Indian Lake Islands campsites are one of the best kept secrets in the Adirondacks.
I’ve been going there for the past 25 years as a kid, then my wife and I would go on our own, and we’ve been bringing our kids there for the past few years as well.
The campsites are accessible by boat only. There’s one launch at the South end near Lewey Lake campground where canoes can be rented from the state park check-in and another on the West side at the Marina halfway up that has power boats as well, with other supplies as well. For everything else, there’s a grocery store just south in the town of Speculator.
All sites come with an outhouse, fire pit, and picnic table.
The fish are plentiful and the swimming is perfect with many rocks to jump off of at various points along the lake.
There’s a waterfall feature at the south end of the lower lake through the narrows that runs strong in the spring.
It’s located the the Southernmost point of entry of Adirondack State Park, and is about two hours on a scenic drive from Albany west to Amsterdam and up North past Sacanadaga Lake.
Snowy Peak looms large on the west side of the lake with some rock climbing routes on the back side with snow caves along the approach.
We always pick weekends with a full moon, and each island only has a few sites which makes for a great experience...isolated and not on top of each other.
Pro Tips:
-These sites get reserved months in advance, so book 6 months or more prior from the Reserve America website.
-The winds come ripping across the water, so it may be preferable to get something on the East side that offers a bit more protection.
Permanently closed...new restaurant is up and running there already.