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31-656: The area is bounded on the north by Cranberry Lake , a portion of the Oswegatchie River , the road leading to Inlet and private lands; on the east by the Colton town line and private lands in the vicinity of Gull Lake, a road leading to Gull Lake and the Remsen to Lake Placid railroad; on the south by Stillwater Reservoir ; on the southwest by the Pepperbox Wilderness Area and on the west by

62-558: A railroad was put in to remove the large white pine logs. Part of Glasby Creek was not logged and some of the tall white pines still stand along the State Trail. The East Branch Oswegatchie on the parts across from High Rock still has very tall white pines, across it on an adjacent tract of state land, that was acquired by New York State in a tax sale in 1884. Several fires burned large areas south of Cranberry Lake . The blowdowns of 1950 and 1995 did considerably more damage. South of

93-539: A western arm of the lake in the Town of Fine, is the community of Wanakena , the location of the SUNY-ESF Ranger School . Several islands are within the lake, the largest being Joe Indian Island and Buck Island. The Cranberry Lake Biological Station, also part of State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF), is located on Barber Point. A peninsula jutting into

124-405: Is a 3.5 mile canoe carry at approximately 18 miles upstream that leads the traveler to Lows Lake via Big Deer Pond . The existing lean-tos on the river will be phased out and ultimately replaced by primitive tent sites. There is also a canoe carry from Chair Rock Creeks' inlet on Cranberry Lake to Grass Pond on Lows Lake The Five Ponds area is accessible to the public from the north and also from

155-720: Is a state owned hard surface ramp on Route 3 by the outlet dam. There is also a state owned car top launch at the Cranberry Lake Campground and one more at the New York State Rangers School in Wanakena, New York . The lake was named for the extensive bogs that it once contained. In 1865, the state authorized the building of a dam on the east branch of the Oswegatchie that doubled the lake's surface area and killed thousands of trees,

186-929: Is almost six miles (circa 9 km) to the north. Trail access is by a short spur from the High Falls Loop Trail. The most direct canoe access is by way of the Oswegatchie River from the Oswegatchie River Inlet on Inlet Road. The waterfall has been designated a scenic special interest area in the New York State Land Master Plan. At the falls the Oswegatchie flows northwest over glaciated granite gneiss bedrock. They are surrounded by white pine forest, somewhat more open than one might expect in an area characterized as old growth forest . However windstorms in 1950 and in 1995 devastated this part of

217-685: Is an example of this virgin timber. Slightly south of the St. Lawrence - Herkimer - Hamilton county marker stands what is (arguably) the largest virgin White Pine in the Adirondacks . Recent tree surveys have found one white pine standing at 144 feet tall, however, none over 150 feet tall have been found there yet. The virgin pine stand at Pine Ridge near the East Branch of the Oswegatchie

248-467: Is another well known spot where examples of original growth timber may be seen. However, portions of the Pine Ridge stand were completely blown down in the 1950 hurricane. Most of the remainder of Pine Ridge was destroyed in the blowdown of 1995. The Adirondack Park Agency ruled to leave the downed timber untouched. Camp Johnny, a nearby rise of land and popular camping spot remained untouched. There

279-578: Is extreme blowdown in the Cat Mountain area and in the very remote and nearly untraveled Riley Ponds section of the Five Ponds Wilderness Area. Extremely difficult traveling conditions remain, where crisscrossing blowdown exists, with bushes, small trees and witch-hobble grown up through. The Toad Pond area, on the very remote Robinson River area, has piles of Spruce blowdown. Not all areas have this extreme of blowdown—

310-675: The Aldrich Pond Wild Forest and the Watson East Triangle Wild Forest . In the vicinity of Young's Road the wild forest and wilderness boundary is the Streeter Lake snowmobile trail. Land south and east of this boundary will be classified wilderness upon acquisition of inholdings. The terrain is low, rolling and interspersed with many small ponds. Swamp areas and small brooks are numerous. The forest cover varies from pole-size hardwoods in

341-552: The Cranberry Lake 50 is a popular destination for backpackers and traverses through both the hamlets of Cranberry Lake and Wanakena . There are several private camps on the lake's southern shore, including an island called Chair Rock Island. A large rock on Barber Point near the Biological Station bears an engraved memorial for the international fly casting champion of the late 1800s, Reuben Wood, designer of

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372-565: The Cranberry Lake Wild Forest covers much of its remaining shoreline. Most of the lake is in the eastern end of the Town of Clifton , but a small part of the east side of the lake is in the Town of Piercefield and a small part of the west side of the lake is in the Town of Fine . The lake is entirely in the south part of Saint Lawrence County, New York . On a north arm of the lake is the community of Cranberry Lake . On

403-521: The Moose River Plains; and the numerous, clear, spring-fed ponds, most of which support brook trout. The East Branch of the Oswegatchie River was long considered the top brook trout stream in the state, with catches of three to four pound brook trout common during the summer months. This distinction was lost when northern pike were apparently introduced accidentally or otherwise into Cranberry Lake several years ago, with adverse impacts to

434-674: The Stillwater Reservoir , ten miles (16 km) south of the falls. The Red Horse Trail was one of the oldest Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) hiking trails in Adirondack Park, dating back to the 1920s. The five-and-a-half mile (9 km) section running north from Big Burnt Lake / Trout Pond is all that remains of that trail. The Red Horse Trail intersected the old Albany Road, known as the Old Military Road,

465-830: The Aldrich Pond Wild Forest. Cranberry Lake Cranberry Lake is on the east branch of the Oswegatchie River in the Adirondack Park in New York in the United States. It is the third largest lake in the Adirondack Park (after Lake George and the Great Sacandaga Lake ). About 75 percent of the shoreline is owned by the State of New York. The 118,000-acre (480 km ) Five Ponds Wilderness Area abuts its south shore, and

496-481: The Five Ponds Wilderness. The region has been logged and remnants from that era may be found nearby. A logging railroad once ran between Wanakena and High Falls. The Rich Lumber Company built the standard gauge railroad along the Oswegatchie River about 1902 and operated it until 1912. That part of the Five Ponds Wilderness to the south of High Falls still has the largest area of virgin forest in

527-500: The Oswegatchie, west of Willy's Lake and north of a private inholding at Bear Pond is not canoeable. In addition to these spots, other points of interest to the hiker, camper and fisherman are: High Falls on the Oswegatchie River ; Alder Bed Flow on the Middle Branch of the Oswegatchie River ; Cat Mountain ; Sand Lake; Wolf Pond; Big Deer Pond ; Nicks Pond; "The Plains," which are very similar in soil and cover type to that of

558-501: The Reub Wood fishing flies . There is a large camp setting called Wildcliffe Lodge (formerly "Hoppies" and then "Verns") that used to have an inn, bar and restaurant. The dining room was the former single room log cabin of Philo Scott, a hermit who married a local resident, Cordelia Stevens of Big Deer Pond , in 1856 and had eight children between 1858 and 1879. Chair Rock Lodge was another popular dining and lodging establishment on

589-576: The South Shore, but both are now closed. The Indian Mountain Club was also on the South Shore. "Sports" from downstate New York enjoyed dining, lodging and outdoor pursuits such as hunting, fishing and shooting. A large garden provided fresh vegetables and remnants of this still exist on private property abutting the Five Ponds Wilderness. Fish species present in the lake are smallmouth bass , northern pike , brook trout , rock bass , yellow perch , brown bullhead , sunfish and brown trout . There

620-578: The St. Lawrence County Line was owned by William Seward Webb , and was never commercially lumbered; this area was sold to New York State in 1896. It holds the largest unlogged tract anywhere in the Eastern United States. It has been considerably damaged by both blowdowns, including over half of the esker at Five Ponds. The old growth pine and red spruce stand on the esker between Big Five, Little Five and Big Shallow, Little Shallow and Washbowl ponds

651-651: The US Northeast however. It is also the largest trailless area in New York state. There is no longer a bridge at High Falls, and a canoe is required to gain access to the region further south. The portage around the waterfall itself is short. The former bridge was the crossing for the long-abandoned middle section of the Red Horse Trail . The original trail ran from Wanakena to the Beaver River , now

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682-400: The brook trout population. At the present time, the area is popular with hunters and fishermen who frequent the interior ponds. The East Branch of the Oswegatchie is a fine canoeing stream and is used as such to reach interior wilderness points of interest. The river has received increasing use in recent years and care must be taken that such use does not result in resource degradation. There

713-565: The lake from the north contains Bear Mountain and state camping facilities. One end of the Bear Mountain Trail leaves from campsite loop 3. The other end, a trail head with plenty of good parking, is located much closer to the campground entrance. The hike is fairly rigorous, but from start to the top it is only about 1-mile (1.6 km). The lookout spot near the top provides a great view to the south and south west, mainly of Joe Indian and Buck islands. A fifty mile loop trail named

744-495: The large spruce around Mud Pond and the Clear Lake area have died off or have been blown down. One, on the northwest side of Clear Lake is over one hundred feet tall. There are places that are seldom travelled, especially southeast of Sand Lake, west of Crooked Lake, and north of the Middle Branch of the Oswegatchie River. A large Carpet Spruce swamp exists in this area, intermixed with blowdown and rocks. The Middle Branch of

775-617: The remaining lands of the former lumber companies. High Falls on the Oswegatchie River High Falls is a small but picturesque waterfall on the upper Oswegatchie River in the Five Ponds Wilderness . It is located in the town of Fine , in a remote part of Adirondack State Park in St. Lawrence County . The falls drops about 20 feet (6.1 m). Access is by canoe or by maintained hiking trails. The closest public road, near Wanakena ,

806-426: The sections that were heavily logged and burned more than forty years ago to virgin pine and spruce stands. This is one of the few locations in the northeastern United States where stands of virgin timber can be found. The Rich Lumber Company owned the land tract north of the St. Lawrence County line from 1903 to 1914. Although, some logging was done before 1903, the bulk of it occurred during this time period, when

837-769: The south if one has a boat or canoe, from the east from the vicinity of Lake Lila in the William C. Whitney Wilderness Area and along the Remsen to Lake Placid railroad. The area can also be reached from the southwest via the Raven Lake primitive corridor, and from the east, by boat or canoe, via the Bog River / Lows Lake tract. The western boundary in Herkimer County is accessible from the Bear Pond Road in

868-555: The southern portion of the Five Ponds Wilderness on the Red Horse Chain of Lakes (Salmon Lake, Witchopple Lake, and Clear Lake) has much of the forest in the valley areas still intact. Many white pines are standing on the Red Horse Creek, where the State Trail follows, forming a kind of double canopy in places. Very large Yellow Birch and Black Cherries can be found in places, near Clear Lake on Covey Pond Hill. Most of

899-571: The stumps of which still remain in some areas. In 1902, the Rich Brothers Lumber Company purchased 16,000 acres (65 km ) on the southwestern shore of Cranberry Lake and constructed a lumber mill. Housing for the millworkers was built in part from lumber salvaged from the company's abandoned Pennsylvania lumber operation. There were up to 1,500 workers at the Rich Bros. mill and associated industries. A logging railroad

930-802: The vicinity of Cranberry Lake to the New York State Ranger School in 1912. A businessman, Charles Lathrop Pack , donated 1,000 acres (4.0 km ) of what today is the Cranberry Lake Biological Station to the New York State College of Forestry in 1923. Six years later, in 1929, the International Paper Company donated 500 acres (2.0 km ) to the Ranger School. By 1940, the state had purchased most of

961-735: Was constructed connecting Wanakena to the Carthage & Adirondack Railroad at Benson Mines, starting operation in 1905. The railroad allowed tourists easy access to the area. In 1913, a second railroad called the Grasse River Railroad was built by the Emporium Lumber Company, connecting Cranberry Lake to the New York Central Railroad at Childwold Station near Conifer, New York. The Rich Bros. Lumber Co. donated 1,800 acres (7.3 km ) in

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