Exploring the multiple recreational opportunities at a former Boy Scout camp in Long Lake
Editor’s note: Please note the access restrictions in place on this property. Access to the conservation easement for the Mud Pond Area is year-round. The McRorie Lake Area, including Mud Pond Mountain, is closed to the public between June 24 and Aug. 23.
By Tom French
For over half a century, beginning in the mid-1960s, the glee of boys laughing, splashing, and playing filled the woods of the Cedarlands Scout Reservation at McRorie Lake near Long Lake. Originally an Adirondack Great Camp built in the 1890s by New York City real estate broker Thomas Walker, a lifelong bachelor who died in 1929, the property was inherited by one of his employees upon his sister’s death in 1946 and sold to the Oneida Council of the Boy Scouts for $10 in 1962. You will pass the gatehouse on the drive in along Kickerville Lane (originally Walker Road), though the only remnant of the camp, which burned in 1980, is a stone chimney that can be seen from the lake.
New York State purchased easement rights from the Boy Scouts in 2002 for $2.3 million and the DEC issued the final Recreational Management Plan (RMP) in 2019. Implementation has been ongoing, and this past fall I paddled and hiked to Mud Pond Mountain with my friends Doug and Susan Miller. Doug had already completed two recon trips.
The easement divides the property into four areas, two of which are off limits at all times. Access to Mud Pond is year-round. McRorie Lake is closed to the public between June 24 and Aug. 23. That still leaves 10 months for paddling, hiking, biking, skiing, and snowshoeing. The RMP even mentions the possibility of a trail around the perimeter of the lake.
We began at the public parking area with a DEC kiosk off Kickerville Lane. Homemade “Private Road” and No Trespassing signs near the gatehouse are confusing, but continuing along the gravel road to the parking area is legal all year long.
A paddle on Mud Pond, McRorie Lake
The one-third mile carry to Mud Pond begins through a field on the far side of the parking area. We were able to parallel park the canoe along the bank for an easy cast off.
As we paddled away, we noticed two designated camping sites (one of which is adjacent to the carry and accessible on foot). We spotted the outlet where the waters of Mud Pond (and McRorie Lake) flow to Big Brook and Long Lake.
We steered toward the western shore and the inlet from McRorie Lake – no sign of noticeable current but filled with pickerelweed past their purple flower peak of August. For the most part, we were able to weave through narrow channels free of flora, though at one point Susan drew blood from a “papercut” when her hand grazed one of the pickerelweed leaves. Tamaracks along the marsh were turning gold, and a large number of cedars appeared to be dying from flooding.
After whacking through the weeds, we reached a narrow landing where I exited from the front, pulled the canoe further up for Susan, and then Doug. It’s a 200-yard carry to Fish Camp Trail (the hiking, biking, ski, and snowshoe access). After crossing the bridge, the carry continues to the right.
The RMP indicates that a two-car parking lot will be constructed in this area for use by those with Motorized Access Program for People with Disabilities (MAPPWD) permits along with accessible canoe carries to both Mud Pond and McRorie Lake.
The launch for McRorie is also a narrow channel but allows for side loading. Multiple dead cedars lean onto the water as you exit the outlet into the lake. We were quickly overwhelmed by an abundance of ankle biters and reached for the bug dope.
Known as Rock Pond before the Scouts purchased the property, a disused beach appears on the right – the skeleton of a wooden life guard chair stands sentry over the now grass-covered sand. To the east we spotted a mowed lawn with a building and the chimney – all off limits to public access.
RELATED READING: New owner, old easement at former Cedarlands Boy Scout camp
Hiking Mud Pond Mountain
A large island dominates this end of the lake. It is navigable on either side. We went to the right and returned later in the day on the other side. The trail to Mud Pond Mountain begins in a bay to the left on the other side of the island. A number of shoals dot the lake in this area, so we watched for sleepers. We also looked for the designated campsite indicated on the DEC map, but did not see it. An old ladder leans against a large rock off a point that we suspect was used for jumping off by swimmers.
As the bay narrows, look for a worn embankment to the right. We did not see any official signs. I spied some pink flagging on the ground, and when I exited the boat to investigate, found recent signs of trail maintenance and more flagging. This was the muckiest and stinkiest landing of the day. Both Doug and Susan exited by walking forward in the canoe.
The path climbs away from shore for a few yards before turning right along an old woods trail or skid path. That peters out, but the path is easily discernible as it climbs to the Fish Camp Trail. Note the junction – it is not marked and partially hidden by the brush. Turn left. Signs for the Mud Pond Mountain Trail are just ahead.
The well-marked trail with blue DEC disks every few feet follows an old Scouts’ trail. On Doug’s previous visit, the start was indicated with a sign saying “O. A. Mountain” (for Order of the Arrow) – the name the Scouts used. The sign appears to have been removed, perhaps to avoid confusion. The trail is straight and steep – “not to modern standards,” as Doug said several times. It gains 600 feet in .7 miles with grades close to 50% at times. As indicated on the DEC map, the trail fishhooks near the top where a false peak has probably lured many hikers. When Doug first climbed the mountain in 2022, before disks and signs, he ventured onto the outcrop, but sensed something was off and found the trail to the real vista.
The 180-degree view begins with the Sewards to the north, includes a nugget of Algonquin, the Santanonis, local peaks such as Kempshall, Buck (not the one with the recently opened fire tower), Blueberry and Platt Hill, and rounds off with Blue Mountain, Owls Head, and the rolling peaks and hills to the west.
Any canoe trip with Doug, despite larger objectives, will involve a few casts. “You’ve got the boat,” was a common refrain once we returned to the canoe. With the summit completed, Doug felt free to dawdle with a little fishing. On his first cast, he reeled in a nice sized bass. His second cast landed an even larger fish. And his third cast brought in a real whopper.
Having caught more fish in five minutes than an entire day on some lakes, he returned to paddling. We continued north to check out a new lean-to built in 2017. When Susan noted the lack of any turtles, Doug suggested the water was so warm (especially compared to spring) that they didn’t need to sun as much for heat. Doug tossed a lure whenever he divined a potential hole. He even tricked a few little guys on our return across Mud Pond.
The Scouts recently sold their property for $3.5 million to an LLC with a Manhattan address. Regardless, public access per the easement will continue with any sale.
More to Explore: Related reading
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