Parking
Start at the Inman Pond Parking Area on Sly Pond Road. Follow Inman Pond Trail to its junction with the northbound Inman Pond Spur.
Overview
About Inman Pond Trail from Sly Pond Road
Why go
- A pond destination without a summit-length hike
Heads up
- The return retraces the same corridor; a full shore loop is unconfirmed
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake George map
Full mapElevation1,107–1,410 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 Inman Pond Trail from Sly Pond Road, 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
Inman Pond from Sly Pond Road0:00 / 0:24
“Inman Pond's Sly Pond Road trailhead is coming up, for a forest walk to a pond rather than a summit. Allow an hour and a half to two hours for the two point six mile round trip, including a steeper climb near the end.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake George Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Trout Lily's Short Spring
- The Mussel’s First Ride
- The Heron's Folded Neck
- Who Cooks in the Woods?
- 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 Inman Pond Trail from Sly Pond Road
A short pond hikeThis 2.
This 2.6-mile out-and-back follows forest trails from Inman Pond Parking Area on Sly Pond Road to Inman Pond. The first 0.5 mile reaches a junction on Inman Pond Trail; take the northbound Inman Pond Spur for the final 0.8 mile. That spur climbs 380 feet to the pond. It suits a short outing when you want a pond-side destination instead of a summit; allow about 1.5 to 2 hours with a stop at the water.
Take the spurThe main trail continues toward Buck Mountain and Pilot Knob.
The main trail continues toward Buck Mountain and Pilot Knob. For Inman Pond, take the northbound spur at the junction and stay with it to the water. The branch is the key decision on this walk: continuing on the through-trail takes you away from the pond and into a different, much longer outing.
At the pondThe marked route reaches the shore beside a primitive tent site.
The marked route reaches the shore beside a primitive tent site. At the west end, a large boulder is reported to give a higher view across the water. Reaching it involves a short, unmarked scramble, so treat it as an optional side trip rather than part of the mapped hike. From the shoreline, the pond and wooded ridge make the natural photo; the higher boulder view takes more effort and rougher footing.
Return the same wayThis itinerary is an out-and-back; a complete shore circuit could not be confirmed, so plan to…
This itinerary is an out-and-back; a complete shore circuit could not be confirmed, so plan to retrace the marked route. Dogs are allowed on state land when kept under control; leash them when other visitors 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.
