Upper Saranac Lake
(518) 891-1990
Route 3 Saranac Lake, NY 12983, Saranac Lake, NY12983
https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/114330.html
Getting there
From downtown Saranac Lake, it's possible to launch a canoe, kayak, or SUP from the Indian Carry hand-launch off Route 3 or at the Upper Saranac DEC boat launch located in Saranac Inn at the north end of the lake. Public parking is available at both locations.
Fact check
- Total distance: about 8 miles
- No portages
- Flatwater
- One-way
- Motorboat access is available at the Saranac Inn Boat Launch
Paddling
Put in at Indian Carry landing and paddle the entire length of Upper Saranac Lake to the Saranac Inn. It is good to stay close to shore and out of the way of person watercraft and motorboats, which can be especially active on weekends. You will pass numerous islands, many of which are privately owned. Church Island offers ecumenical church services on Sundays. Doctor’s Island was originally owned (1904) by Stanley Mortimer, a distant relative of the Roosevelt family. Eagle Island is historically significant as a Girl Scout Camp (1938-2008). Indian Carry is significant historically because the Mohawks and the Algonquin Native Americans established it as a base camp. Indian Carry was long used as a portage from Upper Saranac Lake into Stony Creek, which connects to the Raquette River. The Native Americans who occupied the Adirondacks seasonally for 10,000 years, referred to Upper Saranac Lake as the “Lake of the Silver Sky.”
Recommended Resources: Adirondack Paddler’s Map: The Saranac Lakes