At first you will be heading upstream toward High Falls and beyond. The current isn’t too difficult to navigate, although it can be a bit tricky on the sharp oxbows of the lake. The river has a gentle current for most of the paddle, however, in small locations tends to get a bit tough under the right conditions. There is ample camping along the river from tenting sites to lean-to locations. This route will access High Rock and the Five Ponds Region and essentially, you could head all the way to Lows Lake with a couple extended portages. This trip is recommended to be a 2-3 day excursion to High Falls and back out.  

How to get there:

From the intersection of Route 3 and Route 30 in Tupper Lake follow Route 3 toward Cranberry Lake. Continue through Cranberry Lake and locate Inlet Road on the left, just prior to Star Lake. Drive Inlet Road to the end and park at the large DEC boat launch site.   

Type of launch:

Roadside, less than 50 feet, sand and gravel, slight decline to water’s edge

Type of water:

The Oswegatchie River is as famous an Adirondack River as they come, so it can get very busy. No motor boats allowed on this portion of the river. Gentle current.