McCauley Pond.
McCauley Pond sits just outside Saranac Lake village limits — an 80-acre water that pulls locals for quiet-morning paddling and evening fishing without the drive to deeper backcountry. The shoreline holds a mix of private camps and undeveloped wetland, with access typically managed through town or informal put-ins rather than a formal DEC trailhead. It's the kind of pond that serves as a neighborhood resource more than a destination — close enough for a Tuesday evening paddle, big enough to feel like water rather than a wide spot in a stream. No fish species data on file, but ponds this size in the Saranac Lake corridor typically hold warmwater species and the occasional stocked trout.
McCauley Pond reaches a maximum depth of 12 feet, with a mean depth of 8 feet. McCauley Pond has public access. Summits nearby include Shingle Bay Mountain.
The water, surveyed.
- Peak foliage from the water — the best seats in the Park are in a canoe this month.
Seasonal pattern for this lake · live closures appear above
12 parking areas· 1 accessible
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.
- 01Forest Home Rd # 2 Trail ParkingTrailhead1.7 miunpavedDirections →
- 02Forest Home Rd #1 Trail Parking1.7 miunpavedDirections →
- 03DEC parking 2286901.8 mi
- 04Lake Clear Beach Parking2.4 miunpavedDirections →
- 05Bloomingdale Bog Parking Lot2.7 miunpavedDirections →
- 06Lake Colby Fishing Access Parking2.9 mipavedDirections →
- 07Ampersand Bay Boat Launch Parking3.1 miunpavedDirections →
- 08Meadow Pond Trail Parking3.2 miunpavedDirections →
+4 more on the map above
Getting in, staying over.
Camping.
On the water.
What the lake is doing today.
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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- Hohmeyer's Adirondack Alps Restaurant1.8 mi
A family-owned restaurant in the Adirondacks offering seasonal, 100-mile-focused fusion cuisine, a 1920s Speakeasy, and a hidden Beer and Wine Cellar.
- Red Fox3.6 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.
- Our Plates4.0 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 Jade4.0 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.
Sip.
4- Origin Coffee4.0 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.
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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.
- Nori's Village Market4.0 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.
- Saranac Juice6.8 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.
Sweet.
4- Mark Twain Maple Works3.2 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.
- Mountain Mist Custard4.6 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 Cream6.7 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 Creamery12.1 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- The 1892 Bar & Grille1.6 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.
- Bitters & Bones3.9 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 Beerworks4.1 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…
- Hex and Hop Brewing7.0 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.
Stay.
4- Hohmeyer's Lake Clear Lodge & Resort1.8 mi
Wooded lakefront resort featuring homey rooms & cabins, local dining, a pub & outdoor recreation.
- Ampersand Bay Resort3.2 mi
A small lakefront resort on Lower Saranac Lake with townhomes, cabins, lakeview suites, a private beach, a marina, and an on-site restaurant and wine bar. Five minutes from downtown Saranac Lake.
- Hotel Saranac4.0 mi
Hotel Saranac — 100 Main Street, Saranac Lake. 1927-era National Register property reimagined as a modern boutique within the Hilton Curio Collection.
- Prescott House ADK4.2 mi
Welcome to Prescott House ADK, a cozy guesthouse in Saranac Lake that accommodates hikers, skiers, and history enthusiasts. The property features rooms with private or shared baths, a common kitchen, eating area, and a recreation room with…
See.
4- Sail Adirondacks: Saranac Lake-Lake Placid3.6 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 Carousel3.9 mi
A community-built carousel on Depot Street in Saranac Lake, with hand-carved Adirondack animals (bear, loon, deer, otter) instead of horses. Year-round, indoors, and the best rainy-day move in town for kids under 8.
- Adirondack Birding Center4.0 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 Conservation4.0 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 McCauley Pond located?McCauley Pond is a pond in the Saranac Lake region of the Adirondack Park in northern New York State.
- How big is McCauley Pond?McCauley Pond has a surface area of approximately 80 acres, a smaller backcountry water.
- How deep is McCauley Pond?McCauley Pond has a maximum depth of 12 feet, with a mean depth of 7.5 feet.
- Is McCauley Pond open to the public?Yes, McCauley 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 McCauley Pond?Within roughly seven miles of McCauley Pond: 150 designated campsites, 10 lean-tos or shelters, 2 listed campgrounds. Permit and primitive-camping rules vary; check NYSDEC before you go.