Scenery & Hiking Near Raquette Lake

Raquette Lake sits in the middle of the Adirondack Park — six million acres of protected forest, lakes and mountains — so the scenery starts at the end of the driveway. The lake itself is the main event: nearly a hundred miles of wooded shoreline, deep bays, and islands you can paddle out to in an afternoon. In late September and early October the hillsides around the hamlet turn the reds, oranges and golds you see in our photographs.

Hikes for Every Pace

The trails below are within an easy drive and range from short family walks to a proper summit. Bring layers and water even on short hikes — Adirondack weather changes quickly — and sign the trail register at the trailhead.

• Short and sweet: Rocky Mountain in Inlet and Castle Rock above Blue Mountain Lake reward a modest climb with big lake views.

• Fire towers: Blue Mountain and Bald Mountain (Rondaxe) both have restored towers you can climb on a clear day.

• History on foot: Great Camp Sagamore's lake loop combines an easy forest walk with a look at a Gilded Age camp.

On the Water

Raquette Lake is a crossroads of historic canoe routes, and the Northern Forest Canoe Trail passes right through it. Paddle into Brown's Tract Inlet toward Eighth Lake, or out toward Forked Lake and the start of the Raquette River. Early mornings are calm, and you will often hear loons before you see them.

More to do Nearby

There is plenty to do in the area beyond the trails: horseback riding, whitewater rafting on the Moose River, and fishing, hunting and snowshoeing in the vast Moose River Plains, a wild tract of forest, ponds and dirt roads south of Inlet.