The Moose River Plains Wild Forest is a 50,000-acre (200 km2) tract in the Adirondack Park in Hamilton and Herkimer counties in New York State; it is designated as Wild Forest by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. It is bounded on the north by the Pigeon Lake Wilderness Area, Raquette Lake and the Blue Ridge Wilderness Area, on the east and the south by the West Canada Lake Wilderness Area and the private lands of the Adirondack League Club, and on the west by the Fulton Chain Lakes and New York State Route 28. It includes the Red River, one of the many Indian Rivers in the Park (originating at Brook Trout Lake), Cobblestone Creek, Mountain Lake Outlet, Horn Lake Outlet, Ice Cave Mountain Outlet, Benedict Brook, Muskrat Creek, Silver Run, Otter Brook, Twin Lakes Outlet, the headwaters of the North Branch of the Black River (beginning just over the hill behind Horn Lake), the South Branch of the Moose River and the 675-acre (2.73 km2) Cedar River Flow, as well as Mitchell Ponds, Lost Ponds, Twin Lakes, Icehouse and Helldiver Ponds, Beaver Lake, Squaw Lake, Balsam Lake, Stink Lake, Mountain Lake, Monument Lake, Snyder Lake, and furthest in, Horn Lake. This is the area in which the Adirondack Guide, French Louie, ran so many of his traplines. Entrances to the Plains are at the Cedar River Gate, near Indian Lake, NY, and the Limekiln Gate, near Inlet, NY. It is the largest block of remote lands in the Adirondacks readily accessible by motor vehicle, and probably contains the most remote lands in the Adirondacks.
The "plains" of the Moose and Red Rivers are zones of grass and herbaceous vegetation that contrast with the forest that covers much of the Adirondack Park.
The Moose River Plains Wild Forest has miles of marked trails for hiking, skiing, mountain biking, horseback riding, and snowmobiling, along with many lakes and ponds for canoeing and kayaking. Hunting, fishing and primitive camping are permitted during designated seasons.
Famous quotes containing the words moose, river, plains, wild and/or forest:
“How far men go for the material of their houses! The inhabitants of the most civilized cities, in all ages, send into far, primitive forests, beyond the bounds of their civilization, where the moose and bear and savage dwell, for their pine boards for ordinary use. And, on the other hand, the savage soon receives from cities iron arrow-points, hatchets, and guns, to point his savageness with.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“The river’s tent is broken; the last fingers of leaf
Clutch and sink into the wet bank. The wind
Crosses the brown land, unheard. The nymphs are departed.
Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song.
The river bears no empty bottles, sandwich papers,
Silk handkerchiefs, cardboard boxes, cigarette ends
Or other testimony of summer nights.”
—T.S. (Thomas Stearns)
“The Plains are not forgiving. Anything that is shallow—the easy optimism of a homesteader; the false hope that denies geography, climate, history; the tree whose roots don’t reach ground water—will dry up and blow away.”
—Kathleen Norris (b. 1947)
“For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield; but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, so that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the wild animals may eat. You shall do the same with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard.”
—Bible: Hebrew, Exodus 23:10,11.
“The commonwealth of Athens is become a forest of beasts.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)