Nearly six miles long and up to a mile wide, with 20 miles of shoreline, it is a broad avenue leading into the remote heart of the forest. Except for three private holdings, the entire lake is State-owned. Ten additional lakes and ponds within the area provide additional recreational opportunities. The landscape surrounding the waters of the area is composed of low, forested hills with a few modest mountains. Elevations above sea level range from 1,717 feet at the surface of Little Tupper Lake to 2,297 feet at the summit of Antediluvian Mountain.
Extensive wetlands stretch out from the ponds and streams.
The William C. Whitney Area lies in the ecological transition zone between the temperate deciduous forest and the boreal forest to the north. Logging activity prior to State ownership has left a young, open forest over much of the area. A narrow band of mature trees was preserved along shorelines to protect the view from the water and to reduce erosion into ponds and streams. The William C. Whitney Area is just west of the center of the Adirondack Park in the Town of Long Lake, Hamilton County . It is readily accessible from New York State Route 30, a designated Scenic Byway known as the Adirondack Trail.