Five Ponds Wilderness
Nature preserve
19,398 acres23.7 mi of trail
Six Mile Creek TrailFishpole Pond TrailOlmstead Pond TrailSouth Bay Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Photo: Mwanner · CC BY-SA 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Clifton
More than half of Clifton’s land is conserved: 56%
56% of Clifton’s land is conserved, about 48,434 acres. The biggest trail networks: Five Ponds Wilderness (23.7 mi), Cranberry Lake Wild Forest (17.9 mi), Grass River Wild Forest (0.6 mi). 13,265 acres are parks and preserves, 17,272 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
56%
48,434 acres · of 134.3 sq mi of land
Trails
82 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
13,265 ac
17,272 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
76%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
2,402 ft
Wolf Mountain
Lakes & rivers
38
3 beaches · 1 boat launch
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Five Ponds Wilderness, with 23.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Cranberry Lake Wild Forest
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
11,355 acres17.9 mi of trail
Peavine Swamp Ski TrailPeavine Swamp Ski Trail - Loop 2Bear Mountain TrailCampground Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Grass River Wild Forest
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
1,615 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Who protects it
48,434 conserved acres
56% of Clifton’s land. Water is left out: Clifton has 134.3 square miles of land and 16.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Clifton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation57,499 ac
Other state land847 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits28 ac
Town or city27 ac
Regional Water Districts3 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government1 ac
State Wilderness · 19,423 acForest Stewardship Easement · 14,949 acState Conservation Area · 14,533 acUnknown Easement · 9,161 acState Recreation Area · 269 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 14,982 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 7 of 26 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Five Ponds Wilderness State Wilderness | State conservation | 19,423 | Open |
| Cranberry Lake Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 10,427 | Open |
| Grass River Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 1,625 | Open |
| Ranger School State Conservation Area | Other state land | 847 | Restricted |
| Unclassified State Conservation Area | State conservation | 821 | Open |
| Lowes Lake State Conservation Area | State conservation | 813 | Restricted |
| Cranberry Lake Campground State Recreation Area | State conservation | 263 | Open |
| Town of Clifton Land Local Park | Town or city | 27 | Unknown |
| Grass River State Resource Management Area | State conservation | 10 | Open |
| Cranberry Lake Boat Launch State Recreation Area | State conservation | 7 | Open |
2 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
27 places to go in Clifton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Clifton
Cranberry Lake Day Use Area on eastern Fred Island
DirectionsPlus 2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Clifton
Cranberry Lake Boat Launch
DirectionsWaterfalls in Clifton
1 waterfall without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Clifton
Bear Mountain LookoutIn Cranberry Lake Wild Forest
DirectionsPlus 2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Clifton
Wolf Mountain2,402 ft elevation · In Five Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsCat Mountain2,267 ft elevation · In Five Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsGrass Pond Mountain2,244 ft elevation · In Five Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsIndian Mountain2,228 ft elevation · In Five Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsBear Mountain2,142 ft elevation · In Cranberry Lake Wild Forest
DirectionsMarble Mountain1,926 ft elevation · In Cranberry Lake Wild Forest
DirectionsTwin Mountain1,883 ft elevation
DirectionsBuck Mountain1,870 ft elevation · In Cranberry Lake Wild Forest
Directions8 more peaks
Wilson Mountain1,847 ft elevation
DirectionsSpruce Mountain1,765 ft elevation
DirectionsHay Meadow Mountain1,749 ft elevation
DirectionsSpruce Mountain1,709 ft elevation
DirectionsRocky Mountain1,640 ft elevation
DirectionsIrish Hill1,608 ft elevation
DirectionsLittle Mountain1,604 ft elevation
DirectionsBurnt Rock1,509 ft elevation · In Cranberry Lake Wild Forest
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 38 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 4.6 miUnpaved · 50.7 mi
Peavine Swamp Ski Trail4.2 mi
Six Mile Creek Trail4.1 mi
Fishpole Pond Trail3.6 mi
West Connector Trail3.0 mi
Olmstead Pond Trail2.9 mi
Bear Mountain Trail2.7 mi
Peavine Swamp Ski Trail - Loop 22.4 mi
South Bay Trail2.2 mi
Cowhorn Junction Trail2.1 mi
Darning Needle Pond Trail2.0 mi
15 more trails
Campground Trail
2.0 miBig Deer Pond Trail
2.0 miPeavine Swamp Ski Trail - Loop 1
1.9 miNew Plains Trail
1.8 miPeavine Swamp Ski Trail - Loop 3
1.3 miBenson Mines
1.1 miEast Connector Trail
1.0 miOtter Brook Trail
0.9 miBig Pine Trail
0.8 miCat Mountain Trail
0.6 miOswegatchie River Canoe Carry
0.3 miDog Pond Loop Trail
0.2 miCowhorn Pond Lean-To Trail
0.2 miHedgehog Pond Trail
0.2 miDead Creek Flow Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Ash PondBassout PondBenson MinesBrother PondsCat Mountain PondChaumont PondClear PondCook PondCook Pond OutletCowhorn PondCranberry LakelakeCrane PondDarning Needle PondDillon PondFishpole PondGlasby PondHalfmoon PondHeath PondHigh PondIndian Mountain PondLittle Moosehead PondLittle RiverLost PondMoosehead PondMuskrat PondOlmstead PondSilver LakelakeSilver Leaf PondreservoirSimmons PondSlender PondSpectacle PondSpruce PondSunny PondTamarack PondToad PondWolf PondOswegatchie RiverSouth Branch Grasse River
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
2Pickleball
2Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Clifton: May and July to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 26 | 29 | 38 | 52 | 66 | 73 | 77 | 76 | 69 | 55 | 42 | 32 |
| Rain (in) | 3.2 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 3.4 |
February is the driest month (2.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 4.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Clifton →
Next door
Clifton and its neighbors
Clifton has the second most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clifton | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Fine | 53% | 0.3 | 18,920 | 48% | A− |
| Colton | 66% | 0.6 | 21,076 | 31% | A |
| Cranberry Lake | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Clare | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Clifton
Where can I hike in Clifton?
The longest trail networks: Five Ponds Wilderness, 23.7 miles; Cranberry Lake Wild Forest, 17.9 miles; Grass River Wild Forest, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Clifton’s trails?
Five Ponds Wilderness and Cranberry Lake Wild Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Clifton?
247,190 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Clifton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 32,874 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Clifton neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →