Seven Carries facts for kids
The Seven Carries is a famous canoe route in the Adirondack Park in New York. It connects two historic places: Paul Smith's Hotel (now Paul Smith's College) and the Saranac Inn (now a golf course). This route goes through the beautiful Saint Regis Canoe Area. It was very popular with adventurers and visitors from the late 1800s to the 1930s. Today, many people still enjoy exploring it! Even though it's called 'Seven Carries,' there are actually only six 'carries' or portages. A portage is when you carry your canoe or kayak over land between bodies of water.
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What is the Seven Carries?
The Seven Carries route is about 9 miles (14.5 km) long. It takes you across seven peaceful wilderness ponds and three larger lakes. This route used to link two very popular hotels in the Adirondacks.
Historic Hotels Along the Route
- Paul Smith's Hotel: This hotel was built in 1859. It was a grand place for visitors but sadly burned down in 1930. Today, Paul Smith's College stands on the same spot.
- Saranac Inn: Built in 1864, this hotel was also a favorite spot. It burned down in 1978. Now, you'll find a public golf course and a small village there.
Exploring the Route
The Seven Carries route offers a wonderful adventure through nature. You'll paddle across many different ponds and lakes, carrying your boat over land in between.
Starting Your Journey
Traditionally, the trip began with a horse-drawn wagon ride to Little Green Pond. Today, you can drive a short distance on Fish Hatchery Road from NY-30. From there, you can start your paddle on Little Green Pond.
- Little Green Pond to Little Clear Pond: After paddling on Little Green, you'll have a short carry of about 220 yards (200 meters) to Little Clear Pond. You can also start directly on Little Clear Pond.
- Little Clear Pond: This pond is used by the State Fish Hatchery. Because of this, you are not allowed to fish or camp here.
- Little Clear Pond to Saint Regis Pond: The paddle across Little Clear Pond to the next carry is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km).
The Longest Carry
The carry from Little Clear Pond to Saint Regis Pond is the longest one on the trip. It's about 0.6 miles (1 km) long.
- Saint Regis Pond: This is the biggest pond on the route, covering about 400 acres (1.6 km²). It's a great place to explore!
- Saint Regis Pond to Green Pond: After enjoying Saint Regis Pond, you'll paddle about 1.2 miles (1.9 km) to reach the carry to Green Pond.
More Ponds and Carries
From Saint Regis Pond, the journey continues with more paddling and carries:
- Green Pond: A 200-yard (183-meter) carry takes you to Green Pond, which is only about 0.2 miles (0.3 km) wide.
- Little Long Pond: Next, a 0.15-mile (0.24 km) carry leads to Little Long Pond, which is about 1 mile (1.6 km) long.
- Bear Pond: Another 0.15-mile (0.24 km) carry brings you to Bear Pond, which is about 0.4 miles (0.6 km) wide.
- Bog Pond and Upper Saint Regis Lake: Finally, two short carries (less than 100 yards or 91 meters each) and a quick paddle across Bog Pond (which is no longer part of the Canoe Area) bring you to Upper St. Regis Lake. This lake is famous for its many Adirondack Great Camps, like Camp Topridge.
Finishing the Route
From Upper Saint Regis Lake, you can continue your journey to other beautiful lakes.
- Spitfire Lake and Lower Saint Regis Lake: Upper Saint Regis Lake connects to Spitfire Lake and then to Lower St. Regis Lake. Paul Smith's Hotel used to be located on Lower Saint Regis Lake, about 3 miles (4.8 km) from the end of the last carry.
- Saint Regis Carry: As another option, you can take your boat out at the Saint Regis Carry. This is in the southeast corner of Lower Saint Regis Lake, about 0.6 miles (1 km) from the end of the last carry.
Camping Along the Way
If you want to spend more time in nature, there are campsites available on some of the ponds along the route. You can find places to camp on Saint Regis, Green, Little Long, and Bear Ponds.
