Favorite Fall Foliage Spots

By Rich Macha

In most years, you can find peak fall foliage in the higher elevations of the Adirondack Park around the end of September and in early October. By Indigenous Peoples’/Columbus Day weekend, the bright red and orange leaves of the red and sugar maple trees will likely have dropped to the ground, but the yellows of the birches and the golds of the beeches may still be evident. Thanks to climate change, in recent years the best colors have been persisting through to the holiday which falls on October 14 this year – perhaps a little bit late for peak in higher elevations in the Adirondacks. After that date, the colors should pop in the lowlands and the Hudson River Valley.

Although there are a multitude of great paddling spots in the northern and western parts of the Adirondacks, for this article I will limit the choices to the areas south and east of Indian Lake and add some choices outside the Adirondack Park that are easily accessible from the greater Capital-Saratoga Region.

Fourteen-mile-long Indian Lake is a large body of water with majestic mountain views – Snowy Mountain towers over 2,000 feet above the lake. By late summer, the water is drawn down a few feet to reveal a sandy and rocky shoreline where you will find many places to stop for a scenic picnic lunch, go for a late-season swim, or just hang out for a while. Many islands add to the interest.

On the other side of NY Route 30, you find Lewey Lake State Campground (open until October 14) and its namesake lake. Lewey Lake is only 1.25 miles long, but you can also paddle up its inlet, the Miami River, which is navigable for a few miles if you don’t mind getting out and pulling over the occasional beaver dam. The view of the mountains to the north is outstanding.

East of the Northway and Schroon Lake, lying at the edge of the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness south of NY Route 74, you find Putnam Pond. A state campground (open until October 14 this year) is located on its east shore, but the rest of this large pond is wild. A paddle around its perimeter will add to about five miles. This is a wonderful place to combine a paddle with a hike. Easy to moderate hikes from the pond lead to Rock Pond, Clear Pond, Treadway Mountain, and Grizzle Ocean.

The two-mile-long Thirteenth Lake in North River is on the edge of the Siamese Ponds Wilderness and offers several primitive campsites and mountain views. Paddlers do have to carry or wheel their watercraft 150 yards from the parking area to the water – however, the trail is wide and smooth. This is another beautiful place to combine a paddle with a hike – destinations include Balm Of Gilead Mountain, Hour Pond, and Peaked Mountain.

Garnet Lake lies hidden south of NY Route 8 in Johnsburg. A dirt road along its east side leads to a small parking area and a sandy beach from which to launch. There are some private camps on this small lake’s northern half, but the southern half is quite wild. A large part of the southeastern bay is a “stump city” that harbors a lot of wildlife. Mount Blue and Crane Mountain can be seen from the water. The photographer should have a field day here.

An excellent choice for a downriver float trip is the Hudson River from Thurman Station to the Hadley-Luzerne area. Some quickwater and riffles are experienced along this 14.5-mile route. Hills rise steeply on both sides of the river and should flash a fair amount of color in mid-October. The Hudson River Special Management Area is passed halfway through the trip, and you will find places to stop for a break. The next section of the river is popular for its tubing in summer. The put-in is located at the northwest end of the NY Route 418 bridge. The take-out is either at a county canoe access on River Road in Lake Luzerne or across the river at the Hadley Canoe Take-Out Park – note that both are a touch on the steep side. I have found that water level readings of three to four feet on the Hadley or North Creek gauges are ideal.

Most of the time, I would hesitate to wholeheartedly recommend Lake George to the average recreational paddler due to its motorboat activity, but things quiet down in October and the views are always gorgeous. The Northwest Bay Brook, however, can be a very pleasant paddle at any time, albeit a bit on the short side. There is a DEC launch on NY Route 9N a few miles north of Bolton Landing. Don’t forget to check out the backwater to the northeast. Better paddlers can go out into the ever-widening Northwest Bay and head over to Montcalm Point and The Narrows.

The Kunjamuk River in Speculator is often mentioned by many paddlers as their favorite Adirondack stream. The usual trip starts on the Sacandaga River and then turns up the Kunjamuk at Kunjamuk Bay. Typically, two to four beaver dams are encountered that need to be lifted over on the way to Elm Lake. More adventurous paddlers can explore further upstream – last year, I found only two beaver dams between Elm Lake and the Long Level Bridge. Above the Long Level Bridge, more beaver dams and obstructions can be expected, but the stream is beautiful.

The West Branch of the Sacandaga River roughly parallels NY Route 10 south of Piseco. An eight-mile (or more if you take side-trips into adjacent ponds) one-way trip can be accomplished by putting in at the bridge near Good Luck Lake and paddling downstream with a light current to just before Shaker Place – the car shuttle between the two is 6.5 miles. You can also do an up-and-back trip from Shaker Place and turn around whenever you please.

I wrote about the Hudson River above and below the Spier Falls Dam in Moreau in the June 2024 issue of Adirondack Sports. With a variety of deciduous trees on the steep hillsides on both sides of the river, the leaf-peeping should be stunning throughout the whole month of October.

In Rensselaer County, Grafton Lakes State Park contains four ponds north of NY Route 2 and one reservoir south of Route 2 that are worth a paddle. Note that elevations here are above 1,500 feet and the best fall foliage appears earlier than at lower elevations in the Capital Region – so, if the foliage in Albany is peaking, it will be past peak at Grafton. Dunham Reservoir and Long Pond are the two waterbodies with the most interest to paddlers. Many years ago, I paddled all four ponds north of Route 2 – Mill, Second, Long, and Shaver – in a poor man’s attempt at a Saint Regis Canoe Area-style pond-bagging trip with portages between the ponds.

The tidal Hudson River south of Albany offers a variety of inlets, coves, and marshes to investigate. You will find much to explore if you launch from Bethlehem, Coeymans, Coxsackie, or Athens on the river’s west shore, or from Stockport on the east shore. While the waterbodies mentioned above are at their showy best when maples are at their peak, this part of the Hudson reveals itself in the variety of hues exhibited by oak trees – shades of reds to shades of gold and bronze – perhaps a little subtler than those show-off maples, but very attractive, nonetheless.

For safety, be sure to wear a PFD and carry a white light and whistle. The fall foliage will be over before you know it, so make a point of getting out on the water and enjoy the foliage while the water and air are still relatively warm. 

A lover of wild places, Rich Macha has led many trips for the Adirondack Mountain Club and has spent 20 years in the paddle/snowsport business. For more of Rich’s adventures, visit: northeastwild.blogspot.com.