Carpenter Pond.
Carpenter Pond is a nine-acre pocket water in the Saranac Lake region — small enough to miss on a map, quiet enough to have on your own if you find it. No fish stocking records on file, which typically means native brookies or nothing, and the shallow acreage suggests catch-and-release if anything. The pond sits in working forest country rather than designated Wilderness, so access depends on private landowner tolerance and whatever logging roads or old trails happen to thread through. Worth a look if you're already in the area and hunting for stillwater that doesn't show up on the weekend circuit.
Carpenter Pond has public access. Summits nearby include Noranale Mountain and Russell Hill.
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.
- 01Goldsmith Road Parking AreaTrailhead3.4 miunpavedDirections →
- 02Buck Pond Boat Launch Parking4.7 mipavedDirections →
- 03White Fathers Lake Parking4.8 miunpavedDirections →
- 04Union Falls Informal Boat Launch Parking5.3 miunpavedDirections →
- 05Kushaqua Campsite Parking5.4 miunpavedDirections →
- 06Casey Road Parking Lot5.9 miunpavedDirections →
- 07Parking Area6.0 mipavedDirections →
- 08Franklin Falls Road Parking Lot6.0 miunpavedDirections →
+4 more on the map above
Getting in, staying over.
Camping.
What the lake is doing today.
What rings this water.
The peaks.
The waters.
The trails.
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- The Hungry Trout13.7 mi
Situated on the West Branch of the Ausable River, the Hungry Trout offers two distinct dining experiences, from an upscale restaurant to a lively tavern.
- Our Plates14.1 mi
Our Plates offers Caribbean and Southern-inspired cuisine for pickup at 7 Broadway. Enjoy dishes like Empanadas Locas, Dominican Chimi Burgers, Bistec Encebollado, and Tres Leches cake.
- China Jade14.2 mi
A long-running Chinese restaurant on Saranac Lake's Main Street, doing classic American-Chinese standards for dine-in and takeout, Tuesday through Saturday.
- Owl's Nest Pizza Parlor14.2 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- Saranac Juice8.9 mi
Cold-pressed juices, cleanses, protein elixirs, and nut mylks from Saranac River Ranch in Bloomingdale, made from organic produce grown on the farm or sourced from local Adirondack growers.
- Nori's Village Market14.0 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.
- Origin Coffee14.2 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.
- Blue Moon14.2 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.
Sweet.
4- Whitebrook Dairy Bar12.8 mi
A classic roadside drive-in on Route 86 in Wilmington, five minutes from Whiteface — creamy soft serve (try the peanut-butter dip) plus footlongs and the Wilmington burger. Opening day is a local rite of spring.
- Mountain Mist Custard15.1 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 Works15.1 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 Cream15.3 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- Hex and Hop Brewing8.1 mi
Hex and Hop Brewing is a craft brewery and meadery in Bloomingdale, New York, making full-flavored, locally sourced beer and mead. They prioritize community and craft, using fresh, local ingredients.
- R.F. McDougall's Pub13.7 mi
The casual sibling of the Hungry Trout Restaurant, sharing the same Adirondack riverside property next to Whiteface. Pub food, regional beers, and the same view of the West Branch Ausable at a more relaxed price point.
- RiverTrail Beerworks14.0 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…
- Bitters & Bones14.0 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…
Stay.
4- The St. Regis Suites10.4 mi
Five well-appointed suites of various sizes, between Saranac Lake and Paul Smith's College in Gabriels, NY. Renovated by Cedar Circle LLC with green building techniques. Stays from three days to three months.
- Wolfjaw Lodge13.1 mi
Welcome to the totally transformed Wolfjaw Lodge, located at the base of Whiteface Mountain, just a 2-minute drive from both Whiteface and Wilmington beach. Each of our 2 private houses and 11 lodge rooms and suites has been recently…
- Adirondack Spruce Lodge13.1 mi
Twenty-seven-room independent lodge in Wilmington village, minutes from Whiteface Mountain and walking distance from the Ausable River. Complimentary breakfast, fire pit, and Adirondack-character rooms.
- Cadence Lodge at Whiteface13.2 mi
Cadence Lodge in Wilmington, NY, offers an ideal base camp for outdoor adventurers. The property features recently updated guest rooms with amenities to enhance your stay, including a restaurant onsite, weekend breakfast options, and…
See.
4- THE GREAT ADIRONDACK CORN MAZE10.0 mi
The Great Adirondack Corn Maze at Tucker Farms in Gabriels offers a new maze design each year, providing a fun experience of getting lost in the cornfield.
- White Pine Camp11.0 mi
The 1907 Great Camp on Osgood Pond that served as Calvin Coolidge's Summer White House in the summer of 1926. Seasonal guided tours, and several cottages rent by the week.
- Summit Weather Observatory11.9 mi
The Summit Weather Observatory, part of the University at Albany's Atmospheric Sciences Research Center (ASRC), provides real-time weather conditions and data from its observatory at the summit of Whiteface Mountain and a field station at…
- High Falls Gorge13.7 mi
A 22-acre privately owned nature park on Route 86 in Wilmington with rim trails, glass-floor walkways over Ausable River waterfalls, a cafe, and gift shop. Open year-round, weather permitting.
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- Where is Carpenter Pond located?Carpenter Pond is a pond in the Saranac Lake region of the Adirondack Park in northern New York State.
- How big is Carpenter Pond?Carpenter Pond has a surface area of approximately 9 acres, a small pond.
- Is Carpenter Pond open to the public?Yes, Carpenter Pond 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 Carpenter Pond?Within roughly seven miles of Carpenter Pond: 16 designated campsites. Permit and primitive-camping rules vary; check NYSDEC before you go.