Siamese Ponds Wilderness
Nature preserve
52,661 acres48.1 mi of trail
East Branch Sacandaga River TrailBotheration Pond TrailPeaked Mountain TrailHour Pond Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Photo: wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Johnsburg
More than half of Johnsburg’s land is conserved: 61%
61% of Johnsburg’s land is conserved, about 80,078 acres. 26,821 acres are parks and preserves, 15,018 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Siamese Ponds Wilderness (48.1 mi), Wilcox Lake Wild Forest (18.2 mi), Garnet Hill (16.9 mi).
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
61%
80,078 acres · of 204.2 sq mi of land
Trails
141 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
26,821 ac
15,018 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
54%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
3,563 ft
Gore Mountain
Lakes & rivers
39
3 beaches
What kind of outdoors town is Johnsburg?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Johnsburg have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Johnsburg is ahead of 92% 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 Johnsburg’s overall grade.
Conserved land61% of the land · typical NY town 5% · U.S. 4%A+Trails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (141 mi) · NY 0.4 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land15,018 acres of park per 1,000 residents (26,821 acres) · NY 31 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home54% 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 92%
LessMore
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− 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 Siamese Ponds Wilderness, with 48.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Wilcox Lake Wild Forest
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
16,321 acres18.2 mi of trail
Crane Mountain PathBartman trailKibby Pond trailEagle pond (unmarked path)+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Garnet Hill
Managed by Garnet Hill
665 acres16.9 mi of trail
TrapperOld FaithfulDouble Downs (bike)Cougar+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
4,425 acres5.9 mi of trail
Raymond Brook Ski TrailRabbit Pond Ski TrailRaymond Brook Ski Trail (Blue)Ski Bowl Connector Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
All 5 parks & preserves
Siamese Ponds Wilderness52,661 acres · 48.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWilcox Lake Wild Forest16,321 acres · 18.2 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsGarnet Hill665 acres · 16.9 mi of trail · Garnet Hill
DirectionsVanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest4,425 acres · 5.9 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsChatiemac Lake Primitive Area3 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
80,078 conserved acres
61% of Johnsburg’s land. Who manages Johnsburg’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation81,222 ac
Town or city219 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits210 ac
Regional Water Districts1 ac
State Wilderness · 52,646 acState Conservation Area · 22,026 acState Recreation Area · 3,742 acUnknown Easement · 1,469 acForest Stewardship Easement · 1,340 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,349 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 8 of 24 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siamese Ponds Wilderness State Wilderness | State conservation | 52,646 | Open |
| Wilcox Lake Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 16,330 | Open |
| Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 4,436 | Open |
| Gore Mountain Ski Center State Recreation Area | State conservation | 3,742 | Open |
| Unclassified State Conservation Area | State conservation | 1,255 | Open |
| Town Of Johnsburg Land Local Park | Town or city | 219 | Unknown |
| Hudson River Ice Meadows Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 103 | Open |
| Hudson River Ice Meadows Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 103 | Restricted |
| Sullivan's Island Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 3 | Closed |
| Chatiemac Lake Primitive Area State Conservation Area | State conservation | 3 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
114 places to go in Johnsburg
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Johnsburg
Grunblatt Memorial Beach
DirectionsPlus 2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Johnsburg
2 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Johnsburg
Dunkley Falls
DirectionsSquare FallsIn Siamese Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsPlus 4 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Johnsburg
Fish Ponds OverlookIn Wilcox Lake Wild Forest
DirectionsMountain Views
DirectionsScenic View
DirectionsTwister Cliffs
DirectionsVermont Overlook
DirectionsWindy Hill Lookout
Directions39 scenic views are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Peaks in Johnsburg
Gore Mountain3,563 ft elevation
DirectionsPuffer Mountain3,438 ft elevation · In Siamese Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsBullhead Mountain3,419 ft elevation · In Siamese Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsEleventh Mountain3,294 ft elevation · In Siamese Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsCrane Mountain3,255 ft elevation · In Wilcox Lake Wild Forest
DirectionsPete Gay Mountain3,097 ft elevation
DirectionsHeight of Land Mountain2,943 ft elevation · In Siamese Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsPeaked Mountain2,894 ft elevation · In Siamese Ponds Wilderness
Directions22 more peaks
Blue Hills2,877 ft elevation · In Siamese Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsLittle Pete Gay Mountain2,864 ft elevation
DirectionsSlide Mountain2,864 ft elevation · In Siamese Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsHour Pond Mountain2,848 ft elevation · In Siamese Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsHayden Mountain2,762 ft elevation · In Siamese Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsBig Thirteenth Lake Mountain2,720 ft elevation · In Siamese Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsKettle Mountain2,677 ft elevation · In Wilcox Lake Wild Forest
DirectionsLong Pine Mountain2,644 ft elevation · In Siamese Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsRoss Mountain2,625 ft elevation · In Wilcox Lake Wild Forest
DirectionsHarrington Mountain2,569 ft elevation · In Wilcox Lake Wild Forest
DirectionsBuck Meadow Mountain2,566 ft elevation · In Siamese Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsBlack Mountain2,520 ft elevation · In Siamese Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsLittle Thirteenth Lake Mountain2,497 ft elevation · In Siamese Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsBig Hopkins Mountain2,484 ft elevation · In Siamese Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsHuckleberry Mountain2,444 ft elevation · In Wilcox Lake Wild Forest
DirectionsBalm of Gilead Mountain2,415 ft elevation · In Siamese Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsSouth Mountain2,415 ft elevation · In Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest
DirectionsDurant Mountain2,388 ft elevation · In Siamese Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsBig Bear Mountain2,365 ft elevation · In Siamese Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsBig Shanty Mountain2,329 ft elevation · In Siamese Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsSiamese Mountain2,303 ft elevation · In Siamese Ponds Wilderness
DirectionsDiamond Mountain2,254 ft elevation · In Siamese Ponds Wilderness
Directions50 peaks are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Picnic areas in Johnsburg
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Campgrounds in Johnsburg
13th Lake Campsite #10In Siamese Ponds Wilderness · NYS DEC
Directions13th Lake Campsite #2In Siamese Ponds Wilderness · NYS DEC
Directions13th Lake Campsite #4In Siamese Ponds Wilderness · NYS DEC
Directions13th Lake Campsite #5In Siamese Ponds Wilderness · NYS DEC
Directions13th Lake Campsite #6In Siamese Ponds Wilderness · NYS DEC
Directions13th Lake Campsite #7In Siamese Ponds Wilderness · NYS DEC
Directions13th Lake Campsite #8In Siamese Ponds Wilderness · NYS DEC
Directions13th Lake Campsite #9In Siamese Ponds Wilderness · NYS DEC
Directions2 more campgrounds
Elizabeth Point CampsiteIn Siamese Ponds Wilderness · NYS DEC
DirectionsNYSDEC designated campsiteIn Siamese Ponds Wilderness · NYSDEC
DirectionsPlus 3 campgrounds without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 39 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 12.9 miUnpaved · 105.3 mi
East Branch Sacandaga River Trail6.3 mi
Schaefer Foot Trail3.8 mi
Botheration Pond Trail3.6 mi
Crane Mountain Path3.4 mi
Raymond Brook Ski Trail3.3 mi
Peaked Mountain Trail3.3 mi
Hour Pond Trail3.0 mi
Second Pond Trail2.6 mi
Trapper2.0 mi
Old Faithful1.6 mi
15 more trails
Bartman trail
1.5 miRabbit Pond Ski Trail
1.4 miKibby Pond trail
1.4 miJoe Pete's
1.3 miMorgan's Gulch
1.3 miSki Bowl Connector Trail
1.3 miCougar
1.2 miTrillium Trek (blue)
1.2 miSolitude
1.2 miDouble Downs (bike)
1.2 miSki Bowl Loop
1.2 miBobcat
1.1 miSunway
1.1 miEast Branch Gorge Trail
1.0 miJohn Pond Trail
1.0 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Antler LakeAustin PondBotheration PondpondChatiemac LakeCrane Mountain PondpondCross PondDipper PondDuck PondpondEagle PondFish PondFish PondsHour PondKibby PondLower PitMud PondNorth Creek ReservoirreservoirNorth PondOrdway PondOven Mountain PondPeaked Mountain PondpondPuffer PondRabbit PondRidge DamRound PondSecond PondSiamese PondsSnowshoe PondTennis Court PondThe VlyThirteenth LakelakeTwin PondsUpper Dam PondWaldron PondWilliam Blake PondWindover LakelakeEast Branch Sacandaga RiverHudson RiverMill Creekbotheration flow
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
6Tennis
4Baseball
3Pickleball
2Basketball
1Soccer
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Johnsburg: 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) | 9.3 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 25 | 28 | 36 | 49 | 62 | 70 | 74 | 73 | 66 | 53 | 41 | 30 |
| Rain (in) | 3.8 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 74 °F). 4.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Johnsburg →
Next door
Johnsburg and its neighbors
Johnsburg has the second most mapped trails of the 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnsburg | 61% | 0.7 | 15,018 | 54% | A |
| Chester | 7% | 0.8 | 1,113 | 34% | A− |
| Thurman | 51% | 0.4 | 29,560 | 24% | A− |
| Indian Lake | 90% | 0.6 | 33,843 | 65% | A |
| North Creek | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Wells | — 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 Johnsburg
Where can I hike in Johnsburg?
The longest trail networks: Siamese Ponds Wilderness, 48.1 miles; Wilcox Lake Wild Forest, 18.2 miles; Garnet Hill, 16.9 miles; Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest, 5.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Johnsburg is conserved land?
61% 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 Johnsburg’s trails?
Siamese Ponds Wilderness and Wilcox Lake Wild Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Johnsburg?
347,160 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Johnsburg or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 79,788 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Johnsburg have?
Ahead of 92% 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 Johnsburg 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 →