McKenna Brook.
McKenna Brook flows through the Saranac Lake region as one of dozens of tributary streams that feed the town's interconnected waterway system — small-scale drainage threading through mixed hardwood and conifer forest, more likely encountered as a trail crossing or a fishing access note than as a named destination. No formal put-in, no stocked fish reports, no maintained campsites: it's the kind of water that shows up on USGS quads and DEC watershed maps but rarely in trail registers. Worth noting for anglers working upstream channels in spring or for anyone tracing the hydrology that connects Saranac's lakes to the broader St. Regis drainage. If you're looking for it by name, you already know why.
McKenna Brook has public access. Summits nearby include Ampersand Mountain and Plymouth Rock.
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 LotTrailhead0.6 mipavedDirections →
- 02Halfway Brook Trail Parking0.9 mipavedDirections →
- 03South Creek Fishing Access Parking2.1 mipavedDirections →
- 04Second Pond Boat Launch Parking3.0 mipavedDirections →
- 05Bartlett Carry # 1 River Access Parking3.3 miunpavedDirections →
- 06Bartlett Carry # 3 Water Access Parking3.4 miunpavedDirections →
- 07Bartlett Carry # 2 Water Access Parking3.4 miunpavedDirections →
- 08Indian Carry Fishing Access Parking4.4 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.
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 Fox5.6 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.
- Owl's Nest Pizza Parlor6.8 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.
- China Jade6.8 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.
- Blue Line Brewery6.8 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.
Sip.
4- Blue Moon6.8 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 Coffee6.8 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 Market7.0 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.
- Simply Gourmet11.8 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- Mark Twain Maple Works5.6 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.
- Mountain Mist Custard6.2 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 Cream7.5 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.
- Skyline Ice Cream11.7 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.
Drink.
4- Bitters & Bones6.9 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 Beerworks7.0 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…
- The 1892 Bar & Grille7.5 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.
- Ray Brook Brewhouse8.1 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.
Stay.
4- Saranac Lake Islands Campground - Campsite #741.3 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 #701.6 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 711.6 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 #771.9 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 Placid5.0 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.
- Adirondack Birding Center6.8 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 Conservation6.8 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.
- Ice Palace at the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival6.9 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.
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- Where is McKenna Brook located?McKenna Brook is a stream in the Saranac Lake region of the Adirondack Park in northern New York State.
- Is McKenna Brook open to the public?Yes, McKenna 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 McKenna Brook?Within roughly seven miles of McKenna Brook: 88 designated campsites, 18 lean-tos or shelters, 4 listed campgrounds. Permit and primitive-camping rules vary; check NYSDEC before you go.