Putnam Pond & Long Pond (Adirondacks) in New York

Trip Overview

We entered the "put in" via a day use area from the campground. Putnam Pond, which leads into Long Pond, was just beautiful. Vegetation abounds, with lots of lilies and pickerel rush. There are tons of graceful Cedar Waxwings around the water's edge.

The "pond" is large enough to paddle, leisurely, for about 4-5 hours. We actually packed a lunch and pulled up to an unused campsite to eat, while enjoying the lake view. Fish abound, and apparently, they stock these ponds with Muske every year! I did not expect that, so was unprepared to fish... although I'm guessing it would be great!

At the top of Long Pond, there is a "pull-out" area, where you can leave your boats to hike 4 different trails to either other ponds or waterfalls. The longest trail is 2.6 miles. Take your bug spray or bug "soap" with you... the black flies and mosquitoes are plentiful, when in the woods. On the lake, they are no problem.

The beauty of this area is that the water depth is only about 6-10 feet deep, from what we could tell, so even with a strong crosswind, paddling was not an issue.

The echoes from the mountains are fantastic... we must have spent over 1 hour just shouting and listening to ourselves! This was a great day, and a very user-friendly paddle... definitely good for novices!

Accommodations:

Bathroom facilities from the campground... pick up a map at the entrance.

Fees:

Day use fee was $6 per car.

Directions:

Once on Rt. 74, either from Schroon, NY or Ticonderoga, NY, watch for the Brown and Yellow State signs for Putnam Pond, on the left (from Ticonderoga) or right (from Schroon). Follow to entrance.