1. Big Otter Lake Trail
This former truck trail is the main hiking route into the northern and central sections of the Ha-de-ron-dah Wilderness. The old road has been closed to vehicles since 1972. The wide trail is also designated as a horse trail. No bicycles are allowed in the Wilderness.
The main parking area for Big Otter Lake Trail is located at the end of dirt Herreshoff Road off NY 28. The road is located on the left just prior to the Adirondack Railroad Bridge over NY 28 for those traveling north toward Old Forge. There is a small “State Land Access” sign on the corner. The GPS coordinates for the parking area is N43 42.377 W75 00.107.
From the parking area, pass the gate and follow the dirt road on property owned by the Town of Webb. You are following blue DEC markers. At 0.4 miles the old road reaches the Ha-de-ron-dah Wilderness boundary at another gate and trail register. The trail reaches the open wetlands of Indian Brook at 1.0 mile. At 1.5 miles the trail reaches the junction of the yellow marked East Pond Trail on the right.
Now the trail begins a gentle, but steady climb along the shoulder of Moose River Mountain. At 2.2 miles the trail reaches the junction with the old trail that travels up to the former fire tower. The trail now descends down the shoulder of the mountain. At 3.9 miles the trail crosses a small stream known as Mink Run. There is an unmarked path on the left that travels about 200 feet to a secluded campsite. Those who are looking for a remote camping experience, here is one.
The trail now becomes mostly level, reaching the junction of the yellow marked Middle Branch Lake Trail at 4.8 miles. The Middle Branch Lake Lean To is 0.9 miles from this junction. The Big Otter Lake Trail now crosses over a small hill and reaches a large wetland at 5.9 miles. This stretch of the trail is usually flooded (about 3-6 inches deep) for nearly 0.1 miles.
For Adventure
Soon the trail leaves the open area and reenters the forest. For those looking for an adventure can bushwhack about 0.1 miles off the main trail to a seven foot waterfall on South Inlet. The water cascades over ledges and boulders at a scenic spot. At 6.4 miles the trail reaches the junction of the red marked Lost Creek Trail on the right. This trail gives access to the eastern shore of Big Otter Lake as well as Lost Creek and winds back toward East Pond.
At 7.2 miles the trail passes an old beaver dam on the left. Soon there is a path on the right that travels about 200 feet to a nice campsite on Big Otter Lake. At 7.7 miles reach the junction of the Pine Lake Trail and the boundary of the Wilderness. The Big Otter Lake Trail turns right and crosses Otter Creek on a large bridge. At 7.8 miles the trail reaches the junction of Big Otter Lake Road (not passable by cars).
Turning right the “trail” travels along the western shore of Big Otter Lake toward the site of a hotel that burned down during the great forest fire of 1903 that devastated this area. The trail ends at North Inlet near a remote campsite. Turning left at this junction, the road/trail travels 3.4 miles to a parking area on Patridgeville Road. The surface of Big Otter Lake Road is so poor, the only vehicle traffic able to navigate the road are ATVs.
2. Lost Creek Trail
This is one of the most remote trails in the Ha-de-ron-dah Wilderness and gets seldom use by hikers. It is part of the Lost Creek-East Pond Loop Trail System that travels across remote sections of the Wilderness. The trail starts off the Big Otter Creek Trail, 6.4 miles from the Thendara trailhead. This trail system gets very little maintenance and can be tougher to follow compared to other trails in the area. This trail has red DEC markers.
From the start of the faint path, the trail travels 300 feet before crossing South Inlet on a bridge. At 0.8 miles an unmarked faint trail on the left travels 0.2 miles to a scenic campsite on Big Otter Lake. Soon the trail will be following path of Lost Creek so this is the last chance to visit the lake from this trail. At 1.9 miles the trail reaches the junction of the yellow marked Lost Creek-East Pond Link Trail on the right.
The Lost Creek Trail continues straight ahead, reaching a secluded scenic spot on Lost Creek at 2.4 miles. The trail, which is an old logging road, gets tougher to follow and finally ends at a large clearing upstream at 2.6 miles. This is the site of an old logging camp.
3. Lost Creek-East Pond Link Trail
This trail starts off the Lost Creek Trail (see info above) and follows blue markers. The trail crosses a section of the Wilderness that missed the forest fires of 1903. As you hike toward East Pond there are some views of the pond along the trail. After 1.8 miles of hiking the trail reaches a junction. To the left the trail travels 0.3 miles to a campsite of East Pond and then on to Blackfoot Pond. To the right is the East Pond Trail that travels 2.5 miles to the Big Otter Lake Trail.
4. East Pond Trail
The East Pond Trail begins off the Big Otter Lake Trail, 1.5 miles from the Thendara trailhead. This trail has yellow DEC markers. East Pond is not visited very often, although it is about the same size as Middle Settlement Lake. There hasn’t been a lean to at the pond since the original burned down in the last 1970s. It is a 4.3 mile one way hike to reach the pond from Thendara, another reason for the lack of visitors compared to the overly popular Middle Settlement Lake.
The East Pond Trail does not see too much maintenance compared to other trails as the DEC has tried to keep this area in a much more wilderness state. The trail starts at the marked junction off Big Otter Lake Trail. After 0.3 miles the trail crosses a wetland, with very muddy sections and old puncheon that doesn’t help your progress. This crossing is usually impassable during spring thaw.
The trail is faint and can be tough to follow at times. At 0.8 miles the trail descends to cross a branch of South Inlet on a log bridge. At 1.7 miles the trail passes a vly on your right and you might find some blueberries in this area (July). The trail soon crosses the outlet of Little Simon Pond. You reach the pond at 2.0 miles at its outlet. The trail now climbs as it makes its way from the small pond.
After the climb, the trail descends reaching the junction of the Lost Creek-East Pond Link Trail at 2.5 miles. Continuing straight the trail reaches the junction of the Blackfoot Pond Trail at 2.7 miles, which goes right at the junction. The trail reaches the site of the old shelter site at 2.8 miles. The site is not a very good campsite any longer, however if you continue on the path you’ll reach a ledge at the shoreline with a real nice view.
5. Blackfoot Pond Trail
The extremely remote Blackfoot Pond receives very few visitors these days due to the distance you need to hike to reach it. There is some history in this area as there once was a logging camp located near the outlet of the pond and a small mica mining operation near the western shore. It’s a 5.2 mile one way hike to reach Blackfoot Pond from Thendara.
From the start of the trail off the East Pond Trail, the Blackfoot Pond Trail turns right. The trail is marked with red DEC markers. You may notice at times that this trail is following an old logging road. The trail crosses the inlet to the pond at 0.7 miles, where there is a view of the pond. The shore is wet and grassy, making exploring Blackfoot Pond difficult.
The trail is only near the pond for just a short time. The trail passes some rock outcrops on the left as the trail becomes tougher to follow traveling through a wet section. Trail markers come to an end after one mile from the East Pond Trail near a rock wall. The wall has deposits of mica and this was the site of a small mining operation from long, long ago.
6. Moose River Mountain Trail
This 0.7 mile trail has a 200 foot elevation gain from the Big Otter Lake Trail. The trail travels to the site of the former fire tower that once stood on the 2205 foot summit. There are no views without the tower, so there is no reason to hike the trail unless you want to see the clearing where the tower stood until May 1977. The mountain is not the highest point in the Wilderness. There is a higher, unnamed mountain to the northeast of Blackfoot Pond.
7. Middle Branch Lake Trail
The Middle Branch Lake Trail travels between the Big Otter Lake Trail and the Cedar Pond Trail. The trail is marked with yellow DEC markers. The start of this description of the trail is from the Big Otter Lake Trail, 4.8 miles from Thendara. The trail is relatively level as it makes its way toward Middle Branch Lake.
At 0.7 miles the trail reaches the junction of the Middle Branch Lake Lean To Trail, which goes straight ahead. The Middle Branch Lake Trail turns left at this junction. From here the trail becomes a roller coaster, going up and down, up and down. At 1.2 miles the trail crosses a stream, then another climb only to descend to reach the former site of the Cedar Pond Shelter at 1.6 miles.
8. Cedar Pond Trail
To reach the Cedar Pond Trail, you first need to hike 0.6 miles along the Scusa Access Trail from NY 28 and then another 0.2 miles along Brown’s Tract Trail before reaching the start of the Cedar Pond Trail. Most hikers use this trail as a direct route toward Middle Branch Lake, but some use the trail to create a long loop hike.
From the start of the red marked Cedar Pond Trail, the trail goes around the shoulder of Cross Hill. Cross Hill is a popular bushwhack to its bare rock summit. At 0.3 miles the trail reaches the junction of the yellow marked Grass Pond Trail on the right. The trail crosses the wide Grass Pond Outlet at 0.8 miles. At 1.5 miles you should be able to see Cedar Pond through the trees on your left.
The trail ends at the former site of the Cedar Pond Shelter at 2.2 miles. At the junction, the trail to the left travels to Middle Settlement Lake and the trail to the right travels toward Middle Branch Lake and on to Big Otter Lake.
9. Grass Pond Trail
Grass Pond is only 1.6 miles from the Scusa trailhead on NY 28 and is a popular destination, although its shore is very marshy. The Grass Pond Trail is accesses by hiking 0.6 miles along the Scusa Access Trail, then 0.2 miles on Brown’s Tract Trail and 0.3 miles on the Cedar Pond Trail before reaching the trail.
The yellow marked Grass Pond Trail goes right from the Cedar Pond Trail. The trail first climbs and then descends toward the pond, first passing a campsite near the pond outlet. This is not a really good camping spot. The trail continues until you reach the marshy shore of Grass Pond.
10. Scusa Access Trail
The Scusa Access Trail is a popular entry point into Ha-de-ron-dah Wilderness. There is a large DOT parking area off NY 28 across from the start of the trail. The GPS coordinates for the parking area is N43 40.562 W75 03.148. The trail immediately climbs a steep hillside up and over a rocky summit. It reaches the Brown’s Tract Trail at 0.6 miles and the end of the access trail. The trail is marked with red DEC discs.
To the right the Brown’s Tract Trail heads toward the Cedar Pond Trail and on to Okara Lakes then on toward Thendara. To the left the trail heads toward the Middle Settlement Lake Access Trail and then out of the wilderness to conservation easement lands off NY 28.