Moose River Plains Wild Forest — Attraction in Town of Inlet

I have been going here for going on 20 years now. A lot has changed over the years. Some for the good. Some for the bad. The good, First its still one of the most beautiful roadside camping areas in NY. Might possibly be the only roadside camping in NY. Second, Freedom. If you don't like crowded campgrounds this is your place. I like being able to let my dog run and play without bothering anyone or getting yelled at by the camp manager. I enjoy the quietness. the only sounds you will here is the wind in the trees and or the water flowing in the creek. Looking at the sky on a clear night without any light pollution and seeing how bright the stars are and being able to see the satellites orbit all for the low price of free. Third, Roads. Although still not an interstate by any means. The roads have been greatly upgraded and maintained in the last say 10 years. To the point that I don't mind bringing a 30' camper in. They are still rough and in a few spots sketchy, but for the most part a huge improvement. Now for the not so great. First, people. There are only 100 spots available and they are first come first serve basis since its free. Throughout the years the popularity of the plains has exploded. I highly recommend not going during peak months May to September. Best time to go is from late September till the gates close in early winter. If you must do a summer trip avoid from May until second week in July. The black flies are so bad the will torture you and your pets relentlessly. I guess my only other complaint which is truly an opinion would be the fact there is absolutely no cell service. You are truly on your own. Not the worst thing but being able to have contact with someone in case of an emergency would be nice. All in all, still my favorite place to spend time with nature, myself,...

Started at the visitor sign-in in Inlet, NY. Drove approx 14.7mi in to the Squaw Lake Trailhead. The hiked the 0.75mi trail to beautiful Squaw Lake. The trail starts out qith a slight uphill walk on an old road which is overgrown, approx 0.3mi. Then the actual trail starts with a step down hill walk eventually leveling out and a slight down hill walk until you reach the lake, approx 0.4mi. Finally, a short walk parallel to the lake to reach the campsite. We spent 4 days there and spent the night in a tent, unfortunately there was no leanto. It was really windy and temperatures got as low as 53F at night and about 70F during the day. Lake has Loons in it constantly and even an Ospreys nest on the far end. There are 4-5 islands which you can swim to but also have to hike around the lake to make that swim easier. While exploring, we stumbled upon a second campsite which is not easy to access...

I camped here many years ago with my fiance, and another couple. We drove for what seemed hours before we chose our camp site. If memory serves me correctly, we were the last possible camp site in. One of the hiking trails was right off of our camp site, and we had what was our own private pond. I absolutely loved the place. If you carry it in, carry it out, you can cut up and burn downed tree's, but don't cut any down. Bring any and all supplies you can carry, and bug spray. The black flies were insane, but it was memorial day weekend. Our nearest neighbors were at the least a quarter mile to a half mile down the road from us. No showers, no bathrooms, no electricity. Rough as it gets, but worth every minute of it. Be sure to sign in on your way in, and sign out on your way out. If you don't, they will search for you. I had the best time of my life...