The Hoel Pond cartop boat launch, seen here Sunday, would see major changes if the DEC’s plan for the area goes through as envisioned. One change would be to add a wooden slide to make it easier to launch canoes and kayaks. (Enterprise photo — Justin A. Levine)

SARANAC LAKE — From trailheads to boat launches, campsites to fishing spots, the state Department of Environmental Conservation plans to make major upgrades to many of the places people access the Saranac Lakes Wild Forest.

The DEC’s recently released unit management plan for much of the Tri-Lakes area’s state land includes planned upgrades to many popular spots such as the Hoel Pond and Upper Saranac launches, and the parking areas for the Ampersand Mountain trailhead and Lonesome Bay.

One of the most recognizable changes would be to move and expand the Ampersand parking area between Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake. The current parking area often overflows due to the mountain’s popularity and its place as one of the Saranac Lake 6er peaks. The proposal says the parking area should be moved across the street from where it is now and expanded to accommodate 15 cars. This would also require an amendment to the High Peaks Wilderness UMP since the state land on the trailhead side of the road is in the High Peaks Wilderness.

The DEC would also build a six-car parking area at Lonesome Bay on Lower Saranac Lake, while also rerouting the road to improve line of sight for drivers turning out onto state Route 3.

In the Lake Clear area, the Saranac Lakes UMP calls for construction of an accessible fishing access site at the Lake Clear Outlet. There is currently an unofficial launch site on Forest Home Road, and the DEC would build two parking spots and improve the access point for easier use.

The state also plans for numerous parking areas to accommodate what is expected to be an increased demand for parking along the proposed Adirondack Rail Trail. While the rail trail is governed by its own UMP, the wild forest plan would take numerous actions to allow for use of the trail, which has not yet been built. Removal of the train tracks is currently held up in court.

On Floodwood Road near Saranac Inn, the DEC calls for a 20-car parking area where the rail corridor crosses the road. There is currently a small dirt lot there, as well as the St. Regis Canoe Outfitters business.

Also for the rail trail, the DEC proposes a 10-car parking area at the end of Van Buren Street in Saranac Lake, near the village garage.

The Lake Clear beach parking area would also see serious redevelopment. Currently, there is a gate blocking vehicles from driving down the road that goes from the parking area to the beach. However, this means that anyone hand-launching a small boat has to carry the boat several hundred feet over rough ground.

The DEC plans to add another gate about 50 feet from the lake and create a small area for vehicles so hand-launching is easier. No parking would be allowed at this small area, and the upper gate would be closed during mud season.

At the Upper Saranac Lake boat launch, which was paved and improved in the last few years, the DEC proposes a two-slip boathouse. The DEC would keep one patrol boat there while the other slip would be used by the Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department. The boathouse would require a state Adirondack Park Agency permit, so the design envisioned in the UMP is subject to change.

The DEC plans a larger parking area for the Brewster Peninsula Trails in Lake Placid, beside the ‘Dack Shack restaurant on Saranac Avenue.

The department also proposes a 10-car parking area on Coreys Road near Tupper Lake — a popular way to access the High Peaks. The DEC expects this larger parking area, which will double as a snowplow turn-around, to be used more in the winter than summer.

A popular hike between Saranac Lake and Bloomingdale would also see improvements. The trailhead to Moose Pond is currently a narrow, sandy driveway to a small parking area that can accommodate perhaps two cars, with no room to turn around. Most people park on the side of Route 3 instead of using the small parking area. The DEC plans to make improvements to the parking area and is considering building a winter parking area closer to Route 3.

Major changes are also planned for the Hoel Pond launch and camping area. Currently, there are four drive-in campsites, as well as a steep car-top boat launch made of large, uneven wooden steps. The DEC plans to close three of the campsites and prevent people from driving to the one that remains open, but would also create a two-car parking area for whomever is using the walk-in campsite, as well as an 11-car parking area for the car-top launch.

This launch is one of the main access points for the St. Regis Canoe Area, which borders the wild forest and is accessible with a short paddle across Hoel Pond to Turtle Pond. The state proposes to redo the entire launch, adding a wooden slide to make it easier to launch canoes and kayaks. There would also be designated parking sites for day users and a staging area near the launch that would be off limits to parking.

The UMP also calls for improvements to the Follensby Clear Pond parking area, and at Connery Pond and the Whiteface Landing Trail between Lake Placid and Wilmington.

The DEC has put simple fact sheets and presentations on its website. There will also be public meetings, and the public comment period will continue until Aug. 11.

For more information on how to comment, or to see the fact sheets or full UMP, go to www.dec.ny.gov/lands/22593.html.

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Chance to weigh in

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The DEC will hold two kinds of public sessions on the Saranac Lakes Wild Forest Unit Management Plan in July: public availability sessions, where DEC staff will be on hand to give presentations and answer questions, and public meetings, where people can offer verbal or written comments. People can also submit comments in writing by Aug. 11. Email r5.info@dec.ny.gov.

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Wednesday, July 12, Saranac Lake

-Public availability session, 1 to 4 p.m., Harrietstown Town Hall auditorium, 39 Main St.

-Public meeting, 6 p.m., Saranac Lake High School auditorium

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Thursday, July 13, Tupper Lake

-Public availability session, 1 to 4 p.m., Goff-Nelson Memorial Library, 41 Lake St.

-Public meeting, 6:30 p.m. Wild Center’s Flammer Theater, 45 Museum Drive