Middle Saranac Lake

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Middle Saranac Lake
Middle Saranac Lake - Stony Creek Mtn.jpg
A small island, Stony Creek Mountain in the background
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Middle Saranac Lake
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Red pog.svg
Middle Saranac Lake
Location Adirondacks, Franklin County, New York, United States
Coordinates 44°15′28.08″N074°15′56.52″W / 44.2578000°N 74.2657000°W / 44.2578000; -74.2657000 Coordinates: 44°15′28.08″N074°15′56.52″W / 44.2578000°N 74.2657000°W / 44.2578000; -74.2657000
Primary inflows Saranac River
Primary outflows Saranac River
Basin  countriesUnited States
Max. length3.2 mi (5.1 km)
Max. width1 mi (1.6 km)
Surface elevation1,536 ft (468 m) [1]
Islands 18
Settlementsnone

Middle Saranac Lake, also called Round Lake, is the smallest of three connected lakes, part of the Saranac River, near the village of Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks in northern New York. Two-thirds of its shoreline is state-owned. The lake is located in the towns of Harrietstown and Santa Clara, in Franklin County.

Contents

With Upper Saranac Lake and Lower Saranac Lake, a 17-mile paddle with only one portage is possible. Weller Pond, made famous by Martha Reben's The Healing Woods, can be reached via an outlet of Hungry Bay on the north shore. The Saranac Lake Islands Public Campground provides 87 campsites on Middle and Lower Saranac Lake. The lake, along with both Upper and Lower Saranac Lakes, is also part of the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail, which begins in Old Forge, NY and ends in Fort Kent, ME.


History

Prior to the development of railroads and the automobile, the Saranac Lakes formed part of an important transportation route in the Adirondacks; one could travel 140 miles across, from Old Forge to Lake Champlain, almost entirely on water.

Middle Saranac Lake from Ampersand Mountain, Upper Saranac Lake, upper right, Weller Pond, center right Middle Saranac Lake from Ampersand.jpg
Middle Saranac Lake from Ampersand Mountain, Upper Saranac Lake, upper right, Weller Pond, center right
A lean-to at a campsite on Hungry Bay on Middle Saranac Lake. Middle Saranac Lake - Lean-to.jpg
A lean-to at a campsite on Hungry Bay on Middle Saranac Lake.

See also

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Lower Saranac Lake Body of water

Lower Saranac Lake is one of three connected lakes, part of the Saranac River, near the village of Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks in northern New York. With Middle Saranac Lake and Upper Saranac Lake, a 17-mile (27 km) paddle with only one portage is possible. The Saranac Lake Islands Public Campground provides 87 campsites on inlands in Lower and Middle Saranac Lake. In addition to the Saranac River, it is fed by nearby Lake Colby, Fish Creek, and Lilly Pad Pond. Lower Saranac Lake is located in the town of Harrietstown, New York. The lake, along with both Upper and Middle Saranac Lakes, is also part of the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail, which begins in Old Forge, NY and ends in Fort Kent, ME.

Upper Saranac Lake Body of water

Upper Saranac Lake is one of three connected lakes, part of the Saranac River, in the towns of Santa Clara and Harrietstown, near the village of Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks in northern New York. Upper Saranac Lake is the sixth largest lake in the Adirondacks. With Middle Saranac Lake and Lower Saranac Lake, a 17-mile (27 km) paddle with only one carry is possible. There are 20 primitive campsites accessible by boat available on a first-come basis. Upper Saranac Lake is also known as Sin-ha-lo-nen-ne-pus.

Lake Flower Body of water

Lake Flower is a 300 acres (120 ha) lake in Franklin County and Essex County in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York in the United States. The lake was created by damming the Saranac River in 1827. It was originally called the Mill Pond, but was later named for New York Governor Roswell P. Flower. It is the only lake within the village of Saranac Lake. The village and the lake are divided between the towns of Harrietstown and North Elba. The lake shore is almost entirely in private hands.

Franklin Falls Pond Body of water

Franklin Falls Pond is a 439-acre (178 ha), 2.7-mile (4.3 km) long pond created by damming the Saranac River three miles (5 km) northeast of Lower Saranac Lake in the Adirondack Mountains of northern New York State. The pond is also part of the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail, which begins in Old Forge, NY and ends in Fort Kent, ME.

Saranac Lakes Wild Forest

The Saranac Lakes Wild Forest is a discontinuous 79,000-acre (320 km2) tract designated as Wild Forest by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in Franklin and Essex Counties near Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake, and Lake Placid. The area covers large portions of Harrietstown, Santa Clara, and North Elba; smaller portions are in Altamont, St. Armand, Brighton, and Franklin. The area is served by State Routes NY-3, NY-30, NY-86, and NY-73.

Ampersand Mountain Mountain in New York state, United States

Ampersand Mountain is a 3,352 ft (1,021.7 m) mountain in Franklin County in the High Peaks Wilderness Area of the northeastern Adirondacks, west of the High Peaks proper in New York State. The trail up the mountain begins on New York State Route 3 8.1 miles (13.0 km) southwest of the village of Saranac Lake, near Middle Saranac Lake; it is a popular day hike. The mountain takes its name from nearby Ampersand Creek, so named because it twists and turns like the ampersand symbol. The summit is bare rock, with extensive views of the High Peaks to the east and the Saranac Lakes to the west. Stony Creek Mountain is located west-southwest of Ampersand Mountain. The mountain is notable as the land surrounding its hiking trail's initial ascent is generally acknowledged as unlogged old growth forest.

Adirondack Canoe Classic

The Adirondack Canoe Classic, also known as the 90-miler, is a three-day, 90-mile (140 km) canoe race from Old Forge to Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks of New York, United States. The race has drawn as many as 500 competitors from California to Florida, New Zealand and Canada paddling 250 canoes, kayaks and guideboats. Included in the ninety mile length is 5.25 miles (8.45 km) of carries.

Weller Pond Body of water

Weller Pond is a 177-acre (72 ha) wilderness pond 8 miles (13 km) southwest of the village of Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks in northern New York within Franklin County. The lake is found at an elevation of 1,539 feet (469 m). It is connected to Middle Saranac Lake and is entirely state-owned. It sits in the shadow of Boot Bay Mountain; there is a canoe carry to Upper Saranac Lake. It is a popular paddling and cross-country skiing destination.

Oseetah Lake Body of water

Oseetah Lake is an 826-acre (3.34 km2) lake with a mean depth of three feet (0.91 m). It is in New York State's Adirondack Park, two and a half miles (4.0 km) south of the village of Saranac Lake on the Saranac River. It is located mostly in the town of Harrietstown, but its easternmost portion extends into the town of North Elba.

Long Lake (Hamilton County, New York) Body of water

4,077-acre Long Lake is a 14-mile (23 km) lake in the town of Long Lake in Hamilton County, New York in the United States; the average width is half a mile. It is part of the Raquette River, which flows in a straight, northeast-trending valley. NY 30 crosses at a narrows 4 miles (6.4 km) from the south end where the hamlet of Long Lake is located. There are two public beaches and a state boat launch. More than half of the shoreline is part of the New York State Forest preserve. The northern end of the lake is undeveloped. The lake is also part of the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail, which begins in Old Forge, NY and ends in Fort Kent, ME. The Long Lake Camp for the Arts is based on the west side of the lake.

References

  1. "Middle Saranac Lake". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey.

Sources

Jamieson, Paul and Morris, Donald, Adirondack Canoe Waters, North Flow, Lake George, NY: Adirondack Mountain Club, 1987. ISBN   0-935272-43-7.