Ampersand Brook.
Ampersand Brook drains the northern slopes of Ampersand Mountain and feeds into the Saranac River system near Tupper Lake — a cold, steep-gradient stream that runs through mixed hardwood and hemlock corridors. The brook takes its name from the mountain it drains, which itself was named for a surveyor's mark that looked like an ampersand (&) on early maps. Most paddlers and anglers encounter it as a feeder or crossing rather than a destination — it's shallow, fast, and overhung with alders in its lower reaches. The upper headwaters are accessible only via the Ampersand Mountain trailhead, where the brook runs audibly through the woods on the approach hike.
Ampersand Brook has public access. Summits nearby include Stony Creek Mountain.
The water, surveyed.
Seasonal pattern for this lake · live closures appear above
12 parking areas
Closest parking lots within range, ranked by walking distance. Accessibility flags come from Google verified-data and NYSDEC records; surface and capacity from NYSDEC and OpenStreetMap. Confirm hours and seasonal closures before you go.
- 01Ampersand Parking LotTrailhead0.8 miunpavedDirections →
- 02Ampersand Road Parking Lot2.8 miunpavedDirections →
- 03South Creek Fishing Access Parking2.8 mipavedDirections →
- 04Coreys Road 1 Trail Parking2.9 miunpavedDirections →
- 05Coreys Road 2 Trail Parking2.9 miunpavedDirections →
- 06Axton Landing Parking3.2 miunpavedDirections →
- 07Indian Carry (Road) Trail Parking3.2 mipavedDirections →
- 08Route 30 @ Middle Saranac Lake Parking Lot3.5 mipavedDirections →
+4 more on the map above
What’s in the water.
NYSDEC has stocked this water across 10 recent seasons — the ledger below is the public record.
The stocking record.
Launch & supply.
Getting in, staying over.
Camping.
What the lake is doing today.
What rings this water.
The peaks.
The waters.
Read before you launch.
Make a weekend of it.
Closest editorial picks for a meal, a scoop, a pint, a bed, and a sight worth your time.
Eat.
4- ADK Food Hub9.3 mi
A year-round market and casual eatery on Park Street in Tupper Lake, with a deli case, pantry staples, and a summer buffet built around the on-site Whitten Family Farm. Sunday farmhouse breakfast in July and August.
- Red Fox9.5 mi
The Red Fox Restaurant is a longtime Saranac Lake landmark known for its Steak, Seafood, and Italian dishes, offered in a spacious Adirondack-style setting.
- Guido's Pizzeria10.1 mi
Guido's Pizzeria in Tupper Lake has been serving hand-thrown pizzas, subs, calzones, dinners, and wings since 1988. They offer free delivery within the Town of Tupper Lake on any size order and make fresh dough daily.
- Amado10.2 mi
A small restaurant on Cliff Avenue in Tupper Lake serving Brazilian dishes (moqueca, feijoada) alongside lamb pot pie, fish fry, and a clearly marked vegan section. Homemade desserts.
Sip.
4- Blue Moon10.6 mi
Blue Moon Café in Saranac Lake offers dine-in, pick-up, and curbside delivery services. Guests can enjoy weekly specials, restaurant menus, baked goods, coffee, grocery items, and adult beverages.
- Origin Coffee10.7 mi
Origin Coffee Co is a specialty coffee shop with locations in Lake Placid and Saranac Lake serving a chef-driven breakfast and lunch menu.
- Nori's Village Market10.8 mi
Nori's Village Market and Riverside Cafe offers a market with organic and local produce, bulk foods, coffee, and teas, alongside a cafe serving natural, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and local meat options.
- Simply Gourmet14.5 mi
Simply Gourmet in Lake Placid offers daily breakfast and lunch with a focus on clean food, using fresh, local, and sustainable ingredients free of additives or preservatives. They also provide comprehensive catering services for various ev…
Sweet.
4- Mark Twain Maple Works9.6 mi
Mark Twain Maple Works produces New York State maple syrup on the shore of Saranac Lake in the Adirondack Park. They have been making syrup since 2013, expanding their operation and offering various grades.
- Skyline Ice Cream9.9 mi
A roadside soft-serve stand on Route 30 in Tupper Lake since 1985 — vanilla and black-raspberry twists, gelato, Dole Whip, and Michigans, now with an expanded burger-and-fries menu.
- Mountain Mist Custard9.9 mi
A summer fixture on the shore of Lake Flower in Saranac Lake, with picnic tables and a dock you can tie a boat to. Frozen custard and soft serve with weekly-rotating flavors, shakes, and sundaes.
- Donnelly's Soft Ice Cream10.8 mi
A fourth-generation Saranac Lake institution on a former dairy farm, serving exactly one rotating soft-serve flavor each day — twisted with vanilla on the same 1953 machine. Cash only; check the daily flavor. Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Drink.
4- Lakeview Lanes & The Foul Line Sports Bar10.2 mi
Lakeview Lanes & The Foul Line Sports Bar in Tupper Lake offers 8 lanes of bowling, an arcade, a sports bar, and outdoor seating with food and drinks for family fun.
- Bitters & Bones10.7 mi
Saranac Lake's only downtown brewery, restaurant, and bar, Bitters & Bones offers craft beer brewed upstairs, fresh local cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and craft cocktails. It features rooftop decks and unique private event spa…
- Raquette River Brewing10.8 mi
A family- and dog-friendly taproom pouring year-round craft beer alongside four permanent food trucks, from wood-fired pizza to Carolina barbecue.
- RiverTrail Beerworks10.9 mi
RiverTrail Beerworks is Saranac Lake’s only riverfront brewpub, located on the Saranac Lake River Walk and Rail Trail. It features a heated patio, firepits, two golf simulators, and serves lunch and dinner daily with house-brewed beers and…
Stay.
4- Saranac Lake Islands Campground - Campsite #703.3 mi
Saranac Lake Islands Campground offers primitive, boat-access-only island campsites on Lower Saranac Lake, providing extensive boater recreation and access to four additional lakes via a system of locks.
- Saranac Lake Islands Campground Campsite 713.4 mi
Saranac Lake Islands Campground offers primitive, boat-access-only camping on Lower Saranac Lake. It provides extensive boater recreation and direct access to four other lakes via a system of locks.
- Saranac Lake Islands Campground - Campsite #744.0 mi
The Lower Saranac Lake Islands provide miles and miles of boater recreation and direct access to four other lakes through a set of locks which allow your vessel to be raised or lowered to the right water level.
- Saranac Lake Islands Campground - Campsite #774.2 mi
Explore the Lower Saranac Lake Islands, offering extensive boater recreation and access to four other lakes via locks. Camp on designated island sites for a primitive, boat-access-only experience.
See.
4- The Wild Center8.8 mi
Live animals, hands-on exhibits & forest trails connect guests with the Adirondacks.
- Sail Adirondacks: Saranac Lake-Lake Placid8.9 mi
A crewed sailboat charter operation with bases in Saranac Lake and Port Henry on Lake Champlain, running learn-to-sail lessons and skippered cruises on a fleet of classic sailboats.
- Adirondack Birding Center10.7 mi
The Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation protects common loons in the Adirondack Park through research, conservation, and education. They focus on understanding and mitigating human impacts to ensure loons thrive as environmental sentin…
- Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation10.7 mi
The Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation works to protect common loons in the Adirondack Park and educates communities about the importance of these iconic birds and their lake ecosystems.
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Wrong elevation, outdated access notes, a coordinate that's drifted. We'd rather hear it than miss it.
Suggest an edit →Frequently asked.
- Where is Ampersand Brook located?Ampersand Brook is a river in the Tupper Lake region of the Adirondack Park in northern New York State.
- Is Ampersand Brook open to the public?Yes, Ampersand Brook has public access. See the listing page for current trailhead, parking, and boat-launch details, and check active DEC advisories before visiting.
- Can you camp at Ampersand Brook?Within roughly seven miles of Ampersand Brook: 80 designated campsites, 25 lean-tos or shelters, 4 listed campgrounds. Permit and primitive-camping rules vary; check NYSDEC before you go.