US lakes & ponds
New York › Ulster County › Hardenburgh › Alder Lake

Alder Lake

Hardenburgh, New York — Ulster County.

Share:TextEmailFacebookX
45Surface acres
1Public access sites
1.1 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 25528870).

Location & fast facts

Where Alder Lake is in New York

The red circle marks Alder Lake.

Fast facts

About Alder Lake

  • County: Ulster
  • Town: Hardenburgh
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 63 mi from Albany and 102 mi from Syracuse, straight-line (not driving distance)

Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline.

Fishing in New York

Official NYSDEC pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.

Good for & watch for

Good for

  • Paddling. 1 public access site, no trailer ramp listed
  • Walking. 1.1 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 12 campgrounds within 15 mi (list)

Watch for

  • Cold water. Water stays cold well into late spring and turns cold again in fall. Wear a life jacket when paddling in the shoulder seasons.

Built only from the data on this page: official access lists, OpenStreetMap beaches and trails, campground listings, state and USGS invasive-species records. We don't rate crowds or water quality.

Lake map

Alder Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Alder Lake DEC boat launch (Cartop / walk-in)10.1 mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Cartop / walk-inShoreline trail
  1. 1Alder Lake DEC boat launch
    Cartop / walk-in · Hardenburgh

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 25528870), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: NYSDEC boat launch sites (data.ny.gov). Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Shoreline trails

1.1 miTrail within 80 m of shore
About 75%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
North and south shoresWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 1.1 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 80 m (260 ft) of the Alder Lake shoreline, mostly along the north and south shores. They follow about 75% of the shore, so you can walk most of the way around but not a full loop.

Trails along the shore

Getting to the trails

No trailhead is mapped for these trails. The closest public access site is Alder Lake DEC boat launch, 50 ft from a shoreline trail (NYSDEC boat launch data).

The dashed brown line on the lake map shows these trails. We include paths, footways and marked trails that OpenStreetMap doesn't mark as private, and leave out roads, sidewalks and snowmobile corridors. Mapped trails can still cross private land or close for the season, and not every trail is mapped, so follow posted signs.

Trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Map data as of Oct 9, 2026. Trail lengths count only the parts within about 80 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.

Campgrounds near Alder Lake

We found 12 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Alder Lake, 1 of them within 5 miles. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

6 more within 15 miles

All campgrounds & RV parks in New York

Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.

Campground data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.

Conditions right now

Air temperature & conditions (nearest NWS station)Loading…
Fetching the latest National Weather Service observation…

Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (42.0496, -74.6770). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Alder Lake. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

Sun, moon & best fishing times

Sun & moon at Alder Lake

Best fishing times

Major periodMinor periodDaylight

    Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in ET (America/New_York), and accurate to within a few minutes.

    Boat launches & access sites

    1 public access site listed.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Alder Lake DEC boat launchHardenburghNYSDECHand Launch10 car—Boating42.0499, -74.6804

    NYSDEC boat launch sites (data.ny.gov)

    Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.

    Contact & official info

    Questions about Alder Lake

    How big is Alder Lake?

    Alder Lake covers about 45 acres in Hardenburgh, New York (Ulster County).

    Is there a public boat launch on Alder Lake?

    No trailer ramp is listed, but there is 1 public access site for car-top boats or shore access.

    Are there campgrounds near Alder Lake?

    Yes. We list 12 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 1 of them within 5 miles.

    What towns are on Alder Lake?

    Alder Lake touches Hardenburgh in Ulster County, New York.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Alder Lake? Tell us about the launch, parking, where they're biting or anything a first-time visitor should know. Tips go privately to the LakeRipple editor; nothing is posted automatically. Helpful tips may be featured on this page (we'll use your first name only if you give one).

    Lakes & ponds nearby

    Straight-line distance between lake centers. All New York lakes & ponds · All waters in Hardenburgh