West Branch Saint Regis River.
The West Branch Saint Regis River drains a sprawling network of ponds and wetlands northeast of Saranac Lake — part of the broader Saint Regis Canoe Area watershed, though the West Branch itself sees less paddle traffic than the more accessible routes through Upper Saint Regis and Spitfire lakes. The river eventually joins the main stem near Paul Smiths, threading through mixed hardwood lowlands and beaver meadows that characterize the northern Adirondacks. Fish data is sparse, but the Saint Regis system historically holds brook trout in its headwater tributaries and northern pike in the slower, marshy stretches. Access is indirect — most paddlers enter via the Canoe Area carry trails rather than bushwhacking to the West Branch directly.
West Branch Saint Regis River has public access. Summits nearby include Saint Regis Mountain and Bay Pond Hill.
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.
- 01Hoel Pond Water Access ParkingTrailhead2.9 miunpavedDirections →
- 02Floodwood Road, Gordon Pond Parking3.3 miunpavedDirections →
- 03Polliwog Pond Water Access Parking3.4 miunpavedDirections →
- 04Rat Pond Water Access Parking3.4 miunpavedDirections →
- 05Horseshoe Pond Trail Parking3.4 miunpavedDirections →
- 06Middle Pond Parking3.4 miunpavedDirections →
- 07Fish Pond Truck Trail Parking Lot3.5 miunpavedDirections →
- 08Little Square Pond Trail Parking3.5 miunpavedDirections →
+4 more on the map above
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Closest editorial picks for a meal, a scoop, a pint, a bed, and a sight worth your time.
Eat.
4- Hohmeyer's Adirondack Alps Restaurant6.2 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 Fox11.3 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.
- PorkBusters BBQ11.9 mi
PorkBusters BBQ is a Tupper Lake restaurant serving barbecue dishes seven days a week from 11 AM to 9 PM. They offer a menu for dine-in or takeout, plus catering for parties and events.
- Our Plates12.0 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.
Sip.
4- Origin Coffee12.0 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 Moon12.0 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.
- Nori's Village Market12.0 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 Juice13.8 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 Works10.9 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 Custard12.4 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.
- Skyline Ice Cream12.7 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.
- Donnelly's Soft Ice Cream14.6 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.
Drink.
4- The 1892 Bar & Grille6.4 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 & Bones11.8 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 Beerworks12.0 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…
- Raquette River Brewing12.8 mi
A family- and dog-friendly taproom pouring year-round craft beer alongside four permanent food trucks, from wood-fired pizza to Carolina barbecue.
Stay.
4- Fish Creek Pond Campground5.8 mi
This expansive campground offers 355 sites with direct water access to Fish Creek and Square Ponds, providing ample opportunities for boating, fishing, and swimming from May to October.
- The Point6.0 mi
An all-inclusive Great Camp on Upper Saranac Lake, built by William Avery Rockefeller II a century ago. The first Relais & Chateaux property in North America and the only Forbes Five Star property in Upstate New York. Adults-only, communal dining.
- Hohmeyer's Lake Clear Lodge & Resort6.2 mi
Wooded lakefront resort featuring homey rooms & cabins, local dining, a pub & outdoor recreation.
- The St. Regis Suites8.4 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.
See.
4- Topridge3.6 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.
- White Pine Camp8.0 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.
- THE GREAT ADIRONDACK CORN MAZE9.3 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.
- The Adirondack Sky Center & Observatory10.8 mi
Free 2-Day Space Camp at the Adirondack Sky Center Calling all future space explorers— get ready for an out-of-this-world adventure! Join us to explore some of the most fascinating topics in outer space! We’ll cover black holes, space tra…
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- Where is West Branch Saint Regis River located?West Branch Saint Regis River is a stream in the Saranac Lake region of the Adirondack Park in northern New York State.
- Is West Branch Saint Regis River open to the public?Yes, West Branch Saint Regis River 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 West Branch Saint Regis River?Within roughly seven miles of West Branch Saint Regis River: 328 designated campsites, 7 lean-tos or shelters, 1 listed campground. Permit and primitive-camping rules vary; check NYSDEC before you go.