Ray Brook.
Ray Brook cuts through the hamlet of Ray Brook between Saranac Lake and Lake Placid — a small tributary stream most people cross on NY-86 without stopping. The name appears on maps more for the federal correctional facility and the DEC regional headquarters than for the water itself, which runs narrow and shallow through mixed forest and roadside culverts. It's not a destination fishery or a paddling route — more a named drainage in a region dense with better-known options. If you're looking for moving water in this corridor, the Saranac River system (north) or the Chubb River (south toward Lake Placid) are the more deliberate choices.
Ray Brook has public access. Summits nearby include Scarface Mountain and Little Burn Mountain.
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.
- 01DEC parking 22613Trailhead1.4 miunpavedDirections →
- 02Scarface Mountain Trailhead1.6 miunpavedDirections →
- 03Haystack Mtn. Parking1.7 miunpavedDirections →
- 04HAYSTACH/MCKENZIE MOUNTAIN PARKING1.7 miunpavedDirections →
- 05Mckenzie Bouldering Trail Parking2.2 miunpavedDirections →
- 06Averyville Lane Parking2.4 miunpavedDirections →
- 07DEC parking 226312.7 mipavedDirections →
- 08Oseetah Trails Trail Parking2.7 miunpavedDirections →
+4 more on the map above
Getting in, staying over.
On the water.
What the lake is doing today.
What rings this water.
The peaks.
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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- ADK Street Eats1.6 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.
- Tail O' the Pup1.6 mi
A roadside stop offering barbecue, seafood, and casual fare, with a history stretching back over a century.
- Blue Line Brewery3.3 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.
- Caffe Rustica3.5 mi
Caffe Rustica in Lake Placid, NY, offers fresh Mediterranean dishes and wood-fired pizzas, prepared by Culinary Institute of America trained chefs.
Sip.
4- Simply Gourmet4.1 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…
- Blue Moon4.4 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 Coffee4.5 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 Market4.5 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.
Sweet.
4- Donnelly's Soft Ice Cream1.8 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 Custard3.7 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.
- Emma's Lake Placid Creamery4.6 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.
- Ben & Jerry's4.7 mi
The Ben & Jerry's scoop shop on Lake Placid's Main Street above Mirror Lake — the Vermont brand's pints and cones in the heart of the village.
Drink.
4- Ray Brook Brewhouse1.6 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 Beerworks4.5 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 & Bones4.6 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…
- Top of the Park4.6 mi
A Lake Placid bar on Main Street offering a curated selection of wine, scotch, bourbon, craft beer, and top-shelf liquors, complemented by small plates and signature cocktails. Enjoy 'Spirits with a View' from its large deck overlooking Mi…
Stay.
4- Meadowbrook Campground1.6 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.
- Morenos Cottages1.6 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.
- Traverse Lodge3.1 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…
- Mountain Lake Inn3.4 mi
Down-to-earth hotel featuring lake views & a restaurant, as well as an indoor pool.
See.
4- Boots & Birdies3.7 mi
Boots & Birdies is a family-owned, Western-themed fun center in Lake Placid, NY. It offers an 18-hole miniature golf course, a baseball batting cage, and a custom mining sluice for gemstone and fossil mining, providing hours of outdoor act…
- Ice Palace at the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival4.1 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 Center4.5 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 Conservation4.5 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 Ray Brook located?Ray Brook is a stream in the Saranac Lake region of the Adirondack Park in northern New York State.
- Is Ray Brook open to the public?Yes, Ray 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 Ray Brook?Within roughly seven miles of Ray Brook: 33 designated campsites, 6 lean-tos or shelters, 1 listed campground. Permit and primitive-camping rules vary; check NYSDEC before you go.