FORKED LAKE canoeing & camping, Adirondack Park, NY.

Forked Lake article.

Backcountry Camping Rules.

August 6, 2024 - FORKED LAKE paddling. State lands in the Sargent Ponds Wild Forest. Put in at the carry road from Raquette Lake, Forked Lake Carry Rd. Paddled along the S shore going W & up BRANDRETH LAKE OUTLET. Went over 1 big beaver dam & 1 small one. Open at first but wooded shores slowly close in as one goes upstream. Reached some downed trees, could possibly do a short carry but we decided to turn around. Soon stopped at one of the bc campsites with rocky beach on the N shore of Forked for lunch. Picnic table & outhouse. Continued going E & passed the N arm of the lake. Near an island, we headed across to the Raquette River. Very nice bordered by tall white pines. After ~1 mile there was a noticeable current as we threaded our way around rocks. Reached the bottom of rocky rapid & took a break. Watched a deer swim across the river. Back to Forked & out. Fewer loons than expected. 11.8 miles, 5.3 hours. 1 motorboat went by as we put in but none after that.

On the drive in on Long Point Rd one passes BUTTERMILK FALLS on the Raquette River - a short walk & a must stop when in the neighborhood.

Nov 15, 2016 - FORKED LAKE canoe camping from the state campground at its E end. Temp rising to 50F. Paddled to the W end with a side-trip up the Raquette River. Set up camp after a 6.6-mile paddle - nice piney site with fireplace, picnic table & outhouse. Paddled up Brandreth Lake Outlet going over a beaver dam & turning around at a logjam - marshy near its mouth but pine/spruce woods close in upstream. 9.2 miles on day 1. Very quiet except for hunters in motorboat after sunset - no shots. Down to 32F overnight. Broke camp & paddled up the N arm. The channel to Little Forked Lake is fenced off by the Whitneys ( much of the N shore of FL is owned by them). S past Whitney's Camp Deerland & Camp Killoqush then E & back out to the campground along the N shore. Loons in winter plumage (no calls), 5 otters. 11.6 miles on Day 2. Partly cloudy but rain on the drive home.

July 31 & Aug 1, 2016 - RAQUETTE LAKE & FORKED LAKE. RL has a mix of state land & private. Put in on Outlet Bay from bridge On Long Point Rd. Set up camp at 1st lean-to, 1.5 miles. Paddled to Boucher Point - the 3 lean-tos there are close together, no privacy, 2 motorboats & a jetski were parked there. Around the W side of Beecher Island & Bluff Point into Boulder Bay. Paddled up Boulder Brook for 1 mile going over 2 small beaver dams & 1 substantial one. Rained a bit on the way back to camp. 2 people in kayaks went by with their paddles upside down! More motors than paddlers. 10.4 miles. Relaxed morning, read (again) some Nessmuk since he spent some time in the area; a group of 6 paddlers passed by followed by 10 more; 1.9 mile paddle out. Short drive to Forked Lake. Paddled W then 1.4 miles up Brandreth Lake Outlet, much shallower than on previous trips & one blockage of trees (easy to carry around) so turned around sooner. Loon with chick. Saw only 1 stationary motorboat fishing on FL. Hung out for a while at a nice campsite on the N shore. 6.1 miles.

Apr 28 & 29, 2013 - FORKED LAKE canoe camping. Camped on an island, part of the campground (not open yet, open May 17 - Sep 2) - nice views in all directions incl. Blue Mtn - campsites have firepit, picnic table, outhouse & bear-proof containers. Explored Brandreth Lake Outlet (over 1 beaver dam, turned back at 2nd dam), North Bay Stream (slid over a b dam, lifted over another, view of Owls Head) & Raquette River. Lots of loons & tunes; common mergansers (handsome males), hooded mergansers, deer. Nearby Blue Mtn Lake still had ice on it on the 28th.

Dec 6, 2010 - RAQUETTE RIVER & FORKED LAKE xc skiing. 8" light powder, no base. 2 miles along unplowed Forked Lake Campsite Lane. Carry trail to Pinebrook Leanto at the foot of rapids on the Raquette River - lunch out of the wind. Crossed dam at the foot of the lake - a foot of snow here. Less snow on yellow trail thru campground. Observations: Minerva - dusting; Newcomb - 6"+; Blue Mtn Lake - 6"; Indian Lake 3"; Speculator - dusting; Long, Blue Mtn, Forked, Indian Lakes still mostly ice-free; Lake Durant mostly iced up. Picnicked at a drive-in campsite on the E Br Sacandaga River on way home - temp well below freezing, warmed up some soup over a campfire - have to get acclimated to cold.

Aug 30, 2009 - FORKED LAKE. Paddled up the N arm & took a look at the gate & fence blocking access to Little Forked. Loons, 2 adults 1 chick hung out in view of our backcountry campsite at W end of lake. No bad bugs, cool & windy. In 2 days only saw 1 canoe, 1 kayak, 2 motorboats. Bell Northstar, a 16.5' lightweight canoe.

Jul 30 & 31, 2006 - FORKED LAKE canoe camping. Raquette River upstream to rapids. Brandreth Lake Outlet - able to go up it about 1.5 miles to a small rapid (a short carry leads to more flat water) - lots of flowers. Snapping turtle on rock, beaver, loons, deer. Minimal bad bugs during the day, light mosquito activity after sunset. State land mostly on S shore; private land elsewhere with minimal development (altho the yellow water trampoline at one camp stood out like a sore thumb). Most popular with fishermen in small motorboats, saw 6 canoes in the 2 days & no kayaks; only one other backcountry campsite occupied. 12 + 6.5 miles. Bell Merlin II solo canoe.

Sep 28-30, 2002 - Forked Lake canoeing. Forked has state land on most of S shore (close to 7 miles), most of the rest is private & well-posted. Motor traffic is almost non-existant but allowed. Arrived Sat evening after dark at the carry (dirt road) from Raquette Lake. Paddled under clear, starry skies into western end & found Hombrua & Da Gang who had arrived earlier in the day. Cool overnight but stayed above freezing. Sunday, day-tripped up Forked's N arm & saw a small bear just above the large western bay + 2 loons (an adult & a junior). In the channel that leads into Little Forked Lake, a wire fence stretches across the water preventing access (posted by Whitney Park - as in Marylou Whitney). Someone had pulled up some of the fence & a canoe/kayak can be sneaked under but around the next bend a log jam makes it difficult to continue. On Little Forked is Whitney's Camp Deerland - one of Marylou's many homes. Took a relaxing break in Forked's NE bay - intoxicated by the warm sun & silence. Back down the N arm & then E to the Raquette River as it enters on the S shore. Tall, thin pines line the shore. I check out a nice piney campsite on the E shore. After a couple of rocky bends a rapid is reached & I turn back & head back to camp. 14 miles, 7.5 hrs. Fall colors somewhat muted & trees higher up on the hills have lost their leaves already. Monday - paddle up Brandreth Lake Outlet which enters nearby at W end of Forked. Swamp maples were a fiery red & the best color of the trip. A large beaverdam is soon encountered. Past it the deep stream narrows as evergreens close in. After about 1 hour a short rocky rapid is reached. I line the canoe up it but you can carry along a short but rough path if you want. For the next hour I have to pull over quite a few beaver dams, logs & a shallows (thankfully, I am wearing my Chota Mukluks, my spring/fall paddling footwear). The area has a wonderful wilderness feel to it. Eventually reach a long rocky rapid & I go no further. The remains of an old log bridge are at the foot of the rapids & an old logging road leads S a quarter mile to a dirt road - I believe all of this is still state land - did not see any posted signs - the private Brandreth Lake is further upstream. Took a little less time to return. 6 miles, 4.2 hrs. Broke camp & used a strong tailwind to lily-dip back to the put-in; passed loon + junior again. Dagger Legend 15, a 15' solo/tandem Royalex canoe, has an excellent blend of primary (good for getting in & out often for beaver dams) & secondary (edging is no problem, handles waves well), turns easily (good for winding streams & whitewater), the durable Royalex (Dagger has stopped using Royalite or R-84 in its canoes because of durability problems) hull slides easily off rocks, etc. - does get blown around by the wind a bit in the open lake (due to high sides & flattish bottom) & poor paddlers might find it a bit of a handful in those conditions, there are more efficient canoes for paddling longer distances & bigger lakes. The Legend 15 makes for a nice stream, river, pond, small lake canoe. No trip to the area is complete without a visit to Buttermilk Falls, a short walk from the access road a few miles from the put-in on Forked. The Raquette river tumbles over a wide scenic 20' falls.

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