East Branch Cold Brook.
East Branch Cold Brook drains west through the working forest between Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake — a mid-sized tributary feeding the Cold Brook drainage system that eventually meets the Raquette River. It's the kind of unnamed-on-most-maps stream that defines the interior Adirondacks: functional, not scenic; valuable more for what it feeds than for any reason to visit. No fish data on record, no formal access, no reason to name it except that every branch of every brook is cataloged somewhere, and this is one of them. If you're bushwhacking the Cold Brook corridor or cutting timber lease roads on a map, you'll cross it.
East Branch Cold Brook has public access. Summits nearby include Alford Mountain and 777.
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.
- 01Averyville Lane ParkingTrailhead2.5 miunpavedDirections →
- 02DEC parking 226134.0 miunpavedDirections →
- 03Scarface Mountain Trailhead4.3 miunpavedDirections →
- 04DEC parking 226314.5 mipavedDirections →
- 05Oseetah Trails Trail Parking4.5 miunpavedDirections →
- 06Oseetah Trails Trail Parking4.5 miunpavedDirections →
- 07DEC parking 226304.5 mipavedDirections →
- 08Mckenzie Bouldering Trail Parking4.6 miunpavedDirections →
+4 more on the map above
Getting in, staying over.
What the lake is doing today.
What rings this water.
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- Tail O' the Pup4.4 mi
A roadside stop offering barbecue, seafood, and casual fare, with a history stretching back over a century.
- ADK Street Eats4.4 mi
Food trailer at 1179 NY-86 in Ray Brook, between Lake Placid and Saranac Lake. Chef-driven menu of tacos (Carne Asada, Al Pastor), lobster rolls, ADK Spiedies, and Rochester Hot Meats. Tuesday–Sunday.
- Blue Line Brewery5.1 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.
- Red Fox5.7 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.
Sip.
4- Blue Moon6.0 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 Coffee6.1 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 Market6.2 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 Gourmet6.8 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- Donnelly's Soft Ice Cream4.3 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.
- Mountain Mist Custard5.1 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 Works6.1 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.
- Emma's Lake Placid Creamery6.9 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 Brewhouse4.5 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.
- RiverTrail Beerworks6.2 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 & Bones6.2 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…
- Lake Placid Pub & Brewery7.1 mi
A brewpub on Mirror Lake Drive in Lake Placid since 1996, with 12 house beers on tap including the original Ubu Ale, a downstairs Irish pub, and a deck over Mirror Lake.
Stay.
4- Kiwassa Lake Adirondack Bed & Breakfast4.1 mi
A lakeside B&B on Lake Kiwassa Road in Saranac Lake, with vintage knotty-pine cabins and boathouse-style lodge suites on 20 wooded acres, three miles from village.
- Morenos Cottages4.3 mi
Moreno's Adirondack Cabins offers camp-style cabins, cottages, and a vacation home rental in Ray Brook, NY, near Saranac Lake and Lake Placid. They provide one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and pet-friendly options, with some available year-round.
- Meadowbrook Campground4.4 mi
Meadowbrook is the best bargain in town for those visiting the Lake Placid Olympic Training venues and the Village of Lake Placid. Located only 4 miles from the center of town, campers have no shortage of activities available to them.
- Traverse Lodge4.9 mi
Traverse Lodge is a lodging establishment on the outskirts of Saranac Lake, offering a variety of rooms and cabins. It provides a base for exploring the Adirondacks, featuring a new pavilion, campfire area, outdoor kitchen, and close acces…
See.
4- Sail Adirondacks: Saranac Lake-Lake Placid5.5 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 Carnival5.8 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 Center6.1 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 Conservation6.1 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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- Where is East Branch Cold Brook located?East Branch Cold Brook is a stream in the Saranac Lake region of the Adirondack Park in northern New York State.
- Is East Branch Cold Brook open to the public?Yes, East Branch Cold 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 East Branch Cold Brook?Within roughly seven miles of East Branch Cold Brook: 29 designated campsites, 24 lean-tos or shelters, 1 listed campground. Permit and primitive-camping rules vary; check NYSDEC before you go.