More than half of Lake Pleasant’s land is conserved: 89%
89% of Lake Pleasant’s land is conserved, about 107,244 acres. The biggest trail networks: West Canada Lake Wilderness (17.7 mi), Jessup River Wild Forest (16.8 mi), Moose River Plains Wild Forest (8.8 mi). 27,543 acres are parks and preserves, 31,916 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
89%
107,244 acres · of 188.0 sq mi of land
Trails
113 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
27,543 ac
31,916 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
66%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
3,750 ft
Wakely Mountain
Lakes & rivers
30
17 beaches · 5 boat launches
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Little Moose Wilderness107 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Wakely Mountain Primitive Area219 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Siamese Ponds Wilderness2,899 acres
Dug Mountain Primitive Area49 acres · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Who protects it
107,244 conserved acres
89% of Lake Pleasant’s land. Water is left out: Lake Pleasant has 188.0 square miles of land and 10.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Lake Pleasant’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation130,866 ac
Town or city56 ac
State Wilderness · 56,112 acState Conservation Area · 26,370 acForest Stewardship Easement · 23,685 acUnknown Easement · 23,682 acState Recreation Area · 930 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 23,689 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 8 of 25 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
Parcel (PAD-US)
Managed by
Acres
Public access
West Canada Lake Wilderness
State Wilderness
State conservation
29,379
Open
Jessup River Wild Forest
State Conservation Area
State conservation
22,347
Open
Silver Lake Wilderness
State Wilderness
State conservation
16,904
Open
Blue Ridge Wilderness
State Wilderness
State conservation
6,835
Open
Moose River Plains Wild Forest
State Conservation Area
State conservation
3,841
Open
Siamese Ponds Wilderness
State Wilderness
State conservation
2,888
Open
Moffitt Beach Campground
State Recreation Area
State conservation
396
Open
Moose River Plains Camping Area
State Recreation Area
State conservation
378
Open
Wakely Mountain Primitive Area
State Conservation Area
State conservation
220
Open
Lewey Lake Campground
State Recreation Area
State conservation
141
Open
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
116 places to go in Lake Pleasant
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Lake Pleasant
17 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Swimming spots in Lake Pleasant
Indian Lake Day Use AreaIn Jessup River Wild Forest
The best walking months in Lake Pleasant: 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)
9.3
10.4
11.8
13.4
14.7
15.4
15.1
14.0
12.4
10.9
9.6
9.0
High (°F)
27
30
38
51
65
73
77
75
68
55
42
32
Rain (in)
3.6
2.9
3.5
4.1
4.3
4.8
4.2
4.3
3.8
4.6
3.9
4.1
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 4.8 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Lake Pleasant →
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Lake Pleasant
Where can I hike in Lake Pleasant?
The longest trail networks: West Canada Lake Wilderness, 17.7 miles; Jessup River Wild Forest, 16.8 miles; Moose River Plains Wild Forest, 8.8 miles; Silver Lake Wilderness, 5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Lake Pleasant’s trails?
West Canada Lake Wilderness and Jessup River Wild Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Lake Pleasant?
611,121 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Lake Pleasant or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 84,031 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Lake Pleasant neighbors.
Photo: Fwgoebel · CC BY-SA 3.0