perch, brown bullhead, pumpkinseed, and rock bass. The lake is managed as a two-story fishery. Northern pike are present due to an illegal introduction. They now dominate the fishery and can exceed 15 pounds. The lake is stocked with approximately 2,700 landlocked salmon and 6,300 lake trout. Rainbow trout stocking was cancelled in 2010. Special Regulations Apply. Consult the fishing regulations guide (PDF).

On the Sable Highlands CE, numerous high-quality ponds, lakes and streams supporting diverse fisheries resources can be found on the Public Use Areas. The public may access all streams, rivers, ponds and lakes on Public Use Areas for fishing using non-motorized methods unless specifically prohibited.

True Brook and its tributaries on the brook's south side provide fishing opportunities. Much of the lands along this brook are accessible by public fishing rights.

Graves Brook has historically been known to contain brook trout but there have been no recent population surveys.



Sections of the North Branch of the Great Chazy River with public fishing rights run through the area.

For Public Fishing Rights (PFR) information, visit DECinfo Locator- Interactive Trout Stream Fishing Map (DECinfo Locator is best viewed on a desktop computer. Users are encouraged to visit the Trout Stream Fishing Map User Guide first for "how to" instructions on using the fishing map).

Adirondack/Lake Champlain fishing provides information on fishing in the Adirondacks and links to top fishing waters, stocking lists, public fishing access and waters open to ice fishing listed by county.

Help protect native Adirondack fish; populations of brook trout, round whitefish and other native Adirondack fish species have severely declined due to introduced fish.

Wildlife Management Unit: 5C

General information on hunting includes how-to and safety tips with links to seasons, rules and regulations.

Hunters may use the parking areas, roads, seasonal access roads, trailheads, and trails used by hikers, boat launches and hand launches used by boaters and paddlers to access the lands and waters in this area.

The diverse habitat supports a wide variety of big and small game wildlife species. All public use areas, State Forest, and Wildlife Management Areas in the vicinity are open to public hunting and trapping during the legal hunting seasons, except where specifically prohibited by posted notice.

Use True Brook Road for access to Barnes Pond Public Use Area and the considerable acreage of adjoining forest preserve lands that are part of the Chazy Highlands Management Complex. During fall hunting seasons, high clearance motor vehicles (pickups and SUVs) can use Barnes Pond Road to access the surrounding lands and the six campsites adjacent to the road.

Areas where recent timber harvests (logging) have taken place provide excellent habitat and hunting opportunities for deer, bear and ruffed grouse. Maps have been developed that show the areas where timber has recently been harvested and the locations of roads open to motor vehicles, parking areas, trails and designated campsites:

• Barnes Pond PUA Map

Wildlife Management Unit: 5C

General information on trapping includes how-to and safety tips with links to seasons, rules and regulations.

Trappers may use the parking areas, roads, seasonal access roads, trailheads, and trails used by hikers, boat launches and hand launches used by boaters and paddlers to access the lands and waters in this area.

The diverse habitat supports a wide variety of big and small game wildlife species. All public use areas, State Forest, and Wildlife Management Areas in the vicinity are open to public trapping during the legal trapping seasons, except where specifically prohibited by posted notice.

Areas where recent timber harvests (logging) have taken place provide excellent habitat and hunting opportunities for deer, bear and ruffed grouse. Maps have been developed that show the areas where timber has recently been harvested and the locations of roads open to motor vehicles, parking areas, trails and designated campsites:

• Barnes Pond PUA Map

General information on snowmobiling includes how-to and safety tips and links to rules and regulations.

On the Sable Highlands CE, several trails pass through the Public Use Areas, on designated Linear Recreation Corridors and on the municipal roads. These routes provide important connections between communities in the area and constitute key links in the inter-county snowmobile trail network. Due to winter logging operations snowmobile trails may be rerouted.

General information on cross-country skiing includes how-to and safety tips and links to rules and regulations.

Cross-country skiing is permitted on all hiking trails.

Many users also enjoy cross-country skiing on the numerous miles of logging roads in the area. These informal routes are open to non-motorized recreation use.

On the Sable Highlands CE, people may ski on unplowed roads in Public Use Areas and on Linear Recreation Corridors that are not open to public motorized use and that can be safely accessed from public roads. Skiers are discouraged from using groomed snowmobile trails.

General information on snowshoeing includes how-to and safety tips and links to rules and regulations.

Snowshoeing is permitted on all hiking trails.

Many users also enjoy snowshoeing on the numerous miles of logging roads in the area. These informal routes are open to non-motorized recreation use.

On the Sable Highlands CE, people may snowshoe on unplowed roads in Public Use Areas and on Linear Recreation Corridors that are not open to public motorized use and that can be safely accessed from public roads. Snowshoers are discouraged from using groomed snowmobile trails.

General information on horseback riding includes safety tips and rules and regulations.

Horseback riding is permitted on maintained roads that are open to public horseback riding.

Many users enjoy horseback riding on the numerous miles of logging roads in the area. These informal routes are open to non-motorized recreation use.

On the Sable Highlands CE, numerous roads and skid trails on the property lend themselves well to equestrian use. Horseback riding is allowed on any road or trail in a Public Use Area or Linear Recreation Corridor open to the public except those that are specifically posted as closed to equestrian use. No horse assembly areas have been developed at this time.

General information on animals includes links to information about birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians and insects that inhabit or migrate through the state.

The Adirondacks contain large tracts of wildlife habitat with some boreal, bog, alpine and other unique habitats. Many birds (common loon, Peregrine falcon) and mammals (moose, black bear) are unique to the Adirondacks or are mainly found here. Over 50 species of mammals and hundreds of species of birds inhabit or pass through the Adirondacks at one time of the year or another.

This area contains one of the largest concentrations of moose in New York.