Ward Brook Truck Trail.
71-kilometer trail offers a generally level and wide thoroughfare into characteristic Adirondack terrain. The path's utilitarian origins make for less technical walking while still providing access to more remote wilderness areas beyond. Its broad corridor and modest grades suit those seeking an easier entry into the interior, though the experience tends more toward functional passage than dramatic scenery.
- Half-day hikeA few hours round trip
- Good for snowshoeingNon-technical grade that carries a snowshoe track
Seasonal pattern for this trail · tops out ~2,523 ft · live closures appear above
- NYSDECOperator
- lwnNetwork
Read the line before you walk it.
What the trailhead is doing today.
Where the hike begins.
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- Red Fox9.3 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.
- Tail O' the Pup9.5 mi
A roadside stop offering barbecue, seafood, and casual fare, with a history stretching back over a century.
- Blue Line Brewery9.5 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.
- ADK Street Eats9.5 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.
Sip.
4- Blue Moon10.1 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 Coffee10.1 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 Market10.3 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 Gourmet11.9 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- Mountain Mist Custard9.2 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 Cream9.2 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.
- Mark Twain Maple Works9.5 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.
- Emma's Lake Placid Creamery11.8 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.
Drink.
4- Ray Brook Brewhouse9.5 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.
- Bitters & Bones10.3 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 Beerworks10.3 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…
- Lake Placid Pub & Brewery12.0 mi
A brewpub on Mirror Lake Drive in Lake Placid since 1996, with 12 house beers on tap including the original Ubu Ale, a downstairs Irish pub, and a deck over Mirror Lake.
Stay.
4- Saranac Lake Islands Campground - Campsite #706.1 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 716.2 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 #746.4 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 #776.9 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 Placid8.8 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.
- Ice Palace at the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival10.0 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 Center10.1 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 Conservation10.1 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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Frequently asked.
- How long is the Ward Brook Truck Trail?The Ward Brook Truck Trail is approximately 4.17 miles (6.7 kilometers) — a typical day-hike length.
- How long does it take to hike the Ward Brook Truck Trail?Most hikers complete the Ward Brook Truck Trail in about 2 hours 30 minutes at a steady pace with roughly 608 feet of elevation gain. Allow extra time for rest stops, photos, weather, and trail conditions.
- How difficult is the Ward Brook Truck Trail?Based on its length and elevation gain, the Ward Brook Truck Trail is a moderate hike (608 ft of climbing over the route) — steady climbing that rewards a reasonable base of fitness. This is an estimate from route data, not an official trail rating — check current DEC advisories before heading out.
- Who maintains the Ward Brook Truck Trail?The Ward Brook Truck Trail is operated or maintained by NYSDEC (part of the lwn network).