Paddling

For this adventure you will have a short carry of only about 100 feet to the sandy shore at Low’s Lower Dam on Bog River. The launch itself is a scenic destination and a popular area for boating and fishing. The paddle starts out from the dam in a wide area with rocky shores and calm waters. As you proceed to the west the passage gets a bit narrower and the scenery becomes even more inspiring.

Please note

These narrows have shallow waters, and submerged boulders might not clear the hull of a boat under lower water conditions.

How to get there

Launch from Lows Lake Hand Launch on the far western end of the lake.

From Tupper Lake, head southwest on Park St toward High St and pass by Stewart's Shops on the left. After 0.2 miles turn left onto NY-30 S (Wawbeek Ave) and continue on NY-30 S for 11.2 miles. Turn right onto Circle Rd at the 3.0 mile point, and continue straight onto Sabattis Rd for 8.3 miles. Follow the seasonal road for 0.3 miles until a slight right, and continue for 9.8 miles.

Type of launch

There is a portage of about 100 feet.

Portage/carry details

There is a sandy gravel trail from the parking lot to Lows Lower Dam.

Type of water

Hitchins Pond is calm and well sheltered, but it can get wavy in windy situations. The Bog River has a slight current and is well sheltered, with a mix of shallow and narrow sections.

Birding

This remote area has abundant wetlands, including vibrant marsh communities with rare plant species. This provides prime breeding grounds for a variety of birds. Bald eagles are visible all year. Golden eagles appear during migration periods. Look for common loon, spruce grouse, northern harrier, osprey, Cooper's hawk, common nighthawk, and vesper sparrow.

Moving along, the course widens and you can explore the edges a bit more easily as you head into a pond-like section of river, where all types of birds can be seen. The river swings north through another narrow area, then quickly widens before heading west and under the railroad tracks.

As you feed through the final narrows on this trip, you will arrive the north-south shaped Hitchins Pond at the 2.5 mile mark. There is about 4 miles of shoreline at this pond. Heading north ends at Hitchins Bog, heading south will bring you to Low’s Upper Dam. Look for a grassy area near a state sign, you can get out here and continue up the inlet to the dam and get out there.

Find out more

There is an excellent hike up Lows Ridge from here.