Canoe Access Sites
Schroon River
- Starbuckville Dam on County Route 53 in Chestertown
- South Horicon Bridge Country Route 30 in Chestertown
- Middletown Bridge on East Schroon River Road in Warrensburg
- County Home Bridge on East Schroon River Road
- River Street in Warrensburg on South side of river
Hudson River
- Raparius Bridge at State Route 8
- Glen Bridge at Route 28 in Warrensburg
- North River at State Route 28
- Nature Trails at Hudson Street
- Warren County Fish Hatchery on Echo Lake Road
- Thurman Station Bridge at State Route 418
- Hudson River Recreation Area
- Three-quarters North of Lake Luzerne on River Road
St. Regis Wilderness Canoe Area
- NYS Fish Hatchery at Little Clear Pond off Route 30
Boat Launches
Brant Lake
On Route 8. One mile northeast of the Hamlet of Brant Lake. Parking for 11 cars and trailers. Hard surface launch ramp.
Schroon Lake
In Horicon. Off Route 9 just north of the Hamlet of Pottersville on County Road 62. Hard surface launching ramp. Parking for 49 cars and trailers.
Overnight Voyages
Canoe Outfitters Guided Overnight Trips – Short Trips
- Floodwood Pond Loop – Most popular loop with great views of the mountain and swimming. Covers 12-15 miles, 2-3 days. Map and info here.
- Raquette River to Falls and Return – Flatwater trip upstream to a waterfall with great fishing and day hikes. Covers 12-14 miles. 2+ days. Map and info here.
- The Nine Carries – St. Regis Canoe Area – Famous for great brook trout fishing and hiking. Covers 12-15 miles. 1-4 days. Map and info here.
- Osgood River – paddle upstream to campsite with great wildlife and plantlife. 1-2 days. Map and info here.
- Saranac Lake Base to Franklin Falls – Spectacular mountain scenery, good for camping and fishing. Covers 15 miles. 1-2 days. Map and info here.
- Fish Creek Ponds Loop – Two popular loops, good for younger children with good fishing and great swimming. Covers 6-12 miles. 1-2 days. Map and info here.
Canoe Outfitters Guided Overnight Trips – Longer Trips
- Saranac River to Trail Rapids – River trip for experienced paddlers. Covers 25 miles, 3 days. Map and info here.
- Lake Lila to Low’s Lower Dam – Popular wilderness trip. Covers 20-24 miles, 3 days. Map and info here.
- Floodwood Outpost to Tupper Lake – Variety paddle with ponds, small streams, rivers and lakes, rocky shorelines, islands, and marshes with a mountain backdrop. Covers 35 miles, 3-4 days. Map and info here.
- The Saranac Lakes – Beautiful islands and mountain scenery with optional mountain hikes. Excellent first trip in this area. Covers 20-30 miles, 2-5 days. Map and info here.
- Old Forge to Saranac Lakes – Historic route that is now part of the 740 mile long Northern Forest Canoe Trail. Covers 90-95 miles, 8-10 days. Map and info here.
- Blue Mountain Lake to St. Regis Canoe Area – Most popular extended trip with optional hikes and good fishing in both warm and cold water. Covers 72-80 miles, 6-8 days. Map and info here.
- Whitney Wilderness – Whitney/Bog River Loop – Strenuous, not for beginners, remote and wild. Covers 55 miles, 6-7 days. Map and info here.
Maps
Adirondack Paddler’s Map
- Why we recommend it: Covers hundreds of miles of paddling waters with a wide variety of lakes and wilderness areas in gorgeous full-color shaded relief for canoe and kayak travel.
- Waterproof: Yes
- Size: 36″ x 44″ double sided foldout (packs up to 9×5 inches).
- Read review from Adirondack Explorer
- Click here to purchase from Canoeing.com
St. Regis Canoe Outfitters Maps – The Whitney Wilderness, The Raquette River
- Why we recommend them: Full-color maps that are perfect for planning paddling trips with.
- Waterproof: Yes
- Size: 24″ x 18″ (folds up like a brochure).
- Read review from Adirondack Explorer
- Click here to purchase Whitney Wilderness Area from Mountaineer.com
- Click here to purchase Raquette River map from Mountaineer.com
- Also available for purchase from Paddlesports press: Saranac Lakes Map, Adirondack Paddler’s Map – South, Adirondack Paddler’s Map – North, St. Regis Canoe Wilderness.
Adirondack Canoe Waters: North Flow (3rd Edition)
- Why we recommend it: Includes 40 well-designed sketch maps covering nearly 800 miles of canoe routes with colorful descriptions and historic information.
- Waterproof: No
- Size: 5.5″ x 8.5″ (348 pages)
- Read review from Adirondack Explorer
- Click here to purchase from Amazon.com
New York State Atlas & Gazetteer
- Why we recommend it: Includes full-color topographic maps with extensively indexed information and GPS navigation. Great resource for finding put-in sites and remote ponds on the many back roads of the Adirondacks.
- Waterproof: No
- Size: 15.5″ x 11″ (120 pages)
- Click here to purchase from Amazon.com
Guidebooks
Fun on Flatwater – An Introduction to Adirondack Canoeing
- Why we recommend it: This book covers more than 80 destinations suitable for flatwater canoeing, including lakes, ponds, quiet streams, and rivers, including all flatwater stretches in the Adirondacks (except those that require camping or long carries).
- Who we recommend it for: both newcomers and experienced canoeing
- Author: Barbara McMartin
- Page Count: 120
- Read review from Adirondack Explorer
- Click here to purchase from Barnes & Noble.
Quiet Water Canoe Guide – New York (3rd edition)
- Why we recommend it: Includes the best paddling lakes and ponds for canoe and kayak. The 3rd edition has expanded on this already incredible guide, with over 200 ponds, lakes, and rivers listed complete with GPS coordinates, maps, and in-depth essays and descriptions accompanied by photos.
- Who we recommend it for: families, newcomers, accomplished canoers
- Authors: John Hayes & Alex Wilson
- Page Count: 395
- Read review from Adirondack Explorer
- Click here to purchase from Barnes & Noble.
Canoe and Kayak Guide: East-Central New York State
- Why we recommend it: Local insight into 60 of the best paddles with launch sites, difficulty, distances, and take-outs. Contains detailed waterway maps that are easy to read and incredible resources.
- Who we recommend it for: newcomers, kayaking connoisseurs
- Authors: Kathie Armstrong
- Page Count: 286
- Read review from Adirondack Explorer
- Click here to purchase from Amazon.
Adirondack Paddling (2nd edition)
- Why we recommend it: This book describes paddling day trip throughout the Adirondack Park with 150 color photos of waterways, wildflowers, and birds. Each chapter includes color maps, GSP coordinates, and a statistical overview of the trip. The new 2nd edition includes 5 new trips.
- Who we recommend it for: families, hard-core wilderness junkies- newcomers
- Authors: Phil Brown
- Page Count: 288
- Read review from Adirondack Explorer
- Click here to purchase from ADK.org
