White Hill Wild Forest

[DSettahr]

I'd like to get up to White Hill Wild Forest at some point to do some poking around and exploring, and camp out for a night or two. I was just curious if anyone here had any experience with the area.

How is Clear Pond for camping? I know that one can drive pretty close to the pond; does it ever get busy/crazy? Also, the UMP calls for the establishment of two new designated sites on the south shore of the pond; does anyone know if these sites have been created?

How is the hike from Clear Pond to Little Rock, Long, and Lillypad Ponds? The maps make it look pretty swampy, and some photos I found online appear to show an overgrown, little used trail. Also, how is the forest for primitive camping at Long or Lillypad Ponds? I assume I would be doing to the 150 foot thing as the UMP makes no mention of any designated sites at either of these ponds.

Thanks in advance...

[craigmcg]

I marked the trails there many years ago for my Eagle scout project when it was still a boy scout camp. Went back there a couple summers ago to see what the state had done.

You can drive to within 50 yards of Clear Pond (at least in the summer, I assume the roads are not plowed in winter). There are some state-made camp sites near the pond that are very easy to get to. I have not explored any of the old trail network.

[Banoe]

Clear Pond has a canoe launch and campsites that can be carried into it also has a handicapped site that can be driven into. My best guess is that the UMP plan for that area was carried out about five years ago and all the sites that are shown on that plan are in place.

From the looks of things and the entry's in the register book the area doesn't get used a lot. I hiked the trail to long pond last summer and it is pretty much as you described swampy and overgrown.

[DSettahr]

Thanks. I'm thinking that I will probably just try to camp off trail someplace near Long or Lillypad Pond.

[Sn.Forester]

Clear Pond - White Hill Wild Forest

Under good weather conditions, you can drive the road into Clear Pond. In the winter this town road is not plowed, and is a snowmobile trail. It can get pretty muddy in the spring, and there is one spot where the beavers usually dam up a road culvert.

The trail around the back side of Clear Pond was cut out and marked with red trail markers and 2 designated campsites were established. This trail doesn't get a lot of use, so it maybe grown in a little. The campsites were marked with DEC Camp Here markers. There is parking and a trail register at Clear Pond.

The trail to Lily Pad and Long Ponds will be wet. Note, you can also start at a trailhead off the Goldmine Road on Conservation Easement land, that within 1/4 mile crosses a boundary into Forest Preserve. This is the shortest route into Lily Pad Pond. However, this time of year the road will be very muddy -m possibly impassable.