Mountain Biking

Meacham Lake Trail

Length: 7.9 miles
Difficulty Level: Intermediate

Trailhead Location: Access NY99 from NY3 or NY30, turn west on dirt road where Hatch Brook crosses NY99 - north of Loon Lake. Follow for 2.4 miles and park at south end of field near junction of 3 trails. If trail is accessed from the Meacham Lake State Campground on NY30, a day use fee is required.

Description: Head west on middle trail. At 1.5 miles, pass small pond on left and go straight at next junction. Take right fork at 3.5 miles. Continue over rolling terrain, crossing Winnebago Pond on beaver dam at 5.5 miles. Hit junction to Debar Mt. on right at 6 miles. Go straight another 1.9 miles to Meacham Lake State Campground. Easy cruising mixed with some rough sections.

Hays Brook Spur Trail

Length: 4.4 miles
Difficulty Level: Beginner

Trailhead Location: Same as Meacham Lake Trail.

Description: Head west on middle trail. At 1.5 miles pass small pond on left and go straight at next junction. Take left fork at 3.5 miles onto spur trail. Continue south .9 mile to old cabin site near Hays Brook. May encounter blowdown on spur trail.

Hatch Brook Loop Trail

Length: 4.5 mile loop
Difficulty Level: Intermediate

Trailhead Location: Same as Meacham Lake Trail

Description: Follow trail heading south from field (left fork). Trail crosses Hatch Brook and climbs over ridge, then bends west and passes a pond on the left. At 2.5 miles hit junction of trail to Meacham Lake. Turn right and follow road 2 more miles to complete loop. Some blowdown on single track section south of Hatch Brook.

Deer Pond Loop Trail

Length: 7.3 mile loop
Difficulty Level: Advanced/Intermediate

Trailhead Location: At .6 mile west of junction of NY3 & NY30, turn north onto Old Wawbeek Road. A DEC trailhead sign marks road entrance to parking area.

Description: Head west along Old Wawbeek Road for 2.4 miles - paved section with potholes and frost heaves. Turn right (north) onto trail, a technical single track section with undulating terrain. Trail passes by east shore of Mosquito Pond and climbs up and over hill to Deer Pond. Continue along side of pond, then hit trail junction at 4.3 miles. Left leads to nice lunch spot overlooking pond. To complete loop, turn right at junction heading east. Short climb to height of land, then some tricky side hill riding descends to swamp. Stringer bridge several hundred feet long crosses wetland and trail then joins truck trail at 5.8 miles. Turn right (south) following truck trail for nice cruising back to starting point another 1.5 miles. Recommended loop for experienced riders only.

Trombley Landing

Length: 1.6 miles
Dificulty Level: Beginner/Intermediate

Trailhead Location: Adjacent to junction of NY3 and NY30, east of Tupper Lake. Park near state gate just south of junction.

Description: A fun cruise following old truck trail. A combination of easy singletrack and narrow woods road with moderately rolling hills. Trail terminates at a lean-to on the Raquette River and a sandy beach is located there. A short 3.2 mile round trip.

Stony Creek Ponds/Coreys Road

Length: 5.25 miles
Difficulty Level: Beginner

Trailhead Location: Coreys Road is located between Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake on the south side of NY3.

Description: This is an easy ride over gently rolling terrain. The paved surface quickly gives way to hard packed dirt as you travel through pines beside Stony Creek Ponds. An access road to Axton Landing on the Raquette River is passed on the right. This short loop road rejoins Coreys Road. The outlet of Stony Creek Ponds is crossed on a metal bridge. A trailhead parking area is passed on the right. The remainder of the ride roughly parallels Ampersand Brook and passes through mixed hardwood forests and a low bog area. A second trailhead parking area is reached and then a gate where private lands begin. Upon returning to your car, you may want to ride to Upper Saranac Lake. A dirt access road is located just to the east on NY3. Turn left onto this road. It is only a short distance to the lake. A hiking trail runs along the east shore to several picturesque spots.

Otter Hollow Loop Trail

Length: 8.1 mile loop
Difficulty Level: Intermediate

Trailhead Location: Trail begins in Fish Creek State Campground opposite site #104 at 1 mile from entrance. A day use fee is required to enter the state campground.

Description: Follow snowmobile trail NW from Square Pond. At .4 mile trail turn north to Copperas Pond and then west to Whey Pond at .8 mile. Rolling terrain with some steep sections for next 2 miles to wooden bridge connecting to Floodwood Loop. Follow trail heading west along south side of Floodwood Pond. Trail bends south to reach Rollins Pond State Campground at 4.2 miles. Take paved road back to Square Pond, turn left at intersection after booth to return to starting point.

Floodwood Loop Trail

Length: 7.7 mile loop
Difficulty Level: Intermediate/Advanced

Trailhead Location: At Saranac Inn on NY30, take Floodwood Road (near golf course). At 1.8 miles beyond junction of Hoel Pond Road look for snowmobile trail markers on left side.

Description: Follow snowmobile trail south (single track). At .1 mile hit canoe carry and turn left, then another .2 mile, turn right. Continue along technical section with lots of exposed roots and will pass Polliwog Pond on left and Horseshoe Pond on right. At 2.1 miles cross carry to Fish Creek from Follensby Clear Pond. Another .8 miles trail turns right onto paved road (at Fish Creek Campsite) and another quick right back on snowmobile trail to return to Floodwood Road. This part of loop continues along Fish Creek, passing Little Square Pond. This section is rough due to corduroy and exposed roots. About 1/2 mile beyond Little Square, hit junction on left to join Otter Hollow Trail across bridge. Here trail heads NE around Floodwood Pond, then crosses a wet drainage and joins back with Floodwood Road (near west tip of Middle Pond). Turn right and ride .8 mile back to starting point. Not recommended when wet.

Sheep Meadow Trail

Length: 3.6 miles
Difficulty Level: Beginner/Intermediate

Trailhead Location: From junction of NY30 & NY86 at Paul Smiths, go 3.7 miles north and turn right on dirt road (look for DEC signs for Hays Brook Assembly Area). Park .4 mile off highway near state gate on left.

Description: Easy cruising through plantations on woods road with a few minor hills. Follow truck trail (north) for .6 mile to bridge over Osgood River. After bridge take left on horse trail, which continues as single track for .7 mile before rejoining truck trail. Then turn left and cross Hays Brook on wooden bridge at 1.5 miles. Trail terminates at clearing with 2 lean-tos and horse shelter. The section of single track can be avoided by staying on truck trail, adding 1/4 mile to trip.

Grass Pond Trail

Length: 2 miles
Difficulty Level: Beginner

Trailhead Location: Same as Sheep Meadow Trail.

Description: Follow truck trail (north) for .6 mile to bridge over Osgood River. After bridge take old road on right. Continue east for 1.4 miles to Grass Pond. There are 2 lean-tos, but the one on the east shore is nicer.

Hays Brook Trail

Length: 3.4 miles
Difficulty Level: Beginner

Trailhead Location: Same as Sheep Meadow Trail.

Description: Continue straight after crossing Osgood River. Another .8 mile, main truck trail turns left, but continue straight (north). This spur bends NE along Hays Brook through boreal forest. May encounter blowdown.

Slush Pond Horse Trail

Length: 1.5 miles
Difficulty Level: Intermediate

Trailhead Location: From NY30 turn left on dirt road opposite Hays Brook Area. Continue 1.3 miles to horse trail on right.

Description: A short but fun stretch of single track riding with a series of small hills. Trail heads NW through plantations and natural clearings to the McColloms Road. NY30 is 1.9 miles down road to right. Note: A loop is possible by turning right on NY30 another 2.3 miles back to Slush Pond Road, turn right and go 1.3 miles to starting point (7 mile loop). Beginners will enjoy riding into Slush Pond from NY30 (2.1 miles on seasonal road.)

Rat Pond-Sunday Pond Trail

Length: 3 mile loop
Difficulty Level: Beginner

Trailhead Location: West of Lake Clear junction on NY30, turn onto Fish Hatchery Road, look for DEC trail sign and follow dirt road. Make sharp left after crossing RR tracks and continue to follow RR tracks to end of road, about .8 mile.

Description: A single track path leads across RR tracks and joins wide woods road network. Continue past east shore of Rat Pond and around ridge to south. Turn left at junction and follow .4 mile to NY30. Turn right on NY30 for .1 mile, cross highway and follow woods road (next to Sunday Pond B&B). This leads to Sunday Pond about .3 mile. Then retrace .1 mile, turn right and follow around to east side of pond. Trail bends away from pond heading NE back to NY30 near Fish Hatchery Road. Turn left, follow highway back to horse trail from Rat Pond. At .1 mile after leaving highway, take right fork for alternate route back to beginning point. Terrain is level throughout loop. Horse trail network can be accessed from various points on NY30, just west of Hatchery Road.

Lake Clear Ponds Trail

Length: 3.5 miles
Difficulty Level: Beginner/Intermediate

Trailhead Location: Just west of Lake Clear Outlet on NY30 turn north on Lake Clear Road (gravel) and continue 1/4 mile beyond RR tracks. Park on old road on left - blocked with boulder.

Description: Head west on trail to Little Clear Pond. At .5 mile, trail bends north and then hits junction. Left here goes downhill to Little Clear. Continuing north on single track, bear right at fork (along boundary line) and then left at trail junction which leads to former log landing at 1.3 mile. Go right following logging road as it winds past several small ponds. Single track paths go to Meadow Pond (on right) and St. Germain Pond (on left) about 1/2 mile apart. At 2.6 miles, hit junction of Girl Scout Camp access road. Turn left and follow gravel road up and over ridge for another .9 mile to NY30. Then retrace back to starting point.

Keese Mills-Blue Mountain Road

Length: 20 miles one-way, with optional hike up Azure Mountain.
Difficulty Level: Beginner

Trailhead Location: At junction of NY30 & NY86 in Paul Smiths is a large dirt parking area. The ride starts on the Keese Mills Rd. adjacent to this intersection. For a one-way trip, another car can be parked on NY458 at the end of Blue Mt. Road.

Description: As you travel northwest on the Keese Mills Rd., pavement gives way to packed dirt and passes through lovely woods. As you cross Bay Pond and Ross parklands, the country opens up to blueberry barrens, which resulted from a massive forest fire at the turn of the century. St. Regis Mt. stands above this landscape to the south. The road then paralells the St. Regis River and enters a spruce/fir forest, home to the gray jay, three-toed woodpecker and other boreal birds. About 15 miles into the ride, and approximately 1.5 miles after crossing the St. Regis via a large bridge, you'll find the trailhead for Azure Mt. on the left. The short, 3/4 mile hike up the trail is worth the effort. There's a fine lunch spot on the rocky summit. The rest of the ride is through forests and past hunting camps. It's 5 to 6 miles to your car.

Deer River State Forest Trails

Length: 11 miles of trails
Difficulty Level: Beginner

Trailhead Location: From Malone take NY11B 12 miles west to Conservation Road. Drive south approx. 3 miles to parking area.

Description: The Deer River Area consists of a series of interconnecting loop trails which allow riders to select a variety of routes. The trails traverse gently rolling hills through northern hardwood forest. The truck trail is the major east-west travel route through the Deer River State Forest which comprises nearly 12,000 acres of land along the Deer River in NW Franklin County. At three locations, you'll find improved campsites enjoying frontage along the Deer River which are available for public use.

Bloomingdale Bog Trail

Length: 9.8 miles
Difficulty Level: Beginner

Trailhead Location: Access off NY86, 1.3 miles north of hospital in Saranac Lake. Turn right on dirt road, bear left, park at gate.

Description: Easy ride on level RR bed through interesting bog and wetlands of Two Bridge and Negro Brooks. At 3.7 miles intersect with County Route 55. There is a short rough stretch due to exposed roots, but generally smooth riding. At 4.2 miles intersect Bigelow Rd. (gravel). Encounter some deep sandy spots north to Merrill Road. At 6.1 miles intersect Merrill Road (dirt). At 7.8 miles intersect Oregon Plains Rd. (paved). At 9.8 miles arrive at County Route 30 (near Buck Pond State Campground). NOTE: Several shorter loops are possible by parking at other access roads and returning on Oregon Pond Road.

Kushaqua Loop Trail

Length: 13 mile loop
Difficulty Level: Beginner

Trailhead Location: Park on access road to Buck Pond State Campground, just east of Onchiota.

Description: From Onchiota turn right onto Kushaqua-Mud Pond Road. At 3 miles cross bridge and continue past junction of Thatcherville Road (on right) at 4 miles. Another mile further turn right onto Blue Spruce Drive and follow into Loon Lake. At 6.3 miles hit junction of NY99 (paved) and turn right. Continue on NY99 down long winding hill and turn right onto Thatcherville Road at bottom of hill at 6.9 miles. This dirt road parallels N. Branch of Saranac River. At 9.4 miles back to Kushaqua-Mud Pond Road and turn left. Follow for 1 mile and turn left on dirt road (former RR bed) along east shore of Lake Kushaqua. This leads to Buck Pond State Campground. Follow paved access road back to starting point.