Marcy Dam is a wooden dam

Dam

A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...

 on the Marcy Brook in the Adirondack High Peaks in North Elba

North Elba, New York

North Elba is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 8,661 at the 2000 census. The town is named after the island of Elba.North Elba is on the western edge of the county...

, New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, USA; it impounds Marcy Dam Pond. It can be reached only by hiking

Hiking

Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...

; it lies 2.1 miles from the Adirondack Loj at an elevation of 2362 feet (719.9 m) surrounded by Whales Tail Mountain, Wright Peak

Wright Peak

Wright Peak is the 16th highest peak in the High Peaks of the Adirondack Park, and is located in the MacIntyre Range in the town of North Hudson, in Essex County, New York. Named for N.Y. Governor Silas Wright , Wright is the northern-most peak in the MacIntyre Range, and is known to be one of the...

, Algonquin Peak

Algonquin Peak

Algonquin Peak is in the MacIntyre Range in the town of North Elba, in Essex County, New York. It is the second highest mountain in New York, and one of the 46 Adirondack High Peaks in Adirondack Park...

, Avalanche Mountain, Mount Colden

Mount Colden

Mount Colden is the eleventh highest peak in the High Peaks of the Adirondack Mountains, New York, USA.The peak is named after David S. Colden, an investor in the McIntyre Iron Works, in 1836. The peak was briefly renamed "Mount McMartin" the next year, but the older name persisted...

, TR Mountain, and Phelps Mountain

Phelps Mountain (New York)

Phelps Mountain is a mountain located in Essex County, New York.The mountain is named after Orson Schofield "Old Mountain" Phelps , who cut the first trail up Mount Marcy and named several of the Adirondack peaks....

.

Marcy Dam is a popular camping spot for hikers in the high peaks. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is responsible for the conservation, improvement, and protection of natural resources within the U.S. state of New York. It was founded in 1970, replacing the previous Conservation Department...

 maintains an Interior Outpost on the western shore. There are a number of campsites and lean-to

Lean-to

A lean-to is a term used to describe a roof with a single slope. The term also applies to a variety of structures that are built using a lean-to roof....

s in the area, and trails lead from the dam to most of the high peaks; Mount Marcy

Mount Marcy

Mount Marcy is the highest point in New York State, with an elevation of . It is a popular destination for hikers due to its stature and great views, and the peak can get very crowded in the summer months...

 is 3.5 miles to the southeast.

During Huricane Irene

Hurricane Irene (2011)

Hurricane Irene was a large and powerful Atlantic hurricane that left extensive flood and wind damage along its path through the Caribbean, the United States East Coast and as far north as Atlantic Canada in 2011...

, the dam was damaged due to flooding and the pond was partially drained. The trail that went over the dam has been rerouted downstream.