Ampersand Lake.
Ampersand Lake is a 15-acre lake in the Saranac Lake Wild Forest, reached by a 3.6-mile trail from NY Route 3. The water is clear and shallow, ringed by lean-tos — a quiet overnight or a swim stop for those hiking Ampersand Mountain.
Ampersand Lake has public access. Summits nearby include 584 and 918.
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.
- 01Route 30 @ Middle Saranac Lake Parking LotTrailhead3.4 mipavedDirections →
- 02Ampersand Parking Lot3.5 miunpavedDirections →
- 03Halfway Brook Trail Parking3.6 mipavedDirections →
- 04South Creek Fishing Access Parking4.1 mipavedDirections →
- 05Second Pond Boat Launch Parking5.2 mipavedDirections →
- 06Bartlett Carry # 1 River Access Parking5.6 miunpavedDirections →
- 07Bartlett Carry # 3 Water Access Parking5.8 miunpavedDirections →
- 08Coreys Road 1 Trail Parking5.8 miunpavedDirections →
+4 more on the map above
Getting in, staying over.
Access.
Camping.
What the lake is doing today.
What rings this water.
The peaks.
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- Red Fox7.6 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.
- Blue Line Brewery8.1 mi
A brewery and restaurant on Lake Flower Avenue in Saranac Lake, doing thin-crust South Shore-style bar pizza and Wing Wars-winning wings alongside the house beer. The third-oldest brewery in the Adirondacks.
- Tail O' the Pup8.5 mi
A roadside stop offering barbecue, seafood, and casual fare, with a history stretching back over a century.
- Owl's Nest Pizza Parlor8.5 mi
Owl's Nest Pizzeria is a local favorite in Saranac Lake, New York, offering New York Style pizza, wings, subs, and other munchies. Available for dine-in, take-out, and delivery, it's a convenient spot to grab a slice.
Sip.
4- Blue Moon8.5 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 Coffee8.6 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 Market8.7 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 Gourmet11.5 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- Mountain Mist Custard7.7 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.
- Mark Twain Maple Works7.7 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.
- Donnelly's Soft Ice Cream8.1 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.
- Emma's Lake Placid Creamery11.6 mi
A 1950s-themed creamery in the heart of walkable Lake Placid, famous for its Maple Creme soft serve alongside 16 hard flavors, gelato, sorbet, and old-fashioned malts. The reliable apres-hike treat.
Drink.
4- Ray Brook Brewhouse8.5 mi
Ray Brook Brewhouse is a unique brewery in Ray Brook, NY, offering wild and traditional brews paired with adventurous dishes made from local and exotic ingredients.
- Bitters & Bones8.7 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…
- RiverTrail Beerworks8.8 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…
- The 1892 Bar & Grille10.7 mi
The 1892 Bar & Grille is a locally owned rustic bar and restaurant in Lake Clear, NY, offering homemade food. Recently under new ownership, it brings fresh energy and an updated menu to its patrons.
Stay.
4- Saranac Lake Islands Campground - Campsite #704.1 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 714.2 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 #744.4 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 #774.9 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- Sail Adirondacks: Saranac Lake-Lake Placid7.0 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.
- Ice Palace at the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival8.5 mi
The Ice Palace is a prominent feature of the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival, a historic annual celebration in New York State established in 1897.
- Adirondack Birding Center8.5 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 Conservation8.5 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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Suggest an edit →Frequently asked.
- Where is Ampersand Lake located?Ampersand Lake is a lake in the Adirondack Park in northern New York State.
- How big is Ampersand Lake?Ampersand Lake has a surface area of approximately 352 acres, a mid-sized water.
- Is Ampersand Lake open to the public?Yes, Ampersand Lake 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 Lake?Within roughly seven miles of Ampersand Lake: 73 designated campsites, 38 lean-tos or shelters, 4 listed campgrounds. Permit and primitive-camping rules vary; check NYSDEC before you go.