Canoeing
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Canoeing |
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| Getting There | The Lodge At Schroon Lake | Other Lodging | Restaurants | Attractions | Hiking | Backpacking | Canoeing | Fishing |
The Adirondacks are the other great northwoods canoeing territory, with almost as many lakes, rivers and streams as the Boundary Waters. Specifically, the Adirondacks offer 3,000 lakes and 30,000 miles of rivers and streams. Once again, The Lodge At Schroon Lake is an ideal place to stay because Schroon Lake is an ideal lake to paddle. It's nine miles long, is full of Salmon, Lake Trout, Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, Pickerel, Northern Pike and Yellow Perch, and empties into the Schroon River, a relaxing canoeing stream. At the top, you can paddle over to Paradox Lake, itself five miles long. Both lakes are bordered to the East by the Pharoah Lake Wilderness and Pharoah Mountains. On Paradox Lake you can paddlle around Birch Island and Crawford Island. The Schroon River paddle extends four miles down to a dam, but the flow is so gentle you can paddle back up the river for an eight mile trip. You could portage around the dam and keep going, but below the dam is some Class III whitewater. Along the river and the east shore of the lake you'll see Otter, Muskrats, Deer and Heron.
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White guides in the Adirondacks evolved a unique craft, the Adirondack Guideboat. It is canoe like but is rowed from a backward seated position and carries two passengers and gear plus the guide. It's lightweight for hikes into backcountry lakes or portages between lakes. These are beautifully crafted, with frames of Spruce and planks of Cedar, and are still available for rent or sale at many places in the park. They take a few days to get used to, but once mastered are a very efficient way to travel the backcountry. It allows the guide to face and talk to his customers while paddling or fishing. A typical Guideboat is 16 feet long and 38" across and weighs 50 pounds but a smaller version for just one person is 12 feet long and 36" across and weighs 34 pounds. |
The Adirondacks are home to New York State's only designated canoe wilderness area, the St. Regis Canoe Area, which spans 18,400 acres. It's the second largest canoe wilderness in the nation behind only the Boundary Waters. Ideal for overnight canoe camping trips, St. Regis offers a network of lakes and ponds with opportunities for portaging and continued exploration, 75 primitive tent sites, and three lean-tos. It's west of Saranac Lake. St. Regis Canoe Outfitters serves the area. A five hour day trip through Middle and Lower Saranac Lake is the usual introduction. Then there's the famous Route of Seven Carries, which could be done as a very long day trip, but is usually done as a two or three day trip. You paddle three St. Regis Lakes plus several ponds.
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Probably the most popular extended trip is the week long Blue Mountain Lake to Saranac Lake paddle. This route offers beautiful mountain scenery and good fishing with nine portages over 80 miles. The route follows Marion River, Raquette River, Upper Saranac, Fish Creek and Floodwood Pond. |
| The Essex Chain Lakes, complete with 18 waterbodies that range in size from three-acre ponds to 216-acre lakes, is a favorite among canoeists along the eastern rim of the park. Wedged between sections of the Hudson River and Cedar River, it is a hidden gem brimming with beauty and wildlife. |  |
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