Putnam Pond Campground is perfect for every camping need. It's location near a wilderness area is prime for exploration, but the maintained facilities take away some of the backcountry stress.

Camping

Large, well-forested campsites with lots of privacy. This is a key start-off point for hiking in the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness area.

Choose from interior site camping, which requires a boat for access, or the developed area where car camping is accessible. Campers can rent a canoe or rowboat from DEC staff. 

Day users can pay a small fee to use the facilities even if not camping.

Paddling

Campers have access to rowboats and canoes for rent for paddling on Putnam Pond only. Kayaks and canoes are allowed on the ponds in the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness Area, though they must be portaged at least 0.5 miles to access any of the other ponds.

Boating

Putnam Pond is a popular pond for boating because of its spectacular scenery. The only point of public access to the pond is located at the campground. Motorboats are allowed on Putnam Pond and there is a launch within the campground.

Fishing

Fish species in area ponds are smallmouth bass, yellow perch, and northern pike.

Birding

This campground is in an especially lush environment for water birds. Putnam Pond flows into North Pond, is surrounded by Rock and Clear ponds to the west, and Haymeadow Pond and Cranberry Marsh to the east. Expect to see such wetland birds as tanagers, warblers, vireos, and woodpeckers, and perhaps even the elusive American Bittern.