Little Sand Point Campground, Adirondaks

Located on Piseco Lake in the central Adirondacks, Little Sand Point Campground is not exactly next door but the natural beauty of this location is well worth the 4.5 hour drive from NYC.

Beautiful Piseco Lake

Piseco lake is a 1 mile wide by 5 mile long lake which is pristine in it's beauty. Dotted with lakefront homes the area is far from being overdeveloped. On the western shore of the lake there are three separate state campgrounds, but Little Sand point is the best in my opinion since the sites are more secluded and wooded than at the other campgrounds.

Our ample campsite fit two tents, a screen house and room to spare

There is a sandy beach area that the family can enjoy, with a boat launch which seemed to be put to use more for diving than actually launching boats. The beauty of this campground is that nearly all sites are lake-front and many of the campers simply dock their boats at their campsite. Some sites even have a sandy beach, while others are rocky or muddy. There is no day use at this facility which means only the campers get to enjoy the beach and facilities. The comfort stations here are basic but clean with flush toilets and sinks. The trash/recycling center is across the road from the campsite and since this is black bear country, taking out the trash nightly is a must. There is also a bathhouse recently added which contains private hot showers with changing rooms and a nice dish washing station. 

Our site had a private beach, with a natural log bench

The ranger station is little more than a booth and there is no ice for sale here though they recently started selling firewood. Luckily, there is a well stocked general store about 10 miles away, there is also a liquor store at the same location. There are no boat rentals at the campground however there were a few signs along the road for rentals and the rangers can direct you to local boat rentals. Update: This campsite now offers boat rentals. Canoes and 1-2 person kayaks are available for rent.

Lovely creek feeds into the lake

The beach is pretty much the only recreation immediately on the campgrounds however just across the road is the start of the popular Echo Cliff trail, 3/4 mile up panther mountain which offer breathtaking views of Piseco lake. There are many other trails in the area within driving distance. We also went white water rafting on the Hudson river with Beaver Brook Outfitters, about an hour and ten minutes away from Piseco, children have to be 8 and older to participate in the summer (12+ in Spring).

White water rafting on the Indian & Hudson rivers

If you drive past the town of Speculator and then south towards the town of Wells, you can stop for a hike to Auger Falls, an amazing waterfall. There are some spots that are level and you can get a great view of the falls and there are some stretches of the path that are along a steep edge so be careful not to let little ones out of control when you get to these points. I'm a big fan of waterfalls. Other waterfall hikes in the area is the Falls on Buckhorn Lake, Christine Falls, Austin Falls and East Jimmy Creek Falls.

Breathtaking Auger Falls

Outside of Lake George/Lake Placid, the Adirondacks always offers rustic at it's very best. The nearest "large" town is charming Speculator, with a population hovering around 350. In Speculator you'll find a supermarket where you can refill on groceries. Also in Speculator is Charlie John's General Store where you can stock up on any supplies or gear you might need. There is a nice public park and beach on Lake Pleasant right on route 30 which has a floating dock that the kids can swim out to and dive from. There is a very charming parade every 4th of July in the town of Speculator which is fun, and there is also fireworks show on Piseco Lake which is visible from the campsite side of the lake.

Public park & beach at Lake Pleasant

So Piseco Lake may not be next door but if you really want to get away from it all and immerse yourself in the beauty of nature you really can't do much better for the price. Little Sand Point is pretty high up on my favorite campground list.

Reserve Little Sand Point Campground

Distance: 4 hours

Age: Child+

Partner: N

Comfort: The Works

Privacy: Moderate

Swimming: Y

Boating: Y