DEC looks to updates at Sharp Bridge Campground in North Hudson

RAY BROOK | Facilities at Sharp Bridge Campsite are being considered for upgrades. One of the oldest Department of Environmental Conservation camping areas in the Adirondack Park, Sharp Bridge was established in 1920 as a single roadside site. In 1924, 10 additional sites were added along with sanitary facilities. Located in North Hudson along State Route 9, the quiet pine-wooded campground and day-use area has 40 campsites today, including a caretaker's cabin, picnic pavilion and a shower building. Water to the campsites, the cabin and the day-use area comes from a well and is dispersed with a chlorination pump. Water in the shower building is heated with propane, using about 235 gallons, according to DEC's Unit Management Plan. The state is proposing seven upgrades to the historic campground. Land use planners look to replace the caretaker's cabin; rehabilitate about 0.9 miles of gravel roads, replace the trailer dumping station, rehabilitate the water system, replace overhead electric lines with an underground system, upgrade tree and shrub plantings, and restore the campsites. Sharp Bridge is surrounded by the 45,619-acre Hammond Pond Wild Forest, which has a large system of hiking trails, including the East Mill Flow-Round Pond Trail. There are no swimming facilities or a beach at Sharp Bridge, but Lincoln Pond is about 15 miles north. Sharp Bridge was established along the Schroon River. DEC has completed a draft Unit Management Plan (UMP) outlining the restoration. They have opened a comment period, seeking public input through Dec. 19. Attendance numbers, calculated by the number of campers multiplied times the number of nights spent, remain stable compared to 20 years ago, DEC reports in the UMP. But Day Use has trended down. In 2021, attendance was 3,861, with only four day-use visitors. Average use at Sharp Bridge is 3,993 campers, with 11 day-use visits. DEC said the proposed management actions "reflect the need to modernize facilities to comply with health and safety codes and user needs. They will also provide universal access and increase the efficiency of the campground." Roadways to campsites are in poor condition, according to the UMP report. "The 0.90 mile of interior campground road is in poor condition with crumbling shoulders and potholes. The entire 0.90 mile of roadway needs to be repaved, while the additional 0.28 mile of campsite driveway and access roads should be maintained as gravel. Where possible, roads rehabilitation design should consider access for emergency response and maintenance vehicles. Based on current and anticipated visitor use, most of the campground would require a typical one-way road." And the water system is antiquated. "The water system at Sharp Bridge is old and needs rehabilitation to meet current Department of Health regulations. The buried waterlines, tanks, and well should be replaced. Additional water spigots should be installed as necessary to meet health codes and accessibility standards." In addition, overhead power lines are often in need of maintenance. DEC plans to bury them: "This management action proposes to bury the overhead power lines and to move the pole transformers to a ground pad location. This action will improve system reliability, reduce maintenance cost and improve visual aesthetic of the area." DEC contends that benefits of the proposed actions include compliance with state health codes and the Americans with Disabilities Act and Architectural Barriers Act, along with modernization to provide "satisfactory recreational experience for users, upkeep of facilities to contribute to public safety, and providing conditions in a setting and on a scale that is harmonious with the character of the Adirondack Park." WEIGH IN Adirondack Park Agency (APA) and DEC are holding a joint public comment period for the Sharp Bridge Public Campground and Day Use Area Draft Unit Management Plan to guide future management. The draft UMP for the Sharp Bridge Campground and Day-Use Area is available to read or download online: apa.ny.gov/Mailing/2022/11/stateLand.htm. Copies are also available from DEC in electronic format on compact disc and may be requested by calling 518-457-2500. The public can also visit the Sharp Bridge Campground and Day-Use Area Survey online to share comments on recreational opportunities: surveymonkey.com/r/SharpUMP. Survey responses will be accepted until Dec. 19. Public comments can be submitted by mail or email to: Josh Houghton, EPS2 (NR), NYS DEC Bureau of Recreation, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-5253. Send comments to DEC via email: campinfo@dec.ny.gov. APA will accept public comments on the proposed draft plan's conformance to the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan through Dec. 19. All written comments related to the proposed UMP's conformance to the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan can be mailed to: Megan Phillips, Deputy Director Planning, Adirondack Park Agency, P.O. Box 99, Ray Brook, NY 12977 Comments can also be sent via email to: SLMP_UMP_Comments@apa.ny.gov

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DEC looks to updates at Sharp Bridge Campground in North Hudson

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