Where the motor vehicle rules are looser than in the Forest Preserve
acres of conservation easement open to the public 16
900K+
Working private forest; access can be suspended while logging is under way
Tyres for mud, snow and a written size limit
Two rules decide this. On the Long Island beach permit, tyres must be no larger than 35 by 12.5 inches and must be aired down to half their maximum rated pressure before the checkpoint, with a gauge that reads to 5 psi and a full-size spare in the vehicle. Inland, the state allows metal studs only from 16 October through 30 April.
Between those, pick for mud rather than for rock. Mud season closes roads in the Black River and the easement tracts precisely because the surface stops carrying weight, and no tyre fixes a road that is closed.
Tires are the only part of the vehicle that touches the ground, and on a loaded rig they work close to their limits. A good tire shop starts with load rating and size, then tread. It will also tell you when the tire you want will rub, need different wheels or throw off your gearing.
Expect help with
01Choosing a tire by load, terrain and season
02Wheels with the right offset and load rating
03Mounting, balancing and tire pressure sensors
04A matching full-size spare
05Alignment, rotation and repairs
How to choose tires for overland travel
Tread pattern is the last decision, not the first.
01Match the load rating to your real axle weights, not to the badge on the fender.
02All-terrain tires suit most overland travel. Mud-terrains are louder, heavier and wear faster, and earn it only in real mud and rock.
03Buy five. A matching full-size spare that you rotate in is worth the money when the nearest tire shop is a day away.
04Check the wheels too. Wheels have load ratings, and the wrong offset stresses bearings and rubs.
05Ask whether the shop can move or reprogram your tire pressure sensors.
What to have ready before you ask for a quote
A tire quote is quick when the shop knows what the tire has to carry.
01Vehicle, current tire size and wheel size
02Lift height, if any
03Loaded weight, or a list of what is on the vehicle
04Where you drive most: pavement, gravel, rock, sand, snow
05A budget range for five tires
Questions people ask
What does load range mean?
It describes how much weight a tire can carry at a given pressure. Heavier builds, vans and truck campers usually need a higher load range than the vehicle came with. The tire's sidewall and the placard in the door jamb are the places to start, and a tire shop can work through the numbers with you.
How big can I go?
Every platform has a size that fits at stock height, a size that fits with a modest lift, and a size that needs trimming and gears. Tell the shop your lift and wheels and ask what fits without rubbing at full steering lock and full compression.
Should I air down?
On washboard, sand and rock, lower pressure gives a better ride and more traction and is easier on the vehicle. It also means you need a way to air back up before pavement. How low depends on your tire, your weight and your speed, so ask your tire shop and start conservatively.
How high is New York?
From Patchogue at 21 feet to Mount Marcy at 5,344.
Altitude decides what your engine, your brakes and your lungs have to work with, and how late in the year the passes open.
02,0004,0006,000
Feet above sea level
Towns
TannersvilleThe Kaaterskill and North-South Lake approach1,901 ft
Lake PlacidServices and fuel before the Whiteface highway and the High Peaks1,795 ft
Indian LakeThe eastern gate of the Moose River Plains road, by way of Cedar River Road1,747 ft
Old ForgeThe western gateway, and the road in to the Moose River Plains by way of Inlet1,740 ft
Long LakeMid-Park fuel on Route 30, between the Perkins tracts and the north1,674 ft
Tupper LakeLast full services heading west across the Park1,592 ft
NewcombThe Blue Ridge Road approach to the Boreas Ponds tract1,559 ft
Saranac LakeThe largest village in the north-central Park, and the Floodwood Road approach1,544 ft
Cranberry LakeRemote northwest Park, near the Five Ponds country1,495 ft
SalamancaThe gateway to Allegany State Park, the largest in the state system1,379 ft
North CreekUpper Hudson services on the Park’s eastern edge1,033 ft
PhoeniciaCentral Catskills services below Stony Clove Notch826 ft
Watkins GlenThe town for the Finger Lakes National Forest, the only one in the state459 ft
Lake GeorgeThe Prospect Mountain highway and the Lake George Wild Forest roads352 ft
MontaukThe eastern end of the beach fishing permit, open around the year31 ft
PatchogueThe mainland side of Fire Island, where the ferries leave21 ft
Passes, high roads and summits
Mount MarcyThe state high point, in Essex County. The published USGS figure; our own reading of the elevation surface at its map point gives 5,333 ft5,344 ft
Whiteface MountainOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point. No agency publishes a summit figure on a page that opened4,858 ft
Slide MountainThe highest of the Catskills. The Catskill master plan gives 4,180 ft and our own reading agrees exactly4,180 ft
Hunter MountainOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, in Greene County4,030 ft
Blue MountainOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, in Hamilton County3,760 ft
Indian PassOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, in the High Peaks2,852 ft
Stony Clove NotchOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, on the Catskill road between Phoenicia and Hunter2,103 ft
Prospect MountainProspect Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway2,030 ft
Pass, road and summit elevations are the figures published by the agency that manages them. Town elevations are the town’s or county’s own
figure where it publishes an exact one; the rest are from the U.S. Geological Survey (3D Elevation Program at the place’s official coordinates),
retrieved September 18, 2026. Every source is listed at the foot of the page.
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