Lake Clear, New York

Lake Clear is a hamlet and a lake in Franklin County, New York, United States. The area is named for 940-acre (3.8 km²) Lake Clear, part of the original Seven Carries canoe route. It is located in the town of Harrietstown.

In the late 19th century, Lake Clear was near the center of a thriving tourist industry; Upper Saint Regis Lake, three miles (5 km) to the north is home to some of the earliest and most elite of the Adirondack Great Camps, and famous Paul Smith's Hotel was only five miles to the north. Saranac Inn, on the shore of Upper Saranac Lake, is four miles (6 km) to the west, and the village of Saranac Lake is six miles (10 km) to the southeast.

In 1893, the Mohawk and Malone Railway reached Lake Clear, and in 1906, Paul Smith built an electric railroad that ran from Lake Clear to his hotel. Lake Clear was served by New York Central trains from Montreal in the north and New York City to the south. From Lake Clear passengers would transfer to Lake Saranac and Lake Placid to the east. Scheduled train service by the New York Central ended in 1956.

Today the area is still largely devoted to tourism, but in a much quieter way. Many of the area's great camps and cottages are still in use, along with other guest facilities. The nearby Saint Regis Canoe Area is a major draw for paddlers. The state now owns much of the land, including most of the shoreline of Lake Clear, and it operates a fish hatchery at nearby Little Clear Pond.

The Adirondack Airport is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) northeast of Lake Clear; although it is nominally in Saranac Lake, it is known locally as the "Lake Clear Airport.

Further reading

• Donaldson, Alfred L., A History of the Adirondacks. New York: Century, 1921. ISBN 0-916346-26-9. (reprint)
• Jerome, Christine Adirondack Passage: Cruise of Canoe Sairy Gamp, HarperCollins, 1994. ISBN 0-935272-94-1.

External links

• Adirondack Airport
• LakeChamplainAngler - "Adirondack Fish Culture Station Spawns Atlantic Salmon and Educational Opportunity"