Pharaoh Lake Wilderness
Nature preserve
21,538 acres35.3 mi of trail
Sucker Brook TrailLong Swing TrailPharaoh Mountain TrailBlue Hill Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Thomas Cole · Public domainAOutdoors
Outdoors in Schroon
More than half of Schroon’s land is conserved: 74%
74% of Schroon’s land is conserved, about 63,096 acres. 16,726 acres are parks and preserves, 8,817 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Pharaoh Lake Wilderness (35.3 mi), Hoffman Notch Wilderness (22.7 mi), Hammond Pond Wild Forest (3.2 mi).
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
74%
63,096 acres · of 132.7 sq mi of land
Trails
79 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
16,726 ac
8,817 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
55%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
3,704 ft
Hoffman Mountain
Lakes & rivers
34
29 beaches · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Schroon?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Schroon have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Schroon is ahead of 91% 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 Schroon’s overall grade.
Conserved land74% of the land · typical NY town 5% · U.S. 4%A+Trails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (79 mi) · NY 0.4 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land8,817 acres of park per 1,000 residents (16,726 acres) · NY 31 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home55% of residents within a half mile of a park · NY 70% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 91%
LessMore
Water is 6% of Schroon’s area (9 of 141 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 70%.
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 Pharaoh Lake Wilderness, with 35.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Hoffman Notch Wilderness
Nature preserve
21,354 acres22.7 mi of trail
Big Pond TrailJones Hill trailHoffman Notch TrailMarion Pond trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Hammond Pond Wild Forest
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
8,500 acres3.2 mi of trail
Peaked Hill trail (blue)hunter's path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
7,610 acres2.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
All 7 parks & preserves
Pharaoh Lake Wilderness21,538 acres · 35.3 mi of trail
DirectionsHoffman Notch Wilderness21,354 acres · 22.7 mi of trail
DirectionsHammond Pond Wild Forest8,500 acres · 3.2 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsVanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest7,610 acres · 2.3 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Hoffman Notch Primitive Area4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Bandstand Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLake George Wild Forest27 acres · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Who protects it
63,096 conserved acres
74% of Schroon’s land. Water is left out: Schroon has 132.7 square miles of land and 8.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Schroon’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation62,985 ac
Other state land101 ac
Town or city19 ac
State Wilderness · 42,849 acState Conservation Area · 19,720 acState Recreation Area · 381 acState Other or Unknown · 101 acOther Easement · 20 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 28 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 3 of 16 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharaoh Lake Wilderness State Wilderness | State conservation | 21,558 | Open |
| Hoffman Notch Wilderness State Wilderness | State conservation | 21,291 | Open |
| Hammond Pond Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 8,534 | Open |
| Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 7,641 | Open |
| Schroon Lake State Conservation Area | State conservation | 2,677 | Restricted |
| Paradox Lake State Conservation Area | State conservation | 836 | Restricted |
| Paradox Lake Campground State Recreation Area | State conservation | 283 | Open |
| Protected Area State Other or Unknown | Other state land | 101 | Unknown |
| Scaroon Manor Campground State Recreation Area | State conservation | 98 | Open |
| Lake George Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 28 | Open |
2 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
99 places to go in Schroon
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Schroon
Park beach
DirectionsPlus 28 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Schroon
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Schroon
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Schroon
Schroon Lake viewIn Hoffman Notch Wilderness
DirectionsviewIn Hammond Pond Wild Forest
DirectionsPlus 6 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Schroon
Hoffman Mountain3,704 ft elevation · In Hoffman Notch Wilderness
DirectionsHayes Mountain2,736 ft elevation · In Hoffman Notch Wilderness
DirectionsPharaoh Mountain2,533 ft elevation · In Pharaoh Lake Wilderness
DirectionsPharoah Mountain2,533 ft elevation · In Pharaoh Lake Wilderness
DirectionsCobble Hill2,221 ft elevation · In Hoffman Notch Wilderness
DirectionsWyman Hill2,201 ft elevation · In Hoffman Notch Wilderness
DirectionsBeech Hill2,178 ft elevation
DirectionsPine Hill2,169 ft elevation · In Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest
Directions22 more peaks
Merrills Hill2,041 ft elevation · In Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest
DirectionsBigsby Hill2,034 ft elevation · In Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest
DirectionsLedge Hill2,001 ft elevation · In Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest
DirectionsPeaked Hills1,946 ft elevation · In Hoffman Notch Wilderness
DirectionsPeaked Hill1,880 ft elevation · In Hammond Pond Wild Forest
DirectionsJones Hill1,860 ft elevation · In Hoffman Notch Wilderness
DirectionsNumber Eight Hill1,860 ft elevation · In Pharaoh Lake Wilderness
DirectionsSmith and Leland Hill1,726 ft elevation · In Pharaoh Lake Wilderness
DirectionsDesolate Hill1,706 ft elevation · In Pharaoh Lake Wilderness
DirectionsAntwine Hill1,673 ft elevation · In Pharaoh Lake Wilderness
DirectionsFranks Hill1,667 ft elevation · In Pharaoh Lake Wilderness
DirectionsBlue Hill1,654 ft elevation · In Pharaoh Lake Wilderness
DirectionsBear Mountain1,647 ft elevation
DirectionsOrange Hill1,637 ft elevation · In Pharaoh Lake Wilderness
DirectionsNumber Seven Hill1,624 ft elevation · In Pharaoh Lake Wilderness
DirectionsSpectacle Pond Hill1,621 ft elevation · In Pharaoh Lake Wilderness
DirectionsCarey Hill1,594 ft elevation · In Pharaoh Lake Wilderness
DirectionsPoplar Hill1,591 ft elevation
DirectionsSeverance Hill1,555 ft elevation · In Hoffman Notch Wilderness
DirectionsGoose Pond Hill1,552 ft elevation · In Pharaoh Lake Wilderness
DirectionsMeadow Hill1,519 ft elevation · In Pharaoh Lake Wilderness
DirectionsAllard Hill1,512 ft elevation
Directions52 peaks are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Campgrounds in Schroon
Paradox Lake Campground
DirectionsScaroon Manor - Camp Cayuga
DirectionsPlus 1 campground without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Schroon
Schroon Community Garden
DirectionsTrails & water
22 named trails and 34 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Horses · 8.5 miUnpaved · 47.7 mi
Sucker Brook Trail6.8 mi
Big Pond Trail5.6 mi
Jones Hill trail5.0 mi
Hoffman Notch Trail3.7 mi
Long Swing Trail3.4 mi
Pharaoh Mountain Trail3.3 mi
Blue Hill Trail2.7 mi
Short Swing Trail2.4 mi
Peaked Hill trail (blue)2.0 mi
Dirgylot Hill Trail1.8 mi
12 more trails
Pharoah Lake Trail
1.7 miMarion Pond trail
1.7 miSpectacle Pond Trail
1.5 miWyman Hill path
1.2 miSpringhill Ponds Trail
1.1 mihunter's path
1.0 miBailey Pond trail
0.9 miGoose Pond Trail
0.6 miHaymarsh Trail
0.5 miGull Pond Trail
0.4 miNawita
0.3 miWatch Rock Leanto Spur Trail
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Alder PondBailey LakelakeBig PondBigsby PondpondBullet PondpondBumbo PondBurge PondCoffee PondCotters PondCrab PondCrane PondGlidden MarshGoose PondGull PondpondHorseshoe PondpondMarion PondMarsh PondMuller PondNorth PondOliver PondOxshoe PondParadox LakelakePeaked Hill PondPharaoh LakelakePyramid LakelakeSchofield PondSchroon LakelakeSpectacle PondpondThurman PondWarrens PondWhortleberry PondWilcox PondParadox CreekSchroon 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
12Tennis
4Baseball
2Soccer
2Basketball
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 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Schroon: 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 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 28 | 31 | 40 | 54 | 67 | 75 | 80 | 77 | 70 | 57 | 44 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 2.8 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 3.9 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 4.4 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Schroon →
Next door
Schroon and its neighbors
Schroon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schroon | 74% | 0.6 | 8,817 | 55% | A |
| North Hudson | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Ticonderoga | 48% | 0.7 | 472 | 62% | A |
| Crown Point | 42% | 0.3 | 2,273 | 46% | A− |
| Minerva | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Horicon | 32% | 0.4 | 4,454 | 44% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Schroon
Where can I hike in Schroon?
The longest trail networks: Pharaoh Lake Wilderness, 35.3 miles; Hoffman Notch Wilderness, 22.7 miles; Hammond Pond Wild Forest, 3.2 miles; Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest, 2.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Schroon is conserved land?
74% 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 Schroon’s trails?
Pharaoh Lake Wilderness and Hoffman Notch Wilderness don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Schroon?
291,624 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Schroon or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 59,859 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Schroon have?
Ahead of 91% 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 Schroon 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 →