Chain Lakes Road South to Pine Lake

By Rich Macha

Chain Lakes Road South leaves NY Route 28 a little east of the hamlet of  Indian Lake, heads north along the west side of Lake Abanakee, and eventually enters the southern section of the Essex Chain Lakes Complex. The road is plowed for 1.4 miles to a parking area located near the Bullhead Pond trailhead – this is also where, in warmer months, the rafting companies and whitewater paddlers put in on the Indian River while on their way to the Hudson River Gorge.

The state bought the Essex Chain Tract from The Nature Conservancy in 2012, after TNC had purchased the tract from the Finch, Pruyn and Company in 2007. The Gooley Club had several camps in the area but their leases expired in 2018 and the camps were removed. The tract features several old dirt logging roads that penetrate the area. Chain Lakes Road South can take the explorer to a variety of scenic attractions which include the Indian River, Hudson River, Clear Pond, Cedar River, and Pine Lake.

The skiing starts on the continuation of the good dirt road heading northeast. Six inches of snow would be sufficient for decent skiing conditions for most of the way to Pine Lake, 6.5 miles from the parking area. Rolling terrain predominates, with a slight loss of elevation for the first couple of miles. You get glimpses of the Indian River on your right and you can hear it most of the time as it rushes its way toward the Hudson.

The Red Finch gate is reached at two miles and the road bends to the northwest – from here the Hudson Gorge Wilderness is on your right, while the Pine Lake Primitive Area is on your left. The terrain continues with gentler ups and downs. Soon after the gate, you may notice another gate on the right. If you ski around this gate, go straight for a short distance, then take a right, you will be on an unmarked trail (intermediate skiing) that drops down 0.5 miles to a delightful spot where the Indian River flows into the Hudson River.

Back on the main trail, the summer parking area is found 2.8 miles from the start. This is the site of the Outer Gooley building which the state removed in 2021. A short, unmarked path drops down to a very scenic spot on the rocky Hudson River. There is a short, marked trail to the river nearby but it is rough and narrow so I don’t recommend skiing it.

A gate and register kiosk are located just past the parking area. After skiing another 1.2 miles, the trail to Clear Pond is on the left. The sign at the junction says it is only 0.3 miles to the pond but, in actuality, it is about twice that. The hard-to-follow trail is marked with old non-standard (Gooley Club?) markers and some new markers. It is at least intermediate skiing as the trail travels up and over a small hill, but once at the pond you are rewarded with some steep rocky shoreline and a view of Dun Brook Mountain in the distance to the northwest.

Back on the old road, it is 0.3 miles to another gate – the road is open to vehicles to this point during big game hunting season. Soon after, Mud Pond is seen on the left. The road is washed out for a stretch before reaching a junction – bear left at this point. You’ll soon reach a 200-foot spur trail leading to the Cedar River, where a downed tree makes for a decent bench if you need to take a break – this is 5.5 miles from the start.

The main road continues to the west for 0.9 miles to Pine Lake, climbing gently before going over a hump and dropping down to the small lake. Nearby is a campsite with a picnic table. Pine Lake is one of just a few bodies of water within the Adirondack Forest Preserve that floatplanes are allowed to land on. In season, fishermen can get dropped off at a campsite at the far west end of the lake. In winter, the lake is very peaceful.

You can then enjoy skiing back in your tracks. Skiing to Pine Lake and making all the side trips would make for a good 16-mile day, so you may want to break things up and return on another date to take in the side trips you may have missed.

More Essex Chain Complex info and a map can be found online: dec.ny.gov/places/essex-chain-lakes-complex.

A lover of wild places, Rich Macha has led many trips for the Adirondack Mountain Club and has spent 20 years in the paddle/snowsport business. For more of Rich’s adventures, visit: northeastwild.blogspot.com.