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THIS IS ROUGH DRAFT UNTIL FINAL IS AVAILABLE!!!!
The
portion of the Adirondacks containing the Five Ponds Wilderness, Cranberry Lake
Wild Forest, Cranberry Lake, and adjacent Forest Preserve lands provide some of
the best hiking, paddling, fishing, skiing and camping experiences available in
the northeastern United States. The New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation's (DEC) Five Ponds Wilderness Unit Management Plan adopted in 1994
proposed improving the area with additional trails to provide a way to hike a
50-mile loop around the lake. This
circumnavigation would give hikers an opportunity to experience lakeside views,
deep forests, backcountry ponds and diverse wildlife, as well as peaceful
campsites, nostalgic lean-tos, and the fading signs of the area's rich logging,
milling and tourism history. Through
the cooperative efforts of DEC, the Adirondack Park Agency (APA), the Adirondack
Mountain Club (ADK), the SUNY-ESF Ranger School, and many volunteers, including
the Five Ponds Partners, the route is now open for use. Above
all, the new loop trail, dubbed “The Cranberry Lake 50,” was developed to
encourage people to explore and enjoy the expansive natural scenery of the
Cranberry Lake region. As one
former explorer of the area, Bob Marshall, put it, such wild scenery “was
similar to great works of art.” And
when he further noted in 1930 that “Wilderness furnishes perhaps the best
opportunity for pure aesthetic rapture,” he was surely referring to places
like Cranberry Lake. Although
the Cranberry Lake 50 promises to be a pleasant adventure in itself, alternative
entry points are possible and extended side trips will tempt the visitor.
For example, traditional hiking trails can be combined with a suggested
bike link along NYS Route 3, from the parking lot at the Peavine Swamp trailhead
west of Cranberry Lake, through the hamlet of Cranberry Lake, to the parking lot
at Burntbridge Pond trailhead east of Cranberry Lake.
The loop can be started in Wanakena, at the DEC campground in Cranberry
Lake, or from either of the parking lots previously mentioned. For those with boat access, other options are available that
combine travel by boat and foot. A
close look at the attached map should reveal several possibilities for dividing
the route into reasonable distances based on time, interest, season, and
preferred mode of travel. When
you have finished the loop we hope that you will display The Cranberry Lake 50
patch and share your experience with others.
Enjoy!
Additional
Information and Resources In addition to the brief trail descriptions provided here, more information and details are available from The Cranberry Lake 50 website (www.cranberrylake50.org) and two recently published guidebooks: 1.
Guide to the Adirondack Trails Northern
Region, Adirondack Mountain Club, Third Edition, Bradly A. Pendergraft,
Editor, Neil Burdick, Series Editor, 2008. 2)
McMartin, Barbara and Bill Ingersoll. Discover the
Northwestern Adirondacks: Four-Season Guide to
the Oswegatchie Wilderness. Barneveld, NY: Wild
River Press, 2007. Another
recommended source of information on the hike is National Geographic's Trails
Illustrated Map, Adirondack Park: Old Forge/Oswegatchie. PLEASE REMEMBER TO CARRY OUT WHAT YOU CARRY IN AND SIGN IN AND OUT OF ALL DEC TRAIL REGISTERS.
NOTE: The Cranberry Lake 50 trail is denoted as “CL50” in the
following descriptions. Also note
that nearly every lean-to along the CL50 has been recently repaired or re-built
through combined DEC and volunteer efforts. Trail
Description, by Section
Burntbridge Pond Dog Pond Otterbrook South Bay Six Mile Creek Olmstead Pond Cowhorn Junction High Falls Wanakena Peavine Swamp This
red-marked hiking/biking/snowmobile trail starts at a parking lot on NYS Route 3
approximately 2 miles northeast of the hamlet of Cranberry Lake. The trail runs
south toward an arm of Cranberry Lake. At 1.4 miles it intersects a trail coming
from the DEC Cranberry Lake Campground (Bear Mt Trail). Bear Mt. is an excellent
side trip and offers wonderful views of the lake. Continuing on, the trail
reaches Brandy Brook flow at 3.0 miles. The CL50 goes straight along the flow
changing to the blue-marked Dog Pond Loop Trail. The CL50 utilizes the western section of the Dog Pond Loop. The trail is marked in blue for the entire loop but the first 0.3 miles also has orange discs. The actual trail is marked closer to the lake than the current printed maps. Also note the DEC marked campsites on the lake a little over a mile along the blue trail. A side trail at 1.9 miles (marked in yellow) leads left/east to Hedgehog Pond. After following blue markers for another 2.5 miles, the trail passes campsites numbers 12, 13 and 14 and offers a beautiful view of East Inlet. The trail then bears left to a wooden bridge over East Creek at 3.0 miles. The Dog Pond Loop continues south and east until it meets a trail on the right (4.1 miles) that comes up from East Inlet. Both trails continue to Curtis Pond at 4.2 miles, and then to an excellent campsite on the eastern shore under the white pine. The trail continues past Curtis and then Irish and several other small ponds on the left side. At 6.0 miles on the Dog Pond Loop, the trail enters a large clearing known as Prouix Camp, formerly an old logging camp. At this point the Dog Pond Loop heads north on a blue-marked trail to Burntbridge Pond. Note, the Dog Pond Loop trail does not go to Dog Pond. Continue on the trail (red) to the right for another .4 mile to Dog Pond. About .8 miles beyond Dog Pond, a trail intersects from the right. The CL50 makes a sharp right here and heads west on a recently marked trail not shown on many maps, the Otterbrook trail (Continuing straight leads to the Sucker Brook ski trail and then to a parking lot on the Grasse River south of the Yorkshire Easement and north of Hitchins Pond/Lows Lake access). This
trail marked in blue, starts just past Dog Pond (.8 miles) and connects into the Darning
Needle Pond trail (marked in yellow) two hundred yards from Chair Rock Flow on
the lake. The five-mile trail travels east to west. Please note that other
"roads" branch off this Otterbrook Trail but the DEC has clearly
marked these with "Arrow Signs" to keep you on the correct path. Some
remnants of old hunting camps and related "stuff" are evident of a
time when hunters were able to drive this road before it became Forest Preserve. At the intersection with the
yellow Darning Needle trail, turn right (north) and head for the lake; Chair
Rock Creek will be on the left. A campsite is located near the lake just west of
the boat landing. The CL50 crosses the creek at this point and continues on the
new South Bay Trail. Note: there is no bridge across the Chair Rock Creek at
this time. After heavy rains, consider going upstream in order to find a safe
crossing. This section of trail was recently built to avoid private lands between Chair Rock Flow and South Flow. A portion of an existing herd path was used and supplemented with new sections over the ridges south and west. Please respect private property and follow the signs. It is 2.0 miles from Chair Rock Flow to the Six-Mile Creek Trail, with a bridge crossing at 1.6 miles. Marked in Blue. The
CL50 suggested route turns right, towards the lake, for 100 yards to the trail
register and the intersection of the Olmstead Pond Loop (marked in yellow).
Follow the loop around the pond and back to the Six-Mile Creek trail (see next
section for details). Now turn
right (south) and continue on the Six-Mile Creek trail (Note: one may bypass
this loop trail by turning left at the junction of the South Bay and Six-Mile
Creek trails, shaving 3.2 miles off the trip). The trail runs southwest for 4
miles, past the southern junction of the Olmstead Pond Loop, and then more or
less along a ridge. At Cowhorn Pond, a yellow-marked spur trail turns left and
leads to an excellent lean-to campsite. Once back on the blue-marked Six-Mile
Creek Trail, continue straight past the pond and up the hill to the Cowhorn
Junction Trail. From
the intersection of the South Bay and Six-Mile Creek Trails, turn right (north)
and hike for about 100 yards to the trail register at the intersection of the
Olmstead Pond Trail. Follow the yellow-markers past Spectacle Pond on the right
at about 1 mile. Soon the trail reaches beautiful Olmstead Pond and a great
campsite. Continuing counter clockwise around the pond, a second campsite is
reached near a short trail to Simmons Pond. Other ponds in the area can be
explored by bushwacking. After the second campsite, the trail can be wet until
reaching the lean-to on the southwest corner of the pond. From the lean-to,
continue counterclockwise through somewhat wet terrain, ford Six-Mile Creek, and
return to the Six-Mile Creek Trail. Turn right (south) and follow the Six-Mile
Creek Trail as described above. This
2-mile, yellow-marked trail travels westerly to Sand Hill Junction. Once past a
fisherman's path to Bassout Pond on the left, take a short walk off the trail,
on the shore of Cat Mountain Pond, to a campsite on the right.
At just over a mile, a trail junction is reached. Turn left (west) to
continue to Sand Hill Junction or turn right (east) and ascend Cat Mountain for
an excellent side trip. The trail continues past Glasby Pond, through an
often-used campsite next to the pond, to Sand Hill Junction in another 0.9
miles. At the Sand Hill Junction the CL50 turns left/southwest and begins the
“High Falls Loop.” Note that one may turn right here, especially in an
emergency, to reach the Janacks Landing lean-to on the lake (1+ miles), and/or
to continue on the red-marked Dead Creek Flow trail to Wanakena. This is
a popular loop trail that begins and ends in Wanakena and offers 16+ miles of
hiking that can be done in one day. The CL50 leaves Sand Hill Junction and heads
southwest on a red-marked trail towards High Falls. This section of the trail is
often affected by beavers and may require a walk on a beaver dam before getting to the
falls. However, the falls
and the old growth white pines and yellow birch make the trip worthwhile. Upon arrival at the
loop trail junction,
turn left to visit the falls (0.4 miles) and lean-tos on either side of the
Oswegatchie river. Returning to the trail intersection, bear left/west and
continue traveling in a clockwise direction around the loop. At 4.3 miles from
the above intersection there is a side trail of 0.2 miles that leads to High
Rock, which offers two campsites and an impressive view of the 'Oswegatchie
Oxbows.” Beyond High Rock the
trail loops north and east, crosses Skate Creek, and arrives at a DEC register
and metal gate just south of the once-mighty mill town of Wanakena. Turn right on South Shore Road and cross the pedestrian suspension bridge into the historic hamlet of Wanakena. Note that supplies, including food and cold drinks, are available at the Wanakena General Store. Also note that an enjoyable, self-guided walking tour of Wanakena begins just across from the store. homes and pleasant views of the Oswegatchie River as it flows into Cranberry Lake. Upon arriving at the SUNY-ESF Ranger School, continue in front of the school and past the canoe racks next to the river. Just past the canoes a marked trail enters the forest to the right and soon merges with the DEC Peavine Swamp ski and bike trail. Follow
this trail along the river and at .9 mile the trail forks and begins three loops with a
spur to a lean-to overlooking the river. Consider loop 3 and a stop at the
lean-to as a pleasant side trip.
From the
last-mentioned fork, the main stem of the Peavine
Swamp Trail tracks northeast, eventually reaching
a trailhead parking lot at 4.0 miles.
From here, a walk, bike or drive back (to the
east along NYS Route 3) to the Burntbridge Pond
trailhead completes the CL50. Plan
Carefully and Enjoy Your Trip! This information is provided as a guide for planning all or part of the Cranberry Lake 50 hike. For additional information, consult the books and maps listed above, contact a NYS Ranger or NYS Licensed Guide. Food,
Lodging, Supplies and Emergencies In an
emergency, dial 911, or contact the local Forest Ranger at 315-848-3710.
The emergency phone number for the 24hr DEC Dispatch Center: 1-800-TIPP-DEC, or
518-891-0235, or 518-897-1300. Cell phones may not work in this area, so plan ahead and prepare!
The nearest hospital is in Star Lake, NY, which is located about 15 miles
west of Cranberry Lake. For a
list of area businesses—including grocery stores, restaurants, and
lodges How
Do I Get a Patch? For
information on how to register the completion of your hike and receive a
“Cranberry Lake 50” patch.
This website was designed and produced by the Five Ponds Partners, a sub-committee
of the Clifton-Fine Economic Development Corporation. It
was prepared for the New York State Department of State Division of Coastal
Resources with funds provided under Title 11 of the Environmental Protection
Fund.
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