Mountain Ponds.
Mountain Ponds — note the plural, though the name often appears singular on maps — is a small, quiet water tucked into the forests south of Saranac Lake village, part of the network of ponds and wetlands that drain toward Oseetah Lake and the broader Saranac chain. At seven acres, it's more of a beaver meadow than a fishable pond, the kind of place paddlers stumble onto while exploring the smaller tributaries or bushwhacking between better-known waters. No fish stocking records, no formal trail — this is wetland habitat more than destination water. If you're looking for actual angling or a named campsite, stay on the main Saranac Lakes or head to one of the nearby wilderness ponds with established access.
Mountain Ponds has public access. Summits nearby include Black Peak and Debar Mountain.
The water, surveyed.
Seasonal pattern for this lake · live closures appear above
7 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.
- 01Debar Mtn. Parking LotTrailhead1.2 miunpavedDirections →
- 02Clear Pond Parking Lot1.6 miunpavedDirections →
- 03Deer River Flow Parking Lot2.4 miunpavedDirections →
- 04Meacham Lake Outlet3.8 miunpavedDirections →
- 05Debar Pond Fas Paking Lot4.0 miunpavedDirections →
- 06Twin Ponds Parking Area5.0 miunpavedDirections →
- 07East Branch Parking Lot7.1 miunpavedDirections →
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- Hohmeyer's Adirondack Alps Restaurant16.3 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.
- Our Plates20.0 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 Jade20.0 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.
- Owl's Nest Pizza Parlor20.1 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.
— 16.3 mi to the nearest table out here; plan the drive to dinner.
Sip.
4- Saranac Juice17.0 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 Market19.9 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 Coffee20.0 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.
- Blue Moon20.0 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.
— 17.0 mi to the nearest pour to this spot; pack a thermos.
Sweet.
3- Mark Twain Maple Works20.0 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 Custard21.0 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 Cream22.5 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.
— 20.0 mi to the nearest scoop; save it for the ride home.
Drink.
4- Hex and Hop Brewing16.0 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.
- The 1892 Bar & Grille16.2 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 & Bones19.8 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 Beerworks19.9 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…
— 16.0 mi to the nearest pint; appoint a driver.
Stay.
4- The St. Regis Suites11.7 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.
- Hohmeyer's Lake Clear Lodge & Resort16.3 mi
Wooded lakefront resort featuring homey rooms & cabins, local dining, a pub & outdoor recreation.
- Ampersand Bay Resort19.8 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 Saranac19.8 mi
Hotel Saranac — 100 Main Street, Saranac Lake. 1927-era National Register property reimagined as a modern boutique within the Hilton Curio Collection.
See.
4- White Pine Camp10.0 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.
- Topridge12.7 mi
The sprawling Gilded Age estate Marjorie Merriweather Post built on Upper St. Regis Lake — later New York State's, now privately held. Best seen from the St. Regis lakes.
- THE GREAT ADIRONDACK CORN MAZE13.2 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.
- Adirondack Carousel19.8 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.
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Wrong elevation, outdated access notes, a coordinate that's drifted. We'd rather hear it than miss it.
Suggest an edit →Frequently asked.
- Where is Mountain Ponds located?Mountain Ponds is a pond in the Saranac Lake region of the Adirondack Park in northern New York State.
- How big is Mountain Ponds?Mountain Ponds has a surface area of approximately 7 acres, a small pond.
- Is Mountain Ponds open to the public?Yes, Mountain Ponds 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 Mountain Ponds?Within roughly seven miles of Mountain Ponds: 6 designated campsites, 4 lean-tos or shelters. Permit and primitive-camping rules vary; check NYSDEC before you go.