Upper Saranac Lake
| Upper Saranac Lake | |
|---|---|
Looking south near Eagle Island
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| Location | Adirondacks, Franklin County, New York, United States |
| Coordinates | 44°17′33″N 074°19′32″W / 44.29250°N 74.32556°WCoordinates: 44°17′33″N 074°19′32″W / 44.29250°N 74.32556°W |
| Primary outflows | Saranac River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 8 mi (13 km) |
| Max. width | 2 mi (3.2 km) |
| Surface area | 5,250 acres (2,120 ha) |
| Shore length1 | 37 mi (60 km) |
| Surface elevation | 1,572 ft (479 m) |
| Islands | 18 |
| Settlements | Saranac Inn (hamlet) |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Upper Saranac Lake is one of three connected lakes, part of the Saranac River, in the towns of Santa Clara and Harrietstown, near the village of Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks in northern New York. Upper Saranac Lake is the sixth largest lake in the Adirondacks. With Middle Saranac Lake and Lower Saranac Lake, a 17-mile (27 km) paddle with only one carry is possible. There are 20 primitive campsites accessible by boat available on a first-come basis.
The 37 miles of shoreline is 54 percent privately owned, and much of it is lined with "camps", ranging from true Great Camps to small weekend cottages. The lake, along with both Middle and Lower Saranac Lakes, is also part of the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail, which begins in Old Forge, NY and ends in Fort Kent, ME.
Prior to the development of railroads and the automobile, the Saranac Lakes formed part of an important transportation route in the Adirondacks; one could travel 140 miles (230 km) across, from Old Forge to Lake Champlain, almost entirely on water. The earliest settlement on the lake was built at the south end to serve sportsmen: the Rustic Lodge, built by Jessie Corey on Indian Carry, about 1850, was a simple hostelry offering room, board, and guides for hunting and fishing. Bartlett's, built soon after at the site of Bartlett Carry was similar. Bartlett's Carry enabled sportsmen to get from the Upper to the Middle Saranac Lake, while the Indian Carry crossed from Upper Saranac Lake to Stony Creek Ponds and onto the Raquette River.
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Wikipedia