Welcome to the 18,000-acre natural spa of New York State’s only wilderness canoe region
The Lake Clear Lodge is one of the last destination lodges at the portal to the 18,000-acre St. Regis Wilderness Canoe area – home to a paddler’s paradise of 58 lakes and ponds within the largest intact wilderness region east of the Mississippi, the Adirondack Park. The St. Regis Wilderness canoe region is part of the North Flow consisting of 26 navigable rivers, streams and brooks and over 1,400 lakes and ponds. It is also a vital link to the Northern Forest Canoe Trail that runs from the Adirondacks through Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
Over 1,200 miles of rivers in the Adirondacks are classified as wild, scenic or recreational. It is an experience like no other in the world…
The St. Regis Wilderness Canoe region filled with countless bodies of water with most accessible by canoe or short carries has been set aside for non-motorized use. You cannot put a motorboat in the wilderness canoe region or drive through it. Our lake property faces west into the St. Regis Wilderness region offering the most incredible mountain-lake sunsets anywhere in the world filled with the songs of our resident loons, the flight of our neighboring bald eagle and endless canoe and kayaking experiences. From launching from our lakeshore to a portage to the pristine silence of remote ponds, you can experience it all from expert to novice.
Once you arrive at the Lake Clear Lodge, you do not need to travel anymore if you wish. Right from your handcrafted lodging door, you can take endless trips for an hour or for days.
You can experience an almost unimaginable diversity of water bodies with over 50 species of mammals, an estimated 200 species of birds, a reported 86 species of fish and more than 30 tree species that grow in the region. All within incredible natural mosaics from bogs, ponds to boreal forests and majestic mountain views that all starts from our Lodge.
For three generations, our family has been avid water enthusiasts. We love the diversity of canoeing in one pond in one moment and in another the next. It is fun for us to plan a trip where you can paddle, mountain climb, fish and swim and do it all in one day.
It is all here waiting for you as part of the 18,000-acre St. Regis Wilderness a key natural living theater of the 6 million acre Adirondack Park. Despite our best efforts, even we have only scratched the surface of paddling experiences.
Within 5 minutes of the Lodge
The Heart of the St. Regis Wilderness Canoe Region
The Nine Carries
The Seven Carries
Paddling Destinations within 15 minutes of the Lodge
There is an incredible diversity of paddling experiences within 15 minutes of the Lake Clear Lodge. What follows is a sampling and folks that’s all it is a sampling. There are too many experiences to mention on our web site and we urge you to consult the reference information listed above or other resources.
Fish Creek Pond Loops
The Saranac chain of lakes
The Northern Ponds
River Paddling Experiences within 15 minutes of the Lake Clear Lodge:
The Raquette River
The Saranac River
The North Branch of the Saranac River
Osgood River
Northern Forest Canoe Trail & Other Major Paddling Adventures
There are many types of paddling trips in terms of duration, difficulty, views, isolation, and ability to undertake comprehensive trips of paddling, hiking, and mountain climbing.
For example, longer excursions are available as well in our neighboring waters. The aforementioned “90 Miler” from Old Forge to Saranac Lake; the “Transit Trail” from Piercefield on the Raquette River to the Saranac River to Union Falls (approximately 70 mi. and reportedly with only 5 carries in this route totaling a little over 2 mi.!); “The Pond Hopping Trail” of about 55 mi that is an intricate trail looping 36 lakes and ponds at the headwaters of 5 rivers: the North Branch and main stem of the Saranac, Osgood, Middle and West Branches of the St. Regis. Finally, we are a critical link to the Northern Forest Canoe Trail linking the Adirondacks to Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
The above is just a sampling to give you the breadth of what is available right out the front door of your handcrafted accommodation at the Lake Clear Lodge to within a 15-minute drive. If you undertake a mere 30-minute drive it seems that our infinite universe explodes into a larger galaxy if that’s even possible. The High Peaks, the Ausable River, the Osgewartchie, Lake Placid are just a few other worlds available to you.