Access is from Route 30 and the Perkins Clearing road, which traverse the area, and from the Moffitt Beach and Lewey Lake Campgrounds. Long popular with hunters, trappers and fishermen, the interspersion of private woodlands with state ownership has made this area a top producer of fish and wildlife. The Jessup and Miami Rivers have long been known as good trout producers. Numerous logging roads and trails are open to foot travel. The Pillsbury Mountain summit, from which a vast view of lakes and forest may be obtained, offers a particularly enjoyable hike.
Mountains rising steeply on either side of the lake provide many views of rugged beauty.
The area west of the lake is accessible by Routes 9N and 73 while the forest preserve on the east side is accessible from the Pilot Knob and Hulett's Landing roads. The Tongue Mountain and Island Pond sections form the base for a varied wildlife resource. The moderating influence of the lake on both sides of this peninisula has produced an oak-pine cover type which is more characteristic of the southern part of the state than of the Adirondacks. Many plant and wildlife species found on Tongue Mountain are rarely found elsewhere in the Park. The Black Mountain track on the opposite shore is more precipitous.