Parking
Start at the DEC Padanarum Road Parking Area, which also serves the Long Pond hand launch. The unpaved road has been described as rough and rutted, so drive slowly; a low-clearance car may need to park farther out and add road walking.
Overview
About Long Pond Trail from Padanarum Road
Why go
- A short, low-grade walk reaches a quiet pond and canoe launch.
Heads up
- Beaver-wet low ground has repeatedly made route-finding harder.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake George map
Full mapElevation1,250–1,388 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 Long Pond Trail from Padanarum 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 tourMore stories near here in the app
- The Empty Skin Beside the Water
- Clay Meadows and Tongue Mountain
- The Loon’s Underwater Chase
- Leaves That Wait for Spring
- 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 Long Pond Trail from Padanarum Road
The short versionLong Pond Trail from Padanarum Road is a 2.2-mile out-and-back to Long Pond’s hand launch.
Long Pond Trail from Padanarum Road is a 2.2-mile out-and-back to Long Pond’s hand launch. Walk 1.1 miles in and return the same way. The route makes a short climb, then settles into mostly level woods; it’s a good choice when you want a water-side stop without a summit day. Allow about 1 to 2 hours, especially if you linger at the pond.
The climb and wet groundThe first rise is the most noticeable part of the walk; the official description puts the early…
The first rise is the most noticeable part of the walk; the official description puts the early climb at about 120 feet before the trail levels. The path passes through mixed woods, including hemlocks, with stretches of soft ground. Beaver activity has repeatedly flooded low sections and forced detours, which can make the opening hard to follow. Carry an offline map and be ready to turn around if the trail is flooded.
Long Pond is the turnaroundThe verified route reaches the Long Pond hand launch at about 1.1 miles.
The verified route reaches the Long Pond hand launch at about 1.1 miles. This is a canoe carry as well as a short hike, so the pond is the payoff, not a developed recreation area. No drinking water or restroom at the access was confirmed; bring what you need and plan facilities elsewhere.
If you want Island PondThe official south approach continues about another half mile from Long Pond to Island Pond, 1.
The official south approach continues about another half mile from Long Pond to Island Pond, 1.6 miles one way from the road. That final section is missing from the mapped route available here, and older accounts describe wet, hard-to-follow ground near the pond. The route line on this page ends at Long Pond. Confirm the current way through with DEC before continuing north.
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.
