Lake Colden is located in the heart of the High Peaks. Due to its strategic
location, it suffers from incredible amounts of over-use from campers and
day-hikers alike. As part of the High
Peaks Unit Management Plan, camping is currently restricted to only
designated sites and the four lean-tos located around the lake. There is a
small wooden dam at the southern end of the lake, from which there are
absolutely beautiful views of Mt. Colden.
The ranger outpost at Lake Colden was destroyed by fire on March 13, 1998,
and was rebuilt later that year. This was contested by many who claimed that
the outpost was a non-conforming use of a wilderness area; on the contrary,
the Lake Colden station was explicitly designated as conforming in the 1972
State Land Master Plan.
