Good Paddling out in the western ADKs

[Jay H]

Since my Cranberry Lake thread in the Paddling Park got a whopping 10 views, maybe this is a better place to start.. I'll be staying with a friend on a cabin in Star Lake, west of Cranberry Lake in the ADKs, I'm bringing my kayak and my friend will be renting one from the marina on Rt 3 on Cranberry Lake...

Any particular nice lakes out there, I know about the three Saranac Lakes, Cranberry Lake..

How about Rollin's Pond?

Or how about flatwater rivers like Axton Landing which you see from Corey's Road?

Just looking for some good information for a first time ADK paddler, lakes or flatwater rivers...

Jay

 

[Paradox]

I know about the three Saranac Lakes, Cranberry Lake..
How about Rollin's Pond?
Jay

I used to go trunk camping at both Rollins Pond and Cranberry Lake many years ago (20+). Cranberry is much larger, deeper and more interesting. A lot more privately owned land with cottages and small powerboats. Nice bar at the North end of the lake in town. Rollins Pond is very shallow, no powerboats and mostly on a NYS run campground. No bar. This was a very long time ago.

 

[audrey]

Pat and I have had only three paddling days in the Adirondacks, and they were all memorable.

We spent a full day on the Oswegatchie from Inlet, paddling upstream and then back.

Osgood Lake/River were also very scenic, and we had a real adventure on the Chubb just north of Lake Placid - almost as much beaver dam and log jam wrestling as paddling, but we got way up where you can see the high peaks on the horizon. I hope civilization hasn't encroached on that area - we did that about 20 years ago.

 

[Nessmuk]

Since my Cranberry Lake thread in the Paddling Park got a whopping 10 views, maybe this is a better place to start.. I'll be staying with a friend on a cabin in Star Lake, west of Cranberry Lake in the ADKs, I'm bringing my kayak and my friend will be renting one from the marina on Rt 3 on Cranberry Lake...

Jay, you asked in the previous post about renting kayaks at Cranberry Lake. There is a marina there, but it is more geared to fishing and motorboats, which is probably why you didn't get much response. There are plenty of paddling outfitter resources once you get a bit farther east to Tupper and Saranac Lake. You can do a nice loop trip including Rollins Pond with several other connected ponds. Axton is on the Raquette River, a very nice paddling river you can reach either from Long Lake village or Coreys near Lower Saranac Lake. A short paddle would be from Coreys (more interesting is to enter via Stoney Creek at Indian Carry) down to Tupper Lake village. If you can travel a little farther, you can do the Bog River/Low's Lake paddle through the Five Ponds Wilderness. Kayaks don't carry very well, but many people carry canoes (a 3 mile long carry) in one of two directions from there to Cranberry Lake. Another day trip not far from Star Lake would be on Carry Falls Reservoir. Many, many other paddling trips are availble in the area, increasing exponentially the farther you roam.

I highly recommend that you get a copy of Adirondack Canoe Waters, North Flow by Paul Jamieson.

 

[daxs]

Try talking to the folks (or try the website) for St Regis Canoe Outfitters. This outfit is near the Rollins Ponds area. They could prob give you some info on kayaking in the area.

 

[1ADAM12]

Rollins is very nice and you can make a loop out of it with a very small carry. You can go into Rollins, to Floodwood, then down a nice stream out of Floodwood into little square I believe and then to Fish Creek and back to Rollins. We did this as a family about 10 years ago and it took us about 8 hours with doing some fishing and stopping for lunch. Be prepared to run into a lot of people as Rollins and Fish Creek are all State CAmpgrounds but a very nice paddle.