CRANBERRY LAKE — At the September Agency meeting, the Adirondack Park Agency Board approved an amendment to the Cranberry Lake Campground Unit Management Plan, allowing the NYSDEC to proceed with constructing a rustic playground in the campground.

The project replaces an existing paved parking lot and amphitheater, and therefore avoids tree cutting, wetlands, and other impacts.

The construction of a playground is not proposed in the 2016 Unit Management Plan.

To conform aesthetically to guidelines related to Intensive Use Areas, natural materials such as cedar logs, mortise, and tenon joinery will be attempted to be used in the construction of the project.

Once implemented, the playground will complement the environment and contribute to the pre-existing rustic feel of the campground and surrounding natural area.

The goal of this amendment is to allow for a playground that benefits the recreation of campers while still maintaining the primitive aesthetic important to the Adirondack Park.

The state will look to other Intensive Use Areas for examples of playgrounds that blend well with the local aesthetic of the area. Both Lincoln Pond and Meacham Lake Campgrounds (see appendix) have playgrounds in this style and are also DEC managed campgrounds within the Adirondack Park.

The full details of the project can be read online at https://apa.ny.gov/Mailing/2024/09/stateLand.html .