Hudson Gorge Primitive Area
The Hudson Gorge Primitive Area (HGPA) encompasses approximately 17,000 acres of State Forest Preserve in Essex and Hamilton Counties. It is located north of State Route 28 between the hamlets of Indian Lake and North River, near the center of the Adirondack Park.
The steep-sided Hudson Gorge is one of the most spectacular reaches of the Hudson River. Whitewater rafting through the gorge is the most popular recreational activity in the primitive area.
With limited foot trail access, the interior of the area offers great opportunities for hiking, camping, hunting, fishing and trapping in a wild setting.
Most visitors to the primitive area have been customers of whitewater rafting outfitters, who have led rafting trips between the Lake Abanakee dam on the Indian River to the hamlet of North River on the Hudson, 16 miles away.
Hudson Gorge Primitive Area Facts
Area of Forest Preserve Land: 17,200 acres
Classification: Though technically large enough to be classified wilderness, the unit was given a primitive classification in recognition of the two large parcels of private land that have significant frontage on the Indian and Hudson Rivers.
Location and Boundaries: The Hudson Gorge Primitive Area is near the geographic center of the Adirondack Park, straddling the Hudson River in the town of Minerva in Essex County and the town of Indian Lake in Hamilton County. The unit borders three other Forest Preserve units: the Siamese Ponds Wilderness Area on the south, the Blue Mountain Wild Forest on the west, and the Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest on the north.
Access: There are only two official trailheads in the Hudson Gorge Primitive Area. The only trail north of the Hudson River is the one leading from Northwoods Club Road at Huntley Pond to the "Blue Ledge" on the Hudson River. The only trailhead in the area south of the Hudson is located on Route 28. A marked trail leads to Ross, Whortleberry, and Big Bad Luck Ponds. Most visitors to the area enter on guided rafting expeditions down the Indian and Hudson Rivers.
Topography: The Hudson Gorge Primitive Area ranges in elevation above sea level from a little more than 1,100 feet on the railroad at the unit's southeast corner to 2,558 feet on top of Starbuck Mountain. The most spectacular topographic feature of the Hudson Gorge Primitive Area is the Hudson Gorge itself. Where the river flows at the foot of Pine Mountain, the bank of the gorge is more than 900 feet high.
Water: There are 15 ponds in the Hudson Gorge Primitive Area with a total surface area of about 282 acres. They range in size from 3/4-acre Cedar Pond to 112-acre Big Bad Luck Pond. Besides their attraction as scenic hiking destinations, some of the unit's ponded waters offer excellent brook trout fishing. According to available water chemistry data, the ponded waters of the area have not been significantly affected by the problem of acid precipitation.
Within the Hudson Gorge Primitive Area there are over 37 miles of small streams. In addition, sections of four major rivers run through or border the unit, including the Hudson, Indian, Cedar and Boreas Rivers, all of which have been designated as parts of the New York State Wild, Scenic, and Recreational River System.
Wetlands: The Adirondack Park Agency has mapped more than 120 separate wetlands that are wholly or partly within the unit. The largest wetland complex within the unit covers several hundred acres, surrounding Whortleberry, Cranberry, Big Bad Luck, and Rock Ponds, extending southeast to Bell Mountain Pond, then northeastward along Bell Mountain Brook. Many of the small ponds and wetlands situated within stream valleys have been created by beaver.
Ecological Communities: The face of the Hudson Gorge Primitive Area is characterized by a nearly unbroken mantle of forest vegetation. Major ecological communities occurring within the Hudson Gorge Primitive Area include:
- Spruce-Northern Hardwood Forest
- Successional Northern Hardwoods
- Hemlock-Northern Hardwood Forest
- Beech-Maple Mesic Forest
- Spruce-Fir Swamp
- Northern White-cedar Swamp
- Northern White-cedar Rocky Summit
- Spruce-Fir Rocky Summit
- Northern Red Oak-Eastern White Pine Forest
- Eastern White Pine Forest
- Riverside Ice Meadow
- Calcareous Shoreline Outcrop
- Calcareous Talus Slope Woodland
- Calcareous Cliff Community
- Cobble Shore
Wildlife
Birds: Common loon, pied billed grebe, great blue heron, green heron, American bittern, mallard, wood duck, hooded merganser, common merganser, Canada goose, spotted sandpiper, barred owl, great horned owl, red-shouldered hawk, sharp-shinned hawk, broad-winged hawk, a variety of woodpeckers, flycatchers, wrens, thrushes, vireos, warblers, blackbirds, finches, grosbeaks, and sparrows. Bald and golden eagles have nested on the Blue Ledge.
Mammals: White-tailed deer, black bear, moose, coyote, bobcat, raccoon, red fox, gray fox, fisher, marten, mink, muskrat, striped skunk, river otter, beaver, porcupine, varying hare, ermine, long-tailed weasel, eastern chipmunk, red squirrel, various bats, shrews, moles, and mice.
Other: The many amphibians and reptiles found within the unit also play essential parts in the ecology of the area. Many of the area's ponds contain brook trout. There are brown and rainbow trout in the Indian and Hudson Rivers, along with smallmouth bass and northern pike.
Scenic Resources: The major attraction of the Hudson Gorge Primitive Area is the Hudson River Gorge itself. Perhaps the most notable feature of the gorge is the Blue Ledge, a limestone cliff that towers above a broad pool in the Hudson River at the end of the marked trail from Huntley Pond. A number of small mountain peaks offer fine views. The adventurous hiker who bushwhacks to Kettle Mountain is rewarded with a breathtaking view of the Hudson Gorge, as well as the upper part of impressive OK Slip Falls in the distance.
The major attraction of the Hudson Gorge Primitive Area is the Hudson River Gorge itself. Perhaps the most notable feature of the gorge is the Blue Ledge, a limestone cliff that towers above a broad pool in the Hudson River at the end of the marked trail from Huntley Pond. A number of small mountain peaks offer fine views. The adventurous hiker who bushwhacks to Kettle Mountain is rewarded with a breathtaking view of the Hudson Gorge, as well as the upper part of impressive OK Slip Falls in the distance.
Recreational Opportunities:
Commercial and noncommercial rafting, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, trapping, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and wildlife observation.
Foot Trails:
DEC-Marked and Maintained Trails
- Huntley Pond to Blue Ledge (2.5 miles)
- Route 28 to Ross Pond (2.3 miles)
- Ross Pond Trail to Whortleberry Pond (0.8 mile)
- Ross Pond Trail to Big Bad Luck Pond (0.5 mile)
- Total of 6.1 miles
In addition, there is an extensive system of foot trails that have been established by the Northern Frontier Camp, whose base of operations is on adjacent private lands. There are also four "escape" trails leading from the Hudson River to the Northwoods Club property. A number of unmarked trails lead to the area's ponds.
Preliminary List of Management Issues to be Addressed in the Unit Management Plan
Whitewater Recreation
What level of rafting activity is compatible with the area's primitive classification? How can water releases from the Lake Abanakee Dam be managed to minimize impacts on aquatic life in Lake Abanakee and the Indian and Hudson Rivers, as well as Lake Abanakee shoreline property owners? How can potential conflicts between rafting and angling be managed?
Trails - Should additional trails be constructed?
Access for People with Disabilities - What measures that are compatible with the area's primitive classification can be taken to increase access to the area's recreational opportunities for people with disabilities?
If you have questions and/or comments about this UMP, please email us at: mailto:r5ump@gw.dec.state.ny.us?subject=Hudson Gorge Primitive Area
