Paradox Loop

Paved n’ Dirt in Southeast Essex County

By Dave Kraus

The smooth pavement stretches out before you, undulating through the forest as it heads east. It’s a quiet morning on Ensign Pond Road before the heat of the day begins to build, and you pedal easily as the road twists and turns between green walls of pines and maples. This quiet, lightly trafficked route is close to the eastern ramparts of the Adirondacks, and the next big descent in front of you will eventually end on the shores of Lake Champlain.

You started this day bright and early in the parking lot behind the expansive new Paradox Brewery, just off the Adirondack Northway in North Hudson. It’s part of the ongoing economic development of this area that fell out of the tourism limelight when the original Frontier Town closed down in 1998. Today there’s a new state campground, equestrian and day use facilities, and business ventures like the new Paradox facility that boasts a tasting room, outdoor events pavilion, and big plans for the future.

For cyclists, the new projects around Exit 29 mean another easily accessible starting point for both paved and gravel riding on previously unexplored roads winding through some of the best scenery in the Adirondacks. Drive up for the day, use one of the nearby campgrounds for an overnight, or find lodging nearby in motels or B&Bs. Enjoy a great ride and celebrate afterward at the safely socially distanced Paradox home base.

This 41-mile clockwise loop includes quiet paved roads, almost ten miles of gravel (relatively smooth dirt roads), and a stop at the historic Penfield Homestead Museum in Ironville, site of the first industrial use of electricity in the US. Just keep in mind this is a ride for experienced cyclists. There are challenging gravel sections, a couple of steep grades, and only one rest stop – Boyea’s Grocery & Deli in Moriah Center just past the 15-mile mark. If you’re looking for a casual jaunt on a bike trail, this is not it. Take snacks, plenty of liquids, and make sure you have a spare tube and appropriate tools.

The route starts with three miles on NY Route 9 heading north from the brewery, then a right turn puts you on Ensign Pond Road that winds through the forest, past the pond of the same name, and eastward along Mill Brook to Moriah Center. At this small crossroads community, you will need to decide whether to turn right on Center Road and head south through the hamlet of Moriah toward Ironville, or continue east on Dugway Road for a side trip to Port Henry to turn your 41-mile loop into a 46-mile loop.

Port Henry Side Trip – Port Henry, affectionately known as the “San Francisco of the Adirondacks,” sits on a hill overlooking the Lake Champlain and Vermont’s Green Mountains. If you’re looking for mid-ride services, it has a downtown Stewart’s Shop, plus Red Brick Café & Village Inn (recently featured in Adirondack Life) and Foote’s Port Henry Diner (1920s diner car) – both cool places to grab breakfast or lunch. Other attractions include the Champ Beach Park (home of “Champ” – Lake Champlain’s monster) with a great view of the Lake Champlain Bridge; historic Moriah Town Office (a massive building in the Second Empire style); and Edgemont Bed & Breakfast – a bicycle-friendly Victorian farmhouse overlooking the lake.

From Moriah Center, continue east and downhill on Dugway Road (becomes Broad Street) to Port Henry. If interested in going down to the water for views, turn left and downhill onto Main Street (NY Routes 9N & 22), turn right onto Dock Lane to Champ Beach Park. Return to the village by turning left from Dock Lane and uphill on Main Street. You’ll see the restaurant options and Stewart’s. To visit the Town Hall building, keep left onto Park Place near the train station. Turn south onto Main Street, then turn right (west) onto Edgemont Road – uphill past the Edgemont B&B, returning to the original loop (left turn on Moriah Road). –Darryl Caron

If you’ve decided on the shorter option, you’ll pedal south on Center and Moriah roads, past farms and tantalizing views of Lake Champlain and the far-off hills of Vermont. Just past mile 20 you’ll get your first taste of gravel as you bear right onto the well-maintained Sand Hill Road for three miles. Then it’s back to pavement and shortly you’re climbing back westward toward Ironville on Creek Road. Relax and settle in, you’re going to be climbing for a while. 

At the top is the Penfield Homestead (penfieldmuseum.org) that features original artifacts from the local Penfield family, plus exhibits covering the local iron industry, town history and involvement in the Civil War. The historic district includes the hamlet of Ironville, and the industrial remains of Crown Point Iron Company works, where the use of an electromagnet marked the first industrial use of electricity in the United States in 1831. If you’d like to stop for a tour, contact them in advance to make sure the facilities are open again; they are currently closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Leaving Ironville, it’s time to head back westward and upward on Old Furnace Road, which begins climbing and soon turns to gravel. As you climb, the houses become fewer and the forest thicker. Soon you’re following Knob Brook as it flows into Paradox Creek. Just after you pass a large beaver dam and pond, keep your eyes open to your right for the remains of an old dam and mill on the creek. If you get to the small bridge over the creek, you’ve missed it.

Old Furnace continues to follow the slowly meandering Paradox Creek, which forms an almost constant marsh as it flows westward. Eventually you come out into an island of open fields nestled in the forest, where you will find a picturesque barn for the Highland Community Farm on your right. It’s a great place for a picture stop.

Shortly you cross Paradox Creek again, and a right turn onto Johnson Pond Road starts the last link in your ride. The gravel can be rough in places, so it’s best to take it slow if you’re on a road bike. But the forest is deep, and the view is great across the unnamed pond where you will soon skirt the shoreline. As the pond recedes behind you, the final climb of the day begins over Indian Ridge, and it will test your mettle on a hot day. This will be the moment you’re glad to have brought insect repellent – or put deer fly patches (or duct tape, sticky side up) on your helmet. If you forgot this time, you’ll just have to suffer and make a note for the next ride!

Finally, you see pavement ahead again, and soon afterward you pass Johnson Pond behind the trees on your left. Then it’s a screaming downhill back to Route 9, a left turn, and a few minutes to calm down before grabbing a cool post-ride brew with your riding companions. Enjoy the adventure and refreshments, and start planning your next ride!

Dave Kraus (dbkraus@earthlink.net) is a longtime Capital Region cyclist, photographer, and writer who is always looking for new, interesting routes to experience the outdoors in upstate New York. Visit his website at krausgrafik.com.