Middle Saranac Lake
Encyclopedia
Middle Saranac Lake, also called Round Lake, is the smallest of three connected lakes, part of the Saranac River
, near the village of Saranac Lake
in the Adirondacks in northern New York
. Two-thirds of its shoreline is state-owned. The lake is located in the towns of Harrietstown
and Santa Clara
, in Franklin County
.
With Upper Saranac Lake
and Lower Saranac Lake
, a 17-mile paddle with only one portage
is possible. Weller Pond
, made famous by Martha Reben
's The Healing Woods, can be reached via an outlet of Hungry Bay on the north shore. The Saranac Lake Islands Public Campground provides 87 campsites on Middle and Lower Saranac Lake
.
and the automobile
, the Saranac Lakes formed part of an important transportation route in the Adirondacks; one could travel 140 miles across, from Old Forge
to Lake Champlain
, almost entirely on water.
Saranac River
Saranac River is an river in the U.S. state of New York. In its upper reaches is a region of mostly flat water and lakes. The river has more than three dozen source lakes and ponds north of Upper Saranac Lake; the highest is Mountain Pond on Long Pond Mountain...
, near the village of Saranac Lake
Saranac Lake, New York
Saranac Lake is a village located in the state of New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 5,406. The village is named after Upper, Middle, and Lower Saranac Lakes, which are nearby....
in the Adirondacks in northern New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Two-thirds of its shoreline is state-owned. The lake is located in the towns of Harrietstown
Harrietstown, New York
Harrietstown is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 5,575 at the 2000 census, much of it concentrated in the village of Saranac Lake....
and Santa Clara
Santa Clara, New York
Santa Clara is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 395 at the 2000 census. The name was derived from the wife of an early town businessman, John Hurd....
, in Franklin County
Franklin County, New York
Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 51,599. It is named in honor of American Founding Father Benjamin Franklin...
.
With Upper Saranac Lake
Upper Saranac Lake
Upper Saranac Lake is one of three connected lakes, part of the Saranac River, in the towns of Santa Clara and Harrietstown, near the village of Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks in northern New York. Upper Saranac Lake is the sixth largest lake in the Adirondacks. With Middle Saranac Lake and...
and Lower Saranac Lake
Lower Saranac Lake
Lower Saranac Lake is one of three connected lakes, part of the Saranac River, near the village of Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks in northern New York. With Middle Saranac Lake and Upper Saranac Lake, a paddle with only one portage is possible. The Saranac Lake Islands Public Campground provides...
, a 17-mile paddle with only one portage
Portage
Portage or portaging refers to the practice of carrying watercraft or cargo over land to avoid river obstacles, or between two bodies of water. A place where this carrying occurs is also called a portage; a person doing the carrying is called a porter.The English word portage is derived from the...
is possible. Weller Pond
Weller Pond
Weller Pond is a wilderness pond southwest of the village of Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks in northern New York. It is connected to Middle Saranac Lake and is entirely state-owned. It sits in the shadow of Boot Bay Mountain; there is a canoe carry to Upper Saranac Lake...
, made famous by Martha Reben
Martha Reben
Martha Reben was an author who wrote The Healing Woods , The Way of the Wilderness , and A Sharing of Joy memoirs of her experiences camping on the shore of Weller Pond eight miles from Saranac Lake, New York in the Adirondacks in 1931 in an attempt to cure herself of tuberculosis.Reben grew up...
's The Healing Woods, can be reached via an outlet of Hungry Bay on the north shore. The Saranac Lake Islands Public Campground provides 87 campsites on Middle and Lower Saranac Lake
Lower Saranac Lake
Lower Saranac Lake is one of three connected lakes, part of the Saranac River, near the village of Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks in northern New York. With Middle Saranac Lake and Upper Saranac Lake, a paddle with only one portage is possible. The Saranac Lake Islands Public Campground provides...
.
History
Prior to the development of railroadsRail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
and the automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
, the Saranac Lakes formed part of an important transportation route in the Adirondacks; one could travel 140 miles across, from Old Forge
Old Forge, New York
Old Forge is a hamlet on New York State Route 28 in the town of Webb in Herkimer County, New York. Old Forge was formerly a village that dissolved its incorporation, but remains the principal community in the region. Old Forge forms an extensive business district, primarily directed at tourism...
to Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
, almost entirely on water.
See also
- Adirondacks
- Upper Saranac LakeUpper Saranac LakeUpper Saranac Lake is one of three connected lakes, part of the Saranac River, in the towns of Santa Clara and Harrietstown, near the village of Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks in northern New York. Upper Saranac Lake is the sixth largest lake in the Adirondacks. With Middle Saranac Lake and...
- Lower Saranac LakeLower Saranac LakeLower Saranac Lake is one of three connected lakes, part of the Saranac River, near the village of Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks in northern New York. With Middle Saranac Lake and Upper Saranac Lake, a paddle with only one portage is possible. The Saranac Lake Islands Public Campground provides...
- Northern Forest Canoe TrailNorthern Forest Canoe TrailThe Northern Forest Canoe Trail is a marked canoeing trail in the northeastern United States and Canada, extending from Old Forge in the Adirondacks of New York to Fort Kent in Maine. Along the way, the trail also passes through the states and provinces of Vermont, Quebec, and New Hampshire...