Flashback (Can you say "Free"?)

    The Adirondacks is a great place to kayak, but you need a place to stay or camp. Sharon and I accidentally discovered that, within the park boundaries, there are free campsites on park lands. In this photo, our RV is at site number 11 on Floodwood Road in the St. Regis Canoe Area. This particular campsite is well isolated from other campsites (there are only 11) and within walking distance of a group of lakes connected by streams. So, with the use of our kayak dollies, we can be paddling within minutes of leaving the campsite. You are permitted to stay for 3 days without a camping permit. However, with a camping permit you may stay up to 2 weeks. We did not have a permit when we parked the RV here one Sunday in July. On returning to the RV on Monday after a day of kayaking, we discovered a note on our windshield from the local park ranger informing us of the length-of-stay policy. On the note was the ranger's name, phone number and address in Keese Mill, a small town about an hour away. As it was early Monday evening we decided to call the ranger's office on Tuesday during business hours to make arrangements to stay longer than 3 days. The next morning, we got up early to kayak on Long Pond, a local pond on Floodwood Road, and planned a early return to the RV by mid-afternoon. We would then take the Jeep to find cell phone coverage so that we could call the ranger as there was no cell phone coverage at the campsite. Also, we thought we may need to travel to the town of Keese Mill to secure a permit. While we were on the lake, we stopped for a early lunch at one of the designated campsites. On our departure, as we were back-paddling the kayaks away from shore, we noticed a canoe approaching us. In the canoe was a single paddler. As we exchanged greetings with the gentleman, he asked us if we were enjoying our visit. We replied that we enjoy kayaking and camping in the Adirondacks. Somehow it came up in our conversation that we were camping on Floodwood Road. Without hesitation the gentleman said "Site No. 11?" to which I replied yes. The only way he could know this was if he was the park ranger who had left the note on our windshield. So I asked him if he was the Ranger Smith (fictitious name) and he replied yes! We informed him of our plans to call him later that day to learn how to get a extended stay permit, to which he replied "I can issue you a permit right now". So there we are, in the middle of the St. Regis Canoe Area, getting our 2-week camping permit. Then to our further surprise, we were informed the permit is issued without fees. The site was free and the permit was free - Thank you state of New York. Note - Park policies (camp sites/permits) may have changed since our last trip in 2006.

The above photo is a view of campsite No. 11 from Floodwood Raod. Also shown is the Jeep with the kayaks loaded ready to go on our next Adirondack kayak adventure.