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Return often to find important news articles, exciting happenings and special offers from the Adirondack Lakes Region press room.LAKE CLEAR, NY -- Sandy beaches without the crowds are where Adirondack natives head when summer temperatures climb.
These beaches are loose secrets. Plenty of people know about them, but they are unmarked by signs and some walking may be required to reach them. Casual tourists would never find them unless a local pointed them out.
Visitors shouldn't worry that they are trespassing, though. These beaches are all on public, state-owned lands that are part of the 6 million-acre Adirondack Park in northern New York.
Roughly the size of the state of Vermont, The Adirondack Park is the largest park in the contiguous 48 states, with 3,000 ponds and lakes, uncounted miles of rivers and streams and 42 peaks more than 4,000 feet in height.
Abundant lakes mean there are public beaches in nearly every village, including Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake. You'll find more amenities at village beaches, including lifeguards. You'll also find larger crowds.
Lake Clear beach is located on an unmarked road off of NYS Rt. 30, just north of the junction of Routes 30 and 186, northwest of the village of Saranac Lake. There is a short trail from the parking lot to the beautiful, 2000-foot beach.
There is an outhouse and plenty of sand for sandcastles. Like all the beaches off the beaten path, there are no lifeguards, potable water or caretakers. What you carry in must be carried out.
Rachel Klein of Salt Lake City grew up in the Adirondacks. Afternoons spent swimming at Middle Saranac Lake beach are among her clearest memories of childhood. "This long, narrow strip of white sand seemed to go on forever. Mom carried in sandwiches and soda and my sister and I would play in the water for hours. It was heaven."
Middle Saranac Beach is reached via a trail from the Rt. 3 parking area that also serves the Ampersand Mountain hiking trail across the road. The parking area, always packed in the summer, is located on the northwestern side of Rt. 3, approximately 6 miles southwest of the Village of Saranac Lake.
The half mile trail takes off from the southern end of the parking lot and passes through the woods before reaching the lake. The water remains shallow for many yards, making this a kid-friendly swimming area. Since much of the Middle Saranac Lake shoreline is state-owned and therefore "forever wild," the views are of woods and mountains, not cottages and condos. The outhouse is located along the trail just before it reaches the beach.
Least known of these little-known beaches is the canoe launch on Osgood Pond near the hamlet of Paul Smiths. The water is clear, the bottom is sandy and there is a gradual change from shallow to deep water.
To reach Osgood Pond, take Rt. 86 towards Paul Smiths. After passing through Gabriels -- a handful of houses with a road sign - look for White Pine Rd. on your right. Alternately, follow Rt. 30 north from Tupper Lake, make a right turn at Rt. 86 and take your first left onto White Pine Road. Follow White Pine Rd. for less than two miles until you see the yellow on brown sign for the Osgood Pond Canoe Launch. While you can drive a short and very bumpy track to the water, make sure you park in the area just off White Pine Rd. or the Department of Environmental Conservation may ticket you. The track to the water is for unloading and loading boats only.
"We use the canoe launch because we love to paddle, but we often stop and swim because the exposure is nice and there's never anyone there," according to Chuck McCarthy of LaGrangeville, NY. He learned about the area from a local.
