As the second-longest waterway in the state, the Raquette River offers paddlers plenty of options for adventure. One of the more popular excursions is the twelve-mile round trip to from Axton Landing to Raquette Falls.
Axton Landing is nothing more than a sandy strand along a small bay on the edge of a pine forest. Its name comes from “Ax Town,” a reminder of the region’s logging days.
As you paddle from the bay to the river’s main channel, be sure to look left for a nice view of the Sewards in the High Peaks Wilderness (for much of the trip, the river forms the Wilderness boundary).
Once on the river, head upstream (left as you exit the bay). Usually, the current on the wide river is so slow that you hardly notice it. For most of the way to Raquette Falls, silver maples line both sides of the river. These maples thrive in floodplains. In spring, when water is high enough, it’s possible to paddle among the trees.
About a half-mile from the start, you pass the mouth of Stoney Creek on the left and a lean-to site soon afterward.
Expect to see and/or hear a variety of birdlife along the river: common mergansers, mallards, kingfishers, white-throated sparrows, red-eyed vireos, and robins, among other species.
As you meander upriver, you’ll also pass a number of inlets or cuts in the bank that invite exploration. One of the more intriguing inlets flows out of a grassy marsh about 4.5 miles from Axton. Look for it on the left just beyond a lean-to. You can follow the inlet more than a quarter-mile before coming to a beaver dam.
At 5.4 miles from Axton, you’ll pass another lean-to, perched above a sandy bank. Soon after you can hear the rapids below the falls. At six miles, take out at a beach on the left.
A short path leads to a wide carry trail. Turn right and follow the trail a short distance to a path on the right. This leads to the lower falls. The falls are not that big, but it’s a pretty spot, and the rocks are a good place to relax. If you’re up for a longer hike, follow the carry trail all the way to its end (about a mile), then return via a herd path along the river. This path passes the upper falls in a quarter mile. These falls are larger, but the view is not as good. Continue on the path to the lower falls, then follow the path back to the carry trail.
Directions: From the traffic light near the town hall in downtown Saranac Lake, drive west on NY 3 for 12.7 miles to Coreys Road on the left (2.8 miles past the parking lot for South Creek). Take the Coreys Road 1.9 miles to a small wooded lane on the right that leads to Axton Landing. The put-in is 0.2 miles down this lane.
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