Round Pond

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The short hike to Round Pond is the perfect hike for those who are looking for a quick hike to a beautiful pond.  This hike starts off Moose River Road near McKeever in the Black River Wild Forest.  The trail is a snowmobile trail in the winter, so the trail is wide and looks to be well maintained.  There are a couple of primitive campsites located near the pond.

There is no DEC signage at the trailhead and parking is a few spots for vehicles along the shoulder of the road. There is a DEC sign about 50 feet on the trail that states the mileage for the trail.  The DEC sign states that the distance to Round Pond is 0.4 miles, maps and guides have the distance at 0.3 miles, we GPS'd the hike at 0.34 miles. There is a minimal elevation change for this simple hike. 

 

From Moose River Road, follow the wide trail marked with red snowmobile trail markers into the woods.  Immediately pass a DEC trail mileage sign.  The sign states it's 0.4 miles to Round Pond, 3.4 miles to Brandy Lake and 3.2 miles to Route 28 (it's actually 2.7 miles to NY 28).  At 0.25 miles reach an unmarked junction. The trail to the right leads a short distance to Round Pond.  You should see the pond as you look down the trail.  The trail on the left continues another 1.5 miles to the junction of the Brandy Lake Trail.

Turn right to reach Round Pond. At 0.3 miles reach the first campsite and if you continue toward the right along a herd path, you'll reach the better campsite with an awesome view of Round Pond at 0.34 miles.  Look below for a couple of pictures and a map of this easy hike. 

Directions:  

To reach the trailhead, from NY 28 turn on Moose River Road (before the Moose River bridge heading to Old Forge, after the bridge if heading from Old Forge.  Drive 2.1 miles on Moose River Road and the trail is on the left near the crest of a small hill.  The GPS coordinates are N43 36.147 W75 08.463 for those who have a GPS devise in their vehicle.