Buck Pond Campground Road.
6-mile access route connecting NY Route 30 to the Buck Pond State Campground in the northern Adirondacks. The road serves primarily as the main entrance to the campground's 116 tent and trailer sites, passing through mixed forest typical of the region. Visitors using the campground will find this road provides direct access to Buck Pond's shoreline and the adjacent trail network.
- Leg-stretcherShort and nearly flat — an hour or less
- Family-friendlyShort, easy, and gentle enough for young legs
- Good for snowshoeingNon-technical grade that carries a snowshoe track
- Peak foliage window — color starts up high and works down the valleys through mid-October.
Seasonal pattern for this trail · tops out ~1,736 ft · live closures appear above
Read the line before you walk it.
What the trailhead is doing today.
Where the hike begins.
What the route itself carries.
Summits reached, waters touched, and the lean-tos along the way — read it like a cue sheet, mile posts ascending.
Guides, outfitters & shuttles.
If you’re already out here.
Saranac Lake.
The corner of the Park this trail calls home — its hamlets, waters, lodging, and the rest of its field record.
Read the Region→
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 Restaurant10.8 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.
- Our Plates11.7 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 Jade11.7 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 Parlor11.8 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.
Sip.
4- Saranac Juice7.3 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 Market11.6 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 Coffee11.7 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 Moon11.8 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.
Sweet.
4- Mark Twain Maple Works12.3 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 Custard12.7 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.
- Donnelly's Soft Ice Cream13.6 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.
- Whitebrook Dairy Bar16.0 mi
A classic roadside drive-in on Route 86 in Wilmington, five minutes from Whiteface — creamy soft serve (try the peanut-butter dip) plus footlongs and the Wilmington burger. Opening day is a local rite of spring.
Drink.
4- Hex and Hop Brewing6.2 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 & Grille10.6 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.
- RiverTrail Beerworks11.5 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 & Bones11.6 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…
Stay.
4- The St. Regis Suites5.8 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 & Resort10.8 mi
Wooded lakefront resort featuring homey rooms & cabins, local dining, a pub & outdoor recreation.
- Hotel Saranac11.5 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 ADK11.5 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- THE GREAT ADIRONDACK CORN MAZE6.0 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.
- White Pine Camp6.1 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.
- Topridge10.5 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.
- Robert Louis Stevenson Cottage11.4 mi
The Robert Louis Stevenson Cottage Museum in Saranac Lake, New York, was the residence of the famous author of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Treasure Island. It preserves his personal belongings and is the world's first site dedicated to Ste…
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Frequently asked.
- How long is the Buck Pond Campground Road?The Buck Pond Campground Road is approximately 0.65 miles (1.0 kilometers) — a short out-and-back suitable for most fitness levels.
- How long does it take to hike the Buck Pond Campground Road?Most hikers complete the Buck Pond Campground Road in about 20 minutes at a steady pace with roughly 50 feet of elevation gain. Allow extra time for rest stops, photos, weather, and trail conditions.
- How difficult is the Buck Pond Campground Road?Based on its length and elevation gain, the Buck Pond Campground Road is an easy hike (50 ft of climbing over the route) — gentle grades suitable for most fitness levels and families. This is an estimate from route data, not an official trail rating — check current DEC advisories before heading out.