Five-Star Trails: Adirondacks: Your Guide to 46 Spectacular Hikes - Softcover

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Tim Starmer has always been an outdoors enthusiast; he spent most of his childhood seeking out remote and wild areas whenever possible. During a brief hiatus from Brown University during 1997, he drove across the United States for six weeks, camping the entire way. Along the journey he explored many of the West's national and state parks, including Canyonlands, Yellowstone, Arches, and Bryce Canyon. At the trip's conclusion, Tim headed down to Australia, where he backpacked for a few months, exploring the eastern Outback, the Great Barrier Reef, and the caves of Tasmania, as well as traversing the Tasmanian World Heritage Area along the Overland Track. Tim currently works in upstate New York as a timber framer and can still be found exploring the wilds whenever possible.

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Stewart and Indian Lakes

Scenery: 3 stars
Trail Condition: 4 stars
Children: 5 stars
Difficulty: 1 star
Solitude: 5 stars

GPS Coordinates: N43° 10.790' W74° 30.295'
Distance & Configuration: 4.6-mile out-and-back
Hiking Time: 2–3 hours
Highlights: Two secluded lakes
Elevation: 1,603' at trailhead, 2,044' at highest point
Access: Open 24/7; no fees or permits required
Maps: National Geographic Adirondack Park, Northville/Raquette Lake (#744)
Facilities: None
Wheelchair Access: No
Contacts: Central and Southern Adirondack trail information: www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor /9200.html; emergency contact: 518-891-0235

Overview

This easy hike is a great destination for people who wish to explore two remote, picturesque lakes for fishing or a picnic. With a few moderate climbs, it is a good trail for children, and wildlife viewing at both lakes provides additional interest.

Route Details

Located in the Shaker Mountain Wild Forest, the trail uses old logging roads, so the grades are mostly gentle and easily accessible to hikers of all experience levels. The area had been heavily logged before state acquisitions, and much of the forest is still in a phase of regeneration. However, the acquisitions occurred decades ago, and traces of past logging have disappeared. Wild forest areas―in contrast to wilderness, primitive, or canoe areas―are considered less ecologically fragile, allowing for a greater variety of uses and more intensive activities. Don’t let the distinction fool you, though, as they are definitely wild places and provide excellent wilderness experiences. Access to the parking area is at the left fork along Green Lake Road, which appears to be little more than a driveway. The well-maintained and spacious lot provides parking for the Kane Mountain Trail as well, but it can easily accommodate a dozen cars, so space should not be a concern.

The trail begins to the right of the trail register on the north end of the parking lot. Shrouded in tall pines, it follows an access road to a small fish hatchery created by the damming of Otter Lake’s outlet, and you can hear water spilling over the concrete dam in most seasons. The trail diverges from the road shortly before the pond on your right. The exact path may be a little hard to discern, but a wooden bridge and a sign prohibiting the use of baitfish will steer you.

A note to anglers: The Department of Environmental Conservation has gone to great lengths to reestablish native brook trout and the endangered round whitefish in some of the isolated waters of the Adirondacks. Reestablishment methods vary but include treating entire lakes with rotenone to remove competing, nonnative species and then restocking the waters with native fish. Due to the physical characteristics of the various Adirondack waterways, the success of this technique is limited and expensive. When the technique is successful, those same physical characteristics mean there will be lasting success and that native fish populations can thrive. Unfortunately, the reintroduction of nonnative species is almost exclusively a consequence of the unintentional release of baitfish by anglers into the reestablished ecosystems. So leave the bait bucket at home when visiting the prized fishing waters of the Adirondacks.

Once on the trail, you will notice that it is emblazoned by yellow trail markers and very easy to follow the rest of the way. A quick climb takes you along a low ridge overlooking the pond to your left. The trail climbs through a mixed hardwood forest dominated by birch and beech trees. The grade is very moderate for the first 0.7 mile, at which point you encounter a muddy area. The trail climbs more steeply after this muddy area, but at approximately 1.2 miles it levels off to a more gently rolling terrain. Farther along the trail, the forest canopy gets higher and the understory thins, allowing deeper views into the surrounding forest. You catch glimpses of Stewart Lake as you approach 1.3 miles, where there is a fork in the trail. The main trail continues on the right toward Indian Lake, while the left fork takes you through a stand of pine and hemlock to a boggy area that surrounds Stewart Lake. The marshland prevents you from gaining direct access to the lake but makes for good wildlife viewing.

Back along the trail, you encounter some mucky areas that you will have to negotiate on your own, as no good way bypasses the muck. At 2 miles, you pass a thick carpet of club moss, which at first glance looks like tree saplings but is actually more closely related to ferns. At this point, you begin the descent to Indian Lake, where the trail ends at the shore. A path to the left follows the shoreline toward a rock that juts out into the lake and provides additional vantage points. The remote setting promises a wonderful opportunity to view a variety of wildlife, including a beaver lodge.

Directions

From the southern intersection of NY 10 and NY 29A in downtown Caroga Lake, head north on NY 10/NY 29A. At 3.4 miles past the intersection, turn right onto Green Lake Road.

From the intersection of NY 8 and NY 10 in Piseco, head 19.6 miles south on NY 10, and turn left (1.9 miles past the northern intersection of NY 10 and NY 29A near Pine Lake Park) onto Green Lake Road. Follow Green Lake Road north along the west edge of the shore. At 0.5 mile, bear left onto the parking area drive.