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Ausable Chasm
In one word, this place is spectacular!
A tourist attraction since 1870, Ausable Chasm was visited as
early as 1760 by Major John Howe, who explored its wonders on ropes.
Today, you can explore the chasm via catwalks and rubber rafts. Easily
reached from the Adirondack Northway, Exit 34, Ausable Chasm is not to
be missed. The sandstone walls of the narrow gorge rise up to 150 feet
above the Ausable River. The trail follows the rim of the gorge, a
breathtaking ramble along precipitous drops over the plunging rapids and
swirling pools below.
A river raft ride awaits the daring at the end of the trail—be
prepared to get wet, and don’t forget to bring your camera!
Dates Open: Mid-May to early October
Cost: minimal admission fee
Facilities and Activities: restaurant, gift shop, picnic area,
playground, trails, campground, tubing/kayaking area
Location: From Adirondack Northway Exit 34 drive east on NY 9 for 1.5
miles to US 9, turn left and drive 1.5 miles to the chasm
Buttermilk Falls
A short, easy walk through the woods brings you to a lovely spot for
fishing, picnics and sunbathing.
The pool beneath the falls is usually deep enough for swimming,
but be careful – the current created by the plunging water can be
strong.
Not for small children. The falls itself is created by the Raquette River as it spills
over a series of ledges on its way toward Long Lake.
Location:
If you’re headed north on NY 30, drive 7.9 miles north on NY 30
from the intersection of NY Rtes 30 and 28 in Blue Mountain Lake
to North Point Road. Turn left, and drive 2.2 miles to a pull-off on the
right.
If you’re headed south on NY 30, North Point Road is 3.3 miles south
of the junction of NY 30 and 28N in Long Lake
Fort Ticonderoga
Ticonderoga is a Mohawk Indian word meaning “place between the great
waters”.
Originally named Fort Carillon by the French who built it in 1755
on a point overlooking the Lake Champlain Narrows, the Fort was captured
by the English in 1759, and then by Ethan Allen, Benedict Arnold and the
Green Mountain Boys in May, 1775.
The British General, Gentleman Johnny Burgoyne re-captured the
Fort in 1777.
After the Revolution, the Fort was abandoned, although it did
attract tourists such as Thomas Jefferson.
The Fort commands a magnificent view of the narrows.
Dates Open:
Daily, from early June through late October
Cost:
there is an admission charge for everyone except children under
age 7
Facilities and Activities:
Fort, museum shop, restaurant.
Military Museum, cannon and musket drills, fife and drum parades,
picnicking, hiking.
There is a scenic drive to the top of Mt. Defiance.
Location:
From Adirondack Northway Exit 28, drive 18 miles east on Rte 74
to the fort.
We Recommend:
Alternate scenic route from Lake George Village north on NY 9N
through several hamlets and villages follows western shore of Lake
George, and offers access to a number of hiking trails in the Tongue
Mountain and Black Mountain regions; also the Cook Mountain Preserve and
Rogers Rock.
The road itself is a roller coaster ride through the mountains,
with occasional startling vistas of Lake George.
Great Sacandaga Lake
The third largest lake in the Adirondack Park, the Great Sacandaga is 29
miles long and, at its greatest width, 5 miles across.
Although the modern Great Sacandaga was created in 1930 by flooding the
Vlaie, it first became a lake when the melting glaciers blocked the
Sacandaga River’s original path to the Mohawk behind a moraine of
rock, silt and sand.
Over time, the
lake eventually carved a channel near the site of the current Dam
at Conklingville and drained the water over time into the Hudson River.
Although its average depth is 40 feet, many sections of the
“Big Lake”, as its called by the natives, can be quite shallow,
especially in late summer and early fall, when the water drops.
It is then that a sharp eye can pick out the stone fences,
foundations, and covered bridge abutments from the communities that now
lie beneath the lake.
The lake is home to walleyes, bass, trout, and record-sized northern
pike.
Bald eagles, loons, great blue herons, barred owls, red-tailed
hawks, ruffed grouse, and dozens of other species of birds live on or
around the lake.
White-tailed deer abound in the area, and black bears and even an
occasional moose have been spotted in the area.
Facilities and Activities:
NYS maintains four boat launches around the lake: Northampton
Beach Public Campsite, off NY 30 just south of Northville, off NY 30
just north of Northville; off South Shore Road 5 miles north of the
hamlet of Edinburg; and Broadalbin, north of the village on Lakeside
Drive.
There are also several beaches around the perimeter of the lake.
Virtually every sport associated with water in every season is
available somewhere on or around the lake, from ice fishing to jet-skis.
Tourist accommodations can be found in the larger villages. Small museums are located at Riceville, Northville, and Edinburg. The drive around the perimeter of the Great Sacandaga Lake on the
shore roads is a great way to see the Lake, no matter what the season.
Look for the many historical markers, particularly near Edinburg
and Fish House, and be sure to drive up to the pull-off above the
Conklingville Dam for a sweeping view.
The engineer who designed the Lake, Edward Haynes Sargent, is
buried in the cemetery on the Northville-Edinburg Road.
Location:
Follow NY 30A North from the NYS Thruway at Fonda, or NY 30 North
from the NYS Thruway at Amsterdam; follow the signs.
Ironville Historic District
Allen Penfield’s iron mine, opened in 1828 in the town of Crown Point,
supplied the high-grade iron used to make steel for the Brooklyn Bridge
and to
armor the Civil War battleship Monitor. Penfield’s
Federal-style home and several other 19th century buildings
at this crossroads comprise the Ironville Historic District, included on
the National Register of Historic Places. Penfield’s home, which
features Biblical passages above the bedroom doorways, is now the
Penfield Homestead Museum.
The Pond across the road is stocked with trout, bass, bullhead and
northern pike. Fishing and boating permits can be purchased at the
Museum. Walk 100 yards or so down Peasley Road to see the gorge formed
by Putnam Creek. Turn right a little past the gorge to follow a 2-mile
long dirt road good for hiking, mountain biking, or cross-country skiing
in season.
Dates Open:
May 15 – Oct 15
Cost:
Donation requested for museum admission.
There is a fee for fishing and boating.
Facilities and Activities: Museum, small boat launch ( no gas engines );
picnic table.
Hiking, canoeing, fishing, mountain biking, cross-country skiing
Location:
From Ticonderoga, drive north on NY 9N to the 4-way intersection
at Crown Point. Turn left on County Rte 2 and drive about 0.5 mile to a
fork; bear left onto County Rte 47. Drive about 6 miles to Ironville.
Moose River Recreation Area
If you can’t or don’t wish to hike in the wilderness, this is the
perfect alternative!
There are 40 miles of dirt roads with a speed limit of 15ph
through deep forest, grassy plains, and woodland meadows.
The roads cross three scenic rivers, Otter Brook, Red River, and
the South Branch of the Moose River.
Smaller streams meander near the roads, and the mountains rise
all around you, forming a dramatic backdrop.
Wildflowers abound, and so does wildlife.
Watch for white-tailed deer bounding into the road.
You might even spot a black bear or a moose!
Watch for majestic great blue herons wading in the water, and
listen for the maniacal laughter of loons Old logging roads and foot
paths branch off the roads to beautiful spots like Rock Dam, Mitchell
Ponds, and Helldiver Pond.
Hikers can also access the adjacent West Canada Lakes Wilderness
and the Northville-Lake Placid Trail from the Area.
Dates Open:
Roads are open from Memorial Day to the end of deer season (
November ), but trailers and RV’s are permitted from Memorial Day only
through Labor Day.
Bicyclists and hikers are welcome any time.
Snowmobiles, snowshoers and cross-country skiers may use the
trails as the weather – and snow cover – permits.
Cost:
None
Facilities and Activities: 40 miles of roads; 140 state-maintained
primitive campsites, available free on a first-comer basis; hiking
trails.
Maps and information can be found at the entrance gates
Camping, trout fishing, hunting in season, hiking, mountain-biking,
snowmobiling, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing,
canoeing, swimming.
Location:
There are two main entrances to the Area.
Access from the eastern side: from the junction of NY 28 and NY
30 in Indian Lake, drive 2.2 miles west on NY 30 and turn left on the
Cedar River Road.
The Registration Booth is another 12.7 miles in ( the road will
turn to dirt ).
Access from the west:
From NY 28 about 1 mile east of Inlet, turn south on the Campsite
Road and drive 1.8 miles.
Turn left and go 0.2 mile to the Registration Booth.
Pack Demonstration Forest
A living museum created by State University of NY College of
Environmental Science and Forestry on lands once owned by Charles
Lathrop Pack, son of an Adirondack lumber baron. Pack himself bought
most of the 2,500 acre tract in 1927 as an experiment in conservation
forestry. Some of the white pines and hemlocks in the preserve are more
than 300 years old.
The Grandmother Tree is a massive hemlock standing more than 175
feet high. The students have built a gravel path suitable for wheelchair
use through the forest, and a brochure points visitors to various
interpretive stops along the 1-mile long loop.
Dates Open:
mid-May to mid-Oct
Cost: no charge
Facilities: parking lot, gravel path
Location:
Take US 9 north out of Warrensburg about 0.7 mile past the
junction of NY 28.to a marked entrance road on the left, follow the
signs about 0.5 mile to the parking lot.
Split Rock Falls
A wonderful surprise waiting for you just off the road, where the Boquet
River tumbles over a series of falls into a narrow, rocky gorge.
A pretty, woodsy spot for picnicking or a cool dip in the heat of
summer.
We visited in the winter, when the falls and the rocks and trees
nearby were transformed by ice and frozen spray into a sparkling delight
for the eyes.
The Boquet River drops from 1,290 feet at the forks in the Dix Mountain
Wilderness to 95 feet at Lake Champlain.
When the water is high in the Spring, or after a good rain,
approximately 75% of the river below the Falls can be traveled by canoe.
There are Class II, III and IV rapids along the way, or carries for the
less skilled.
The Boquet is stocked with salmon, and rainbow, brown and brook
trout. There are numerous fishing access sites along the highways near
the river.
There is a salmon ladder at Willsboro.
Location of Split Rock Falls:
From NY 73 north of Underwood, drive about 2.4 miles on US 9,
along the river, to a small, fenced
parking lot.
The falls are just off the road.
Tawhaus
Tawhaus
-- the name means “cloud-splitter”, for Mt. Marcy’s famed
5344 foot-high peak -- was mined for titanium ore until recently.
Although the open pit is now gated, mineral collectors can
readily find specimens ( Adirondack anorthosite, ilmenite, plagioclase )
along the road leading to the gate. The left fork of the road will take
you to the trailhead for the Mt. Marcy hiking trail, and the abandoned
town of Sanford, home of the original MacIntyre iron miners, but the
real attraction is the MacIntyre Furnace, which rises on the right from
the forest like an ancient Mayan temple as you drive toward the
trailhead.
Hand-built without mortar from huge slabs of rock from the mine,
the 70 foot furnace has one fire pit at the base of each of its four
faces. Molten iron first, and then slag, would flow from pipes at the
base of the firepits. Large quantities of slag can still be found as you
walk toward the Hudson River, which originates a few miles north in the
MacIntyre Mountains.
The MacIntyre Iron Works became the Adirondac Iron and Steel Co. after
1848.
John Cheney, the first of the Adirondack Guides of the 19th
century to become a celebrity, was in the employ of the Iron Works when
David Henderson, a dominant figure in the management of the mine,
accidentally shot himself at Calamity Pond on September 3, 1845.
Henderson died fifteen minutes later in Cheney’s arms.
A large monument to Henderson stands at the edge of Calamity
Pond.
Until their closure, the Tawhaus Mines were one of the major world
suppliers of titanium oxide for paint pigment. It is also interesting to
note that some of the moon rocks returned by the Apollo astronauts are
anorthosite with very high ilmenite concentration!
Dates Open: Seasonal road conditions. The open pit mine itself is
closed.
Cost:
none
Facilities and Activities:
Trailhead to Mt. Marcy hiking trail at the end of the road to the
Furnace.
Location:
Rte 28N from Newcomb 5 miles to Brook Road.
Look for sign that reads: “To I-87”.
Turn left at fork.
Mine will be on your right.
Take left fork to MacIntyre Furnace, abandoned town of Sanford,
and the Mt. Marcy hiking trail.
Road is hard-packed dirt.
William C. Whitney Area
New York State purchased this 15,000 acre parcel, which includes Little
Tupper Lake, from the Whitney family in 1998.
Little Tupper Lake, nearly 6 miles long, still harbors its
original strain of trout.
There are also 10 ponds in the area, which is primarily flat,
with extensive wetlands.
Dates Open:
year-round
Cost:
none
Facilities and Activities:
Canoe launch at the headquarters off Sabattis Road; hiking
trails, primitive campsites; canoeing, hiking, horseback riding,
cross-country skiing.
Location:
From the junction of NY 28N and NY 30 in Long Lake, drive west
and north on NY 30 for about 7.6 miles to County 10A ( Circle Road ),
turn left and drive 3.2 miles to a junction with County 10 ( Sabattis
Road ), turn left and drive 1.4 miles to the headquarters on the left.
If you’re coming from Tupper Lake, turn right on NY 30 onto the
northern end of Circle Road |
