Blue Mountain Wild Forest - Unit Management Plan
This area is located in Hamilton and western Essex counties. It is bounded by Route 30 on the west and south, the Hudson River on the east and Route 28N on the north.The terrain varies from gentle around the easily accessible and popular Rock Lake to extremely steep and rugged in the remote Fishing Brook Range. The 3,759 foot Blue Mountain dominates the landscape for some distance around, offering wide ranging views in all directions for those willing to make a short but steep hike to the summit from the picturesque hamlet of Blue Mountain Lake.
For a description of recreational opportunities in the unit, please visit the Blue Mountain Wild Forest recreation page.
Status of the UMP
The Department adopted a Unit Management Plan (UMP) for the Blue Mountain Wild Forest in 1995. If you have questions about the UMP, please email us at: r5.ump@dec.ny.gov.
Download the UMP
Blue Mountain Wild Forest Unit Management Plan - (PDF, 6.3 MB)
2017 Amendment - Recreational and Summit Facilities Improvements
This UMP Amendment contains four components:
- Development of an accessible tent site on Lake Durant;
- Creation of a spur trail that connects the hamlet of Long Lake to the Northville Placid Trail (NPT);
- Construction of an additional lean-to on a heavily-used section of the Northville Placid Trail; and
- Modifications to the Blue Mountain summit facilities, including: a) rehabilitation of the Blue Mountain access road; b) removal of summit facilities that are no longer in use; and c) installation of improvements that will protect the Department's investment in the facilities on the summit.
2017 Amendment to the Blue Mountain Wild Forest UMP - (PDF, 4 MB)
2016 Amendment - Essex Chain Lakes Management Complex Plan
The Essex Chain Lakes Management Complex Plan proposed a suite of actions to provide public recreational opportunities on recently acquired state lands, many of which fall within the Blue Mountain Wild Forest. As such, the Plan also acts as an amendment to the Blue Mountain Wild Forest UMP.
