Adirondack Sports August 2023

PADDLING & CAMPING
AUGUST 2023 7
PADDLING & CAMPING
Late Summer Paddling at DEC Campgrounds
PADDLING THE NORTH END
OF SACANDAGA LAKE NEAR
MOFFITT BEACH CAMPGROUND.
NOT FAR FROM LAKE HARRIS
CAMPGROUND, HENDERSON LAKE
OFFERS VIEWS OF THE HIGH PEAKS.
PHOTOS BY RICH MACHA
By Rich Macha
The NYS Dept. of Environmental
Conservation operates 52 campgrounds
in the Catskills and the
Adirondacks (NYS Parks operates campgrounds
in other parts of the state),
many of which close in early September.
However, a fair number of campgrounds
do stay open through October 9 this year,
and offer some quiet water paddling
opportunities at or near the campground.
Non-campers can access these locations
with an Empire Pass or by paying a small
day-use entrance fee of $6 to $8 ($10 at
Nicks Lake and North-South Lake) per car.
There are several good reasons to paddle
during this period, especially after
Labor Day: biting bugs are usually gone,
the waters and campgrounds are less
crowded, the water and air are still relatively
warm, and the fall foliage is spectacular,
particularly in late September and
early October.
For the purposes of this article, we
will start with northern campgrounds and
work our way south.
Meacham Lake Campground is located
a few miles north of Paul Smiths. The
two-mile-long lake is surrounded by Forest
Preserve – motorboats are allowed but
their usage is light. The most attractive feature
for paddlers is the Osgood River which
enters the lake from the south. You can
shorten the paddle across Meacham Lake
by putting in on the lake’s outlet, the East
Branch of the St. Regis River, where it goes
under NY Route 30. You then paddle 0.5-
mile across the south shore and poke into
the river. You can paddle a few miles up the
river – expect some beaver dams, lots of
meandering, and possibly an obstruction
or two. Three small ponds – Mud, Baker,
and McCollums – are somewhat hidden by
an esker to the east of the river and make
for worthy goals along the way.
Ausable Point Campground is located
on the shore of Lake Champlain about
10 miles south of Plattsburgh. Except
during the calmest of conditions, paddling
on the lake is probably best for advanced
paddlers. The Ausable River splits into two
channels, passes Ausable Marsh, a fascinating
natural area, and enters the lake
just south of the campground. The river’s
Upper Mouth can be accessed from the
campground. On a calm day, you can paddle
along the lakeshore for under a mile,
passing a long sandy beach, to the Lower
Mouth and work your way upriver, then
loop back to the Upper Mouth. Just south
of the Upper Mouth, there is an opening
where you can enter the heart of the
marsh and explore deeper within it.
Fish Creek Pond Campground is
located in the heart of Adirondack paddling
country, not far from Tupper Lake
and Saranac Lake. Most of the campground
borders Square Pond and Fish
Creek Ponds, which allow motorboats
and offer access to Upper Saranac Lake.
Paddlers can easily find quiet water
by paddling up scenic Fish Creek to
Floodwood Pond with the opportunity to
poke around Copperas and Little Square
Ponds en route. Non-campers can put in
on Floodwood Pond and work their way
downstream. Folks who don’t mind doing
a couple of short carries can make a loop
by incorporating Whey and Rollins ponds
into the route. There are many attractive
waterbodies within a few minutes drive
from the campground like Follensby Clear
Pond, Polliwog Pond, and the ponds of the
St. Regis Canoe Area.
Cranberry Lake Campground is situated
on the northeast shores of its namesake
lake. It is a large lake and winds can
whip up some healthy waves. Motorboats
are allowed, and there are some private
camps on the lake, but a lot of the shoreline
is state land. If you are not staying at
the campground, you can put-in at the
state boat launch on the northern part of
the lake. To avoid waves, most paddlers
will find it wiser to drive over to Ranger
School Road in the hamlet of Wanakena
and put-in on the Oswegatchie River,
then paddle toward the lake and explore
the Dead Creek Flow section of the lake.
Nearby, an upstream paddle on the
Oswegatchie River from Inlet Road (DEC
canoe launch) has to be one of the top
paddling destinations in the Adirondack
wilderness.
Lake Eaton Campground is found
on NY Route 30, a short distance west of
Long Lake. The lake has a mix of private
and state lands around it and motors are
allowed. An outing around sunrise or
sunset would be tempting, even more so
See PADDLING & CAMPING 9 ▶