Five Ponds Wilderness
Nature preserve
31,097 acres17.1 mi of trail
High Falls TrailDead Creek Flow TrailNew Plains TrailSand Lake Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Photo: Mwanner · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Fine
More than half of Fine’s land is conserved: 53%
53% of Fine’s land is conserved, about 56,480 acres. 24,293 acres are parks and preserves, 18,920 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Five Ponds Wilderness (17.1 mi), Aldrich Pond Wild Forest (7 mi), Cranberry Lake Wild Forest (2.2 mi).
Ahead of 83% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
53%
56,480 acres · of 166.6 sq mi of land
Trails
42 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
24,293 ac
18,920 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
48%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
2,119 ft
Roundtop Mountain
Lakes & rivers
34
2 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Fine?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Fine have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Fine is ahead of 83% of U.S. towns. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Fine’s overall grade.
Conserved land53% of the land · typical NY town 5% · U.S. 4%A+Trails0.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (42 mi) · NY 0.4 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land18,920 acres of park per 1,000 residents (24,293 acres) · NY 31 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home48% of residents within a half mile of a park · NY 70% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 83%
LessMore
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
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 17.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Aldrich Pond Wild Forest
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
21,741 acres7 mi of trail
Aldrich Pond Wilderness TrailAldrich Pond Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Cranberry Lake Wild Forest
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
2,049 acres2.2 mi of trail
Moore Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Sucker Lake Water Access
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
93 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
All 9 parks & preserves
Five Ponds Wilderness31,097 acres · 17.1 mi of trail
DirectionsAldrich Pond Wild Forest21,741 acres · 7 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Cranberry Lake Wild Forest2,049 acres · 2.2 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsTamarack Creek Primitive Area48 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Wanakena Primitive Area5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Sucker Lake Water Access93 acres · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Grass River Wild Forest44 acres · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Buck Pond Primitive Area23 acres · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Alice Brook Primitive Area14 acres · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Who protects it
56,480 conserved acres
53% of Fine’s land. Who manages Fine’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation56,439 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits562 ac
Town or city35 ac
Other state land7 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government1 ac
State Wilderness · 31,108 acState Conservation Area · 24,046 acUnknown Easement · 711 acForest Stewardship Easement · 581 acConservation Easement · 334 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,062 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 6 of 21 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 | 31,108 | Open |
| Aldrich Pond Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 21,760 | Open |
| Cranberry Lake Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 2,050 | Open |
| Boy Scouts of America Lands Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 228 | Closed |
| Sucker Lake Water Access State Conservation Area | State conservation | 93 | Open |
| Tamarack Creek Primitive Area State Conservation Area | State conservation | 49 | Open |
| Grass River Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 46 | Open |
| Towns of Clifton & Fine Land Local Park | Town or city | 32 | Unknown |
| Buck Pond Primitive Area State Conservation Area | State conservation | 22 | Open |
| Alice Brook Primitive Area State Conservation Area | State conservation | 14 | Open |
4 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
19 places to go in Fine
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Fine
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Fine
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Fine
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Fine
High FallsIn Five Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsScenic views in Fine
Cathedral Rock Fire Tower
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Fine
Roundtop Mountain2,119 ft elevation · In Five Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsThreemile Mountain2,093 ft elevation · In Five Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsRound Hill1,919 ft elevation · In Five Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsMaple Mountain1,867 ft elevation
DirectionsFrancis Hill1,811 ft elevation · In Five Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsStreeter Mountain1,765 ft elevation · In Five Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsHigh Rock1,762 ft elevation · In Five Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsPanther Mountain1,745 ft elevation
Directions2 more peaks
Colton Hill1,647 ft elevation
DirectionsBlue Mountain1,532 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
11 named trails and 34 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 14.1 mi
High Falls Trail7.0 mi
Aldrich Pond Wilderness Trail3.5 mi
Dead Creek Flow Trail2.7 mi
Moore Trail2.0 mi
New Plains Trail1.7 mi
Sand Lake Trail1.6 mi
Latham Trail1.1 mi
High Falls Loop Trail1.0 mi
Aldrich Pond Trail0.8 mi
Big Pine Trail0.3 mi
1 more trails
Peavine Swamp Ski Trail
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Bear LakeBuck PondBundy PondCarr PondCrystal LakeDodge PondDry Timber LakeFlat Rock ReservoirreservoirGreenfield PondGreenwood LakeHall LakeLittle Otter PondLong LakeLong PondMud PondNicks PondOtter PondPansy PondPartlow PondPine PondReadway PondsRock LakeRound LakelakeRound PondScuttle HoleShingle PondSouth Creek LakeSpider PondStar LakelakeStreeter LakeSucker LakelakeTwin LakesLittle RiverOswegatchie 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
2Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
When to get out
The best walking months in Fine: May 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 | 56 | 43 | 32 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.9 | 3.8 | 3.7 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 4.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Fine →
Next door
Fine and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fine | 53% | 0.3 | 18,920 | 48% | A− |
| Clifton | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Pitcairn | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Edwards | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Webb | 87% | 0.4 | 57,960 | 78% | A |
| Diana | 31% | 0.1 | 14,692 | 73% | A− |
| Russell | 10% | 0.4 | 2,647 | 30% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Fine
Where can I hike in Fine?
The longest trail networks: Five Ponds Wilderness, 17.1 miles; Aldrich Pond Wild Forest, 7 miles; Cranberry Lake Wild Forest, 2.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Fine is conserved land?
53% of its land, against a typical 5% for a New York town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Fine’s trails?
Five Ponds Wilderness and Aldrich Pond Wild Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Fine?
271,256 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Fine or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 55,604 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Fine have?
Ahead of 83% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Fine 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 →