Lower Saranac Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lower Saranac Lake |
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A Small Island in Lower Saranac Lake
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 Lower Saranac Lake
Location in New York
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| Location | Adirondacks, Franklin County, New York, United States |
| Coordinates | 44°18′29.02″N 074°11′3.01″W / 44.3080611°N 74.1841694°W |
| Primary inflows | Saranac River |
| Primary outflows | Saranac River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 6 mi (9.7 km) |
| Max. width | 2 mi (3.2 km) |
| Surface area | 2,285 acres (9.25 km2) |
| Shore length1 | 17 mi (27 km) |
| Surface elevation | 468 m (1,535 ft) |
| Islands | 50 |
| Settlements | none |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Lower Saranac Lake is one of three connected lakes in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains of northern New York. It's part of the Saranac River system, located near the village of Saranac Lake.
Imagine paddling for 17 miles! You can do this by connecting Lower, Middle Saranac Lake, and Upper Saranac Lake. You only need to carry your boat a short distance once. This makes for a fantastic adventure.
The Saranac Lake Islands Public Campground offers 87 campsites. These are on islands in both Lower and Middle Saranac Lake. Besides the Saranac River, other waters flow into Lower Saranac Lake. These include Lake Colby, Fish Creek, and Lilly Pad Pond. Lower Saranac Lake is in the town of Harrietstown, New York. It is also part of the huge 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail. This trail starts in Old Forge, NY and ends in Fort Kent, ME.
Contents
A Look Back: History of the Lake
Before trains and cars, the Saranac Lakes were a very important travel route. People could journey about 140 miles across the Adirondacks. Most of this trip was by water, from Old Forge to Lake Champlain.
Early Hotels and Famous Visitors
In 1849, William F. Martin built one of the first hotels here. It was called the "Saranac Lake House," or simply "Martin's." It was on the northeast shore of Lower Saranac Lake. This hotel could host 80 guests. It became a popular spot for hunters, woodsmen, and important people.
A young Theodore Roosevelt, who later became president, stayed there. Famous thinkers like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Louis Agassiz also found their guides at Martin's. In 1869, a book by William H. H. Murray praised Martin's. This brought many tourists to the area. Soon, more hotels were built, and stagecoach lines started.
The Arrival of the Railroad
In 1892, the Mohawk and Malone Railway reached Saranac Lake village. This made travel from big East Coast cities much faster. It changed the hotel business a lot. Martin's hotel doubled its size in 1870. It was remodeled again in 1880, holding 250 guests. After its final updates in 1888, it sadly burned down in 1894.
Other Grand Hotels
In 1884, a new hotel called Alexander's was built nearby. It could host 100 guests. In 1890, it became "The Algonquin." This hotel quickly became known for its luxury and modern features. Its capacity soon grew to 150 guests. For a short time in 1914, it was used as a hospital for people with tuberculosis, but this didn't work out. The hotel later closed. Eventually, Edmond Guggenheim, who owned land nearby, gave it to the Trudeau Institute. They built their current building there in the late 1950s.
A third hotel, the Hotel Ampersand, opened in 1888. It was on the western shore of Ampersand Bay. It was meant to be a year-round health resort. But it became most popular with healthy summer vacationers. It was the biggest and most stylish of the three hotels. People even called it the "Saratoga of Lower Saranac Lake." Sadly, a huge fire destroyed it in 1907, and it was never rebuilt.
Knollwood Club and Albert Einstein
Much of the shoreline of Lower Saranac Lake is owned by the state. This means there are fewer buildings than on Upper Saranac Lake. One special property is the Knollwood Club. It was built in 1899-1900 for six friends, including Louis Marshall and Daniel Guggenheim.
Louis Marshall's sons, Bob Marshall and George Marshall, spent their summers here. They became famous for their work protecting wild places. The brilliant scientist Albert Einstein was also a frequent summer visitor. He was at Knollwood on August 6, 1945, when he heard about the atom bomb being dropped on Hiroshima. Einstein loved sailing on the lake. Sometimes, local people even had to rescue him after his boat tipped over!
Images for kids
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A Bald eagle flying over Ampersand Bay.
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The calm waters of Shingle Bay.
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The historic Knollwood Club, a famous Great Camp.
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A mink near Fish Creek.
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The Saranac Lake House in 1890, photographed by Seneca Ray Stoddard.
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The Hotel Ampersand in 1890, also by Stoddard.
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The Algonquin hotel around 1900-1910.
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The Hotel Ampersand, photographed by WH Jackson in 1902.
