Cascade Lake near Eagle Bay – A Fine Hike that Deserves its Spotlight

By Bill Ingersoll

Some hikes are so familiar to me that I probably revisit them almost every year without intending to do so. These are places that are hardly obscure and off-the-map, but dependable stalwarts that provide a guaranteed experience even when I’m not in the mood for something more extensive.

Cascade Lake near Eagle Bay is high on that list. It’s rare that I pass the trailhead without seeing cars parked there, and the area is so well known that the hike might seem like “plain vanilla” for people who are searching for something more unique.

But to be honest, Cascade Lake is a fine hike that deserves its spotlight. While it is a key part of the Pigeon Lake Wilderness, its history as a girls’ camp in the 20th century – complete with equestrian trails and tennis courts – makes the technical difficulty of following this trail system much easier than the typical wilderness trail system. This one seems to suit all comers.

And in the winter, the snow conditions can be quite good. Big Moose Road, from which the trail begins, can be a busy place at this time of year, relatively speaking. Snowmobiles zip up and down the road, while skiers and snowshoers gravitate toward the hiking trails leading laterally into the woods. In fact, Cascade is simply the first trail option one encounters along the drive northwest from Eagle Bay; if you like what you see here, then by all means come back for more. This adventure is merely the tip of a very wild iceberg.

Getting There

The trailhead for Cascade Lake is located on Big Moose Road, about 1.3 miles from NY Route 28 in Eagle Bay. After leaving the hamlet, Big Moose Road winds uphill past the old trailhead (located on the inside of a hairpin turn) to reach the preferred parking area, which is prominently marked by a DEC sign.

The Trail

From the parking area, the marked trail begins essentially as a connector parallel to Big Moose Road for 0.3-mile. It winds gently upward but descends sharply to a junction, where you turn hard left at the bottom of the slope. Snowshoers will wonder what all the fuss is about, but novice skiers may be intimidated by the hill-turn combination. (The way right leads to the old trailhead, which was closed due to traffic safety concerns.)

Turning left, you are now following what was once the main access road to the summer camp. As you walk along the initial level stretch, you will notice the flank of Cascade Mountain rising to your right. The road soon makes a steady, gradual descent that delights skiers, and at the one-mile mark, you come to a junction where the loop trail around the lake comes in on the right.

The main road curves down to the left and passes a spring, the overflow of which drains down the road. Spruce and balsam become more common, and after passing two clearings on the right – site of the old camp headquarters – you come to the lake’s outlet, which you cross on a bridge made of boards and iron rails. Upstream, on your right, are the remains of a wooden fish barrier dam.

At a junction just past the outlet, a red-marked trail comes in on the left, 1.3 miles from the trailhead. This is the link trail that leads to Chain Ponds and Queer Lake, so continue on the main trail to the right. The lake soon appears to the right. At 1.8 miles you reach a clearing on the right that is a favorite stopping place, and one of the best places to view Cascade Lake. This is a campsite sheltered by tall pines and hemlocks. The area has seen a lot of use, but it remains attractive.

The trail narrows beyond this point and continues through an open area where the remains of an old wall stand off to the left. Stonework occasionally lines the old roadway or appears in the nearby woods. There is a second side trail to another shoreline campsite, as well as more remains of the girls’ camp. One of the more unusual sites, the overgrown surface of the former tennis court, lies off to the right of the trail, but it will probably be unremarkable in the winter.

The trail narrows considerably as it makes its one close approach to the shoreline, way at the far east end of the lake. A few minutes later you will need to watch closely for the marked detour that veers left of the old bridle trail. The original route continued straight, sticking to the old roadway, but it was abandoned some years ago due to boggy conditions (although skiers sometimes continue to ski through, since they are less likely to be bothered by the wetness when everything is frozen). The red-marked detour is a narrow footpath that hugs the hillside and crosses a footbridge before rejoining the bridle path in a spruce-and-balsam forest.

At three miles you reach an open area with a bridge across another inlet. Just out of sight up the inlet, to the left, is the pretty, 25-foot waterfall from which the lake gets its name. If you have come this far, it would be absurd not to make the short detour over to see the cascade, even though in mid-winter is likely just to be a column of ice. The well-worn streambank is a favorite lunch stop.

The trail is at its remotest point at the waterfall. Beyond, it promptly begins to turn back toward the south shore of Cascade Lake. This section is windy and hilly compared to the north shore – and not to mention further from the lake as well. There are no campsites, and no opportunities to view the lake without taking a brief off-trail detour. Nevertheless, it continues to follow an obvious roadway. At 4.8 miles you return to the junction near the county line where the trail splits. Continuing left will return you in one-mile (5.8 overall) back to the trailhead. Of course, a significant portion of this route will be gently uphill.

Bill Ingersoll is a cofounder and the vice-chair of Adirondack Wilderness Advocates. For more information on this area, please visit: adirondackwilderness.org/pigeon-lake-wilderness.