Parking
Start at Dacy Clearing Parking Area on Dacy Clearing Road, reached from Shelving Rock Road. NYSDEC lists the area as free; lot capacity and restroom or drinking-water details were not found.
Overview
About Fishbrook Pond Trail
Why go
- Two named ponds make a rewarding mid-hike and destination.
Heads up
- Expect about 5–6 miles round trip and an 850-foot climb to Bumps Pond.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake George map
Full mapElevation1,407–2,129 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Lake George alerts
- ClosureFishbrook Pond North Lean-to site closedThe entire Fishbrook Pond North Lean-to site is closed because the lean-to burned down. - No camping or campfires are allowed at the site until further notice.Official details
- CautionNo Parking Zones enforced along River RoadDo not park in the No Parking Zones along River Road in the Hudson River Special Management Area in the Towns of Lake Luzerne and Warrensburg; DEC is enforcing the restriction.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Lake George Tour Guide
Your drive to Fishbrook Pond Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Lake George NY. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Lake George audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Dacy Clearing and Sleeping Beauty0:00 / 0:25
“You're nearing the Hogtown access to Dacy Clearing and Sleeping Beauty Mountain. I'd hike from the clearing to the rocky Lake George overlook and return the same way, roughly four miles round trip.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake George Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Buck Mountain from Shelving Rock Road
- Shelving Rock Falls
- Who Cooks in the Woods?
- Shelving Rock Mountain Trail
- 113 audio storiesacross Lake George’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor White-tailed Deer, Timber Rattlesnake, Osprey, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 67 trails, 64 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Fishbrook Pond Trail
Know the distance before you startFishbrook Pond Trail is an out-and-back from Dacy Clearing, passing Bumps Pond before reaching…
Fishbrook Pond Trail is an out-and-back from Dacy Clearing, passing Bumps Pond before reaching Fishbrook Pond. The mapped corridor measures 2.9 miles one way, or 5.8 miles round trip. NYSDEC's written segment distances add to 2.5 miles one way, so plan for about 5 to 6 miles round trip. Allow around three and a half hours, including stops. This is a good pick if you want a longer forest walk with two pond stops.
The climb to Bumps PondStart at Dacy Clearing Parking Area.
Start at Dacy Clearing Parking Area. Follow the trail about half a mile to the first junction and turn left for Bumps Pond. NYSDEC describes the 1.6-mile approach as gaining 850 feet. From Bumps, continue another 0.9 mile to Fishbrook Pond. The climb to Bumps is the main effort called out in the route description; the way back follows the same corridor downhill.
Fishbrook and the northern trailsFishbrook is the turnaround for the route mapped here.
Fishbrook is the turnaround for the route mapped here. The trail can continue around the pond and north toward Millman and Lapland Ponds, but the pond circuit and that extension aren't included in the 5-to-6-mile planning range, and their lengths aren't published in the consulted sources. Turn around at Fishbrook if you want the recorded out-and-back.
Getting to the startDacy Clearing Parking Area is on Dacy Clearing Road, off Shelving Rock Road.
Dacy Clearing Parking Area is on Dacy Clearing Road, off Shelving Rock Road. NYSDEC lists the area as free. Lot capacity and toilet or drinking-water details weren't found. Dogs are allowed on state land; keep yours under control and leash it when other hikers approach.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Lake George
34 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
26 sightingsTimber RattlesnakeMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
22 sightingsOspreyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
60 sightingsLoonMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
33 sightingsPorcupineMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
84 sightingsGreat Blue HeronMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Lake George. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
