Lower Saranac Lake looking back at Ampersand Bay - our trip begins!
PHOTOS
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Description:
The three Saranac lakes -- Lower, Middle and Upper -- provide extensive paddling and camping right in the heart of the Adirondack Park. The description that follows is of a 3 day paddling trip on Lower and Middle Saranac Lakes that took place in early September of 2002:
We (a party of two) began our trip at Ampersand Bay on the eastern end of Lower Saranac, adjacent to the Village of Saranac Lake. We encountered strong headwinds and some white caps nearly the entire length of Lower Saranac but were able to paddle behind some of the Lake's islands to seek relief from the turbulent waters. After paddling 5 miles on Lower Saranac we found safe haven from the wind in the Saranac River, which connects Lower to Middle Saranac. The waters in this narrow, meandering river are very calm and offer a nice change of pace from the lake.
We saw plenty of blue herons in here and enjoyed going through the manually operated Upper State Lock. There is a ranger station at the lock where you can obtain camping permits during the summer season. We however, were paddling in mid-September so sites are first come first serve then. After paddling the river we then opened up on Middle Saranac Lake, which like its sister was also quite turbulent that day. So, we quickly located a tent site and set up camp along shore before a rough storm brought torrential downpours all night long.
The day after the storm the lake was extremely calm and quiet -- perfect for paddling. So we packed our gear and paddled further into the Lake, along the shoreline, and found a dry lean-to for the second night. We then explored Hungry Bay and Weller Pond -- two nice nooks on the lake. The loons were out in numbers as we paddled in the evening and combined with the mist coming off the mountains -- we had a truly, "Adirondack" experience.
The next morning we woke up before dawn, packed up, and paddled out all the way back to Ampersand Bay and headed home. Despite the rain and wind, or maybe because of, it turned out to be a perfect paddling excursion into the Adirondack Mountains. We definitely recommend a trip like this after the busy summer season has ended. It could not have been more peaceful...
Duration: 3 day trip
Put-in:
LOWER SARANAC LAKE:
Ampersand Bay, Off Route 3, 1.5 miles NW of the Village of Saranac Lake. Gravel ramp. Parking for 15-20 cars.
Additional options include --
Second Pond, On Route 3, 3.5 miles SW of the Village of Saranac Lake. Hard surface ramp. Parking for 75 cars and trailers.
MIDDLE SARANAC LAKE:
South Creek. On Route 3, 10 miles west of the Village of Saranac Lake. Hand launching. Parking for 20 cars.
Take out: On our trip we put and took out at Ampersand Bay.
Facilities: Restrooms at boat launches. Restaurants, coffee houses, and lodging in the Village of Saranac Lake.
Distance: Lower Saranac is 3.5 miles long and Middle Saranac is 2.5 miles long. However, there are miles and miles of shoreline. We estimated that we paddled roughly 26 miles in the 3 days we were there.
Portages: None
Camping: Yes - tent and lean-to sites along the shoreline and on the islands. Permits required during the summer season. For more island camping information or to reserve a site, check out Reserve America online.
LINKS:
Ampersand Bay Boat Club - Info on year round lodging at Ampersand Bay on Lower Saranac Lake.
Adirondack Region Weather Information - self explanatory!
Homepages of the Adirondacks - Info on accommodations, attractions, restaurants, services, recreation, and more in the Adirondack Region.
Adirondack Mountain Region - the official guide to the Adirondacks (an all around awesome website).
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