Middle Saranac Lake

Middle Saranac Lake
A small island, Stony Creek Mountain in the background
Location	Adirondacks, Franklin County, New York, USA
Coordinates	44°15′28.08″N 074°15′56.5194″W
Primary inflows	Upper Saranac Lake
Primary outflows	Saranac River
Basin countries	United States
Max. length	3.2 mi (5.1 km)
Max. width	1 mi (1.6 km)
Surface elevation	469 m (1,539 ft)
Islands	18
Settlements	none

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.

History

Prior to the development of railroads 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.

Middle Saranac Lake from Ampersand Mountain, Upper Saranac Lake, upper right, Weller Pond, center right

A lean-to at a campsite on Weller Pond near Middle Saranac Lake.

See also

• Adirondacks
• Upper Saranac Lake
• Lower Saranac Lake
• Northern Forest Canoe Trail

External links

• New York State DEC - Camping Information

Sources

Jamieson, Paul and Morris, Donald, Adirondack Canoe Waters, North Flow, Lake George, NY: Adirondack Mountain Club, 1987. ISBN 0-935272-43-7.