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A Au Sable River Watershed

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Key to Symbols

Fishing access

Boat Launch

Swimming

Canoe / kayak

Cross country ski area

Downhill / Alpine ski area

Hiking / Walking Trail

Rock / Ice climbing CLINTON COUNTY ESSEX COUNTY Mountain biking

Bird Watching

Picnicking

Camping

Golf course

Food

Lodging

Gas

Ferry / Boat tour

Airport For Additional Information

Scenic railroad Area Information Regional Information

Lake Placid/Essex County Visitors Bureau , 216 Main Street Regional Visitor’s Bureau Visitor information center , NY 12946 P.O. Box 277 800-447-5224 Wilmington, NY 12997 www.lakeplacid.com 888-WHITEFACE (944-8332) Arts Center 518-946-2255 Plattsburgh / North Country www.whitefaceregion.com Chamber of Commerce 7061 Route 9, P.O. Box 310 Historic bridge Plattsburgh, NY 12901 P.O. Box 867 518-563-1000 Heart Lake Road www.northcountrychamber.com Lake Placid, NY 12946-0867 800-395-8080 Historic site Adirondack Regional Tourism Council www.adk.org P.O. Box 2149 Plattsburgh, NY 12901 Bikeways Clearinghouse 518-846-8016 / 800-487-6867 c/o Local Motion Trailside Center Museum www.adirondacks.org 1 Steele Street #103 Burlington, VT 05401 Lake Champlain Visitors Center & 802-652-BIKE phone/fax Heritage Network www.champlainbikeways.org Olympic site 814 Bridge Road Crown Point, NY 12928 Lake Champlain Basin Program 518-597-4646 / 866-THE-LAKE P.O. Box 204 www.lakechamplainregion.com 54 West Shore Road Scenic/Geologic Interest Grand Isle, VT 05458 Adirondack Scenic Railroad 802-372-3213 19 Depot Street 800-468-5227 Saranac Lake, NY 12983 www.lcbp.org Olympic Trail Scenic Byway 518-891-3238 www.adirondackrr.com NYS Tourism 1-800-CALL-NYS Friends of the North Country Area www.iloveny.com Route 73 Scenic Byway 1A Mill Street Keeseville, NY 12944 www.ausablefyfishing.com 518-834-9606 888-944-8332 Town of Keene www.adirondack.net www.keene-keenevalley.com A Sampler of Annual Events www.adirondacklinks.com Town of Jay www.jayny.com www.bikeadirondacks.org January, Mountain Fest-Keene July, Ironman Triathlon-Lake Placid

February, Empire State Games-Lake Placid August, Native American Festival-Wilmington; High State Agencies Peaks Arts & Antiques Show-Marcy Field-Keene Valley; March, March Madness at Whiteface-Wilmington Miracles of Gold Ice Show-Lake Placid; Jay Craft Fair- NYS Agency Jay www.northnet.org/adirondackparkagency/ May, Two-fly Contest-Wilmington The information portrayed on this map has been collected and provided September, Scottish Highland Festival-Wilmington; by several sources. It has not been independently verified and is subject NYS Department of Environmental Conservation June, Whiteface Mountain Uphill Foot Race- Annual Olympic Car Show-Lake Placid; Adirondack to change without notice. To verify locations and access to features on www.dec.state.ny.us Wilmington; Lake Placid Film Forum-Lake Placid; Lake High Peaks Dog Training Club Dog Show-Lake Placid this map, please contact one of the sources of additional information listed Placid Horse Show-Lake Placid; I Love New York Horse elsewhere in this publication. Show-Lake Placid; Whiteface Mountain Uphill Bike October, Oktoberfest-Wilmington Race-Wilmington

The Bridge, NYS Route 9 This East Branch 24 Parking, Route 86 Trail to Copperas Pond. Main Branch bridge, c. 1934, became the primary crossing over 17 of the Au Sable River 10 Keene Mt. Van Hovenberg of the Au Sable River Ausable Chasm, and provides excellent views of the North on NYS Route 73 and North on NYS Route 9N Winter Recreation Area/Verizon Sports NYS Route 9N North to Route 9 North through Au Chasm. through Saint Huberts, Keene Valley, Keene, Upper Jay, Complex, North Elba Site of Bobsled, Luge, and 25 Wilmington Notch State Campground, Sable Forks, Clintonville, Keeseville to the Ausable Marsh Jay, into AuSable Forks Wildlife Management Area on Lake Champlain Rainbow Falls, NYS Route 9 Rainbow Falls is the 11 Skeleton tracks, plus cross country skiing, snowshoeing Wilmington The Jackrabbit Trail, Alstead Hill Road, and mountain biking. upper part of Ausable Chasm, unique among the gorges Keene Located at the very end of Alstead Hill Road is and falls of the Ausable in that it cuts through Potsdam 1 the beginning, if you like uphill, or the end of the sandstone rather than the crystalline rocks of the Chapel Pond, Route 73 The 26 33 Au Sable Forks Jackrabbit Trail. This trail is approximately 35 miles of 18 Whiteface mountains. In some areas the Chasm’s walls are 175 cliffs on the other side of Chapel Pond are often nesting cross-country ski trail over public and private land MacKenzie-Intervale Ski Jumping Mountain Ski Center, Route 86, Wilmington Site vertical feet. sites for Peregrine Falcons. maintained by the Adirondack Ski Touring Council. The Complex, Lake Placid View winter and summer ski of the Olympic skiing events in 1980, Whiteface trail is named in memory of Herman "Jack Rabbit" jumping, as well as ride the to the 26 story Mountain is open for Alpine skiing and snowboarding Johannsen. There is no fee but membership with the elevator which will bring you to the observation deck 34 37 2 in winter, plus mountain biking and scenic gondola rides Rolling Mill Hill Bridge, Rolling Mill Port Kent Roaring Brook Falls, Route 73 ASTC is appreciated. atop the K120 tower. during the summer. Hill Road, Au Sable Forks This is a Pratt Through Truss iron bridge built in 1879, one of the oldest bridges of 38 19 this type in New York State. Carpenter's Flats Bridge, NYS 3 12 John Brown's Farm, Lake Placid The 27 Route 9 This is a Warren Through Truss bridge built in Parking, Route 73, St. Huberts Trail to Jay farm and burial site of abolitionist John Brown are Parking, Route 86, Wilmington Trail to . Whiteface Mountain and the Flume. 1941, spanning the Ausable River 2.5 miles north of located just outside the village of Lake Placid. During Ausable Chasm. the mid-1800’s, Brown helped freed slaves establish 35 Village of new lives in this area. Keeseville Keeseville’s early history can be viewed 13 4 Covered Bridge, Jay 28 through its historic buildings and bridges: Parking, Route 73, Keene Valley Trails 39 to High Peaks. The Jay Covered Bridge was built in 1857-58. It currently awaits restoration after being moved from its original Wilmington - The Ausable Horse Nail company buildings 20 Parking, Heart Lake Road, North Elba, site, and will be converted to a pedestrian bridge. This c. 1847 Ausable Marsh Wildlife Management is the only remaining covered bridge in the Adirondack Trails to High Peaks. 5 Area/Ausable Point State Campground This Keene Valley region. 29 Parking, Wilmington Trail to Marble - Old Brewery c. 1850 is the point where the Ausable River meets Lake Mountain. Champlain. The 580 acre area is managed by the NYS - Grange Hall c. 1856 21 Heart Lake, North Department of Environmental Conservation for recreation 6 14 Parking Elba Trails to High Peaks. and scientific study. The area supports a large number Parking, Keene Valley Parking, Trails to , Route 73, Keene, Trail to Pitchoff - Masonic Lodge c. 1852 of bird species, both nesting and migratory. Mountain. John’s Brook Lodge, High Peaks. 30 Whiteface Mountain Veteran's Memorial Highway, Wilmington This - Upper Bridge c. 1878 Pratt Through Truss Bridge, oldest of its kind in NYS. 22 scenic toll route was dedicated by Franklin D. Roosevelt 40 7 in 1935. Drive nearly to the summit, and complete your Wickham Marsh Wildlife Marcy Field, Route West Branch ascent by walking a trail or riding an elevator through - Swing Bridge c. 1888 Iron suspension bridge, Management Area The primary management 73, Keene Valley Trails to Blueberry and Porter Mountains. solid rock to the observation area for 360-degree views. one of only ten ever built and one of two objective for this 862 acre area is to provide nesting of the Au Sable River surviving. The Atmospheric Science Research Station is also located and feeding habitat for a variety of waterfowl through River Road (Essex County Route 21), Route 86, Haselton the use of water level control structures, ditching, shoreline 8 Road (Essex County Route 12), Silver Lake Road (Clinton on this road, with research equipment in place at The Kame, Route 73 & 9N Whiteface’s peak. - Stone Arch Bridge c. 1843 Arched sandstone clearing, and nest box construction. Foot trails allow intersection, Keene Once thought to be an Indian burial County Route 1) skirting the village of Lake Placid, masonry bridge, 110 feet long, the largest viewing of points of interest, scenic vistas, and seventeen ground, the Kame is actually a feature from the Ice Age; through Wilmington and Black Brook into AuSable Forks Town of North Elba & single span stone arch bridge in the US, as different ecological communities. it was the base of a 5,000 foot high glacial waterfall. Village of Lake Placid noted by the National Park Service. 31 Wilmington Bridge, Route 86, Wilmington 15 Cascade Lakes, North Elba This bridge, built in 1935, is representative of bridge 9 architecture and aesthetics in the early automobile era. The Walton Bridge, Hull's Falls Road 23 West Branch Catch and Release, 36 The Old State Road Bridge, to Gristmill Road, Keene The Walton Bridge, circa 1890, Wilmington & North Elba Five miles of the West Branch Old Chasm Road, Ausable Chasm Once part of is a lenticular iron truss bridge formerly located over 16 of the Ausable River are designated by NYSDEC as 32 the main North-South travel route for this area, the the Black Brook in the town of Black Brook, moved to Parking, Route 73, North Elba Trails to “Catch and release, artificials only.” The Ausable supports Taylor Pond State Campground, Old State Road Bridge, c.1890, affords a spectacular this location in 1925. Cascade, Porter and Pitchoff Mountains. a renowned trout fishery. Silver Lake Road view of Rainbow and Horseshoe Falls. ASS ER OC V IA I T R I E O L N B

A Au Sable River Watershed

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U A Traveler’s Guide to River and Scenic Byway Resources A

Welcome to the Au Sable River Watershed From its beginnings in the highest of the to its outlet at Lake Champlain, the Ausable of canoeable flatwater and fly fishing heaven. Hiking, boating, canoeing, kayaking, biking, fishing, rock and River flows through rugged cliffs, thick forests, and extensive wetlands teaming with wildlife. One of the earliest ice climbing, Nordic and Alpine skiing, and much more can be enjoyed within the Au Sable River Watershed. explored Adirondack rivers, the Ausable parallels several New York State designated scenic road corridors, providing access to unsurpassed and boundless recreational opportunities. Its reputation today as a renowned What’s in a Name trout fishery and recreational river contrasts with its early history as a working river which encouraged settlements You may have noticed that the name Au Sable/Ausable is spelled two ways. According to the along its majestic banks. Historic bridges and buildings provide insight to life in the Adirondacks as far back Department of Geographic Names, either spelling is correct, depending on the usage. The river, valley, and as the 1700s. watershed are officially spelled Ausable. The Town, Village, and school are officially spelled Au Sable. The original name Aux Sable, French for “of the sand,” was used by the first explorers in reference to the sandy Two mountain streams, known as the East Branch and West Branch, give the Ausable its start in the High Peaks. point formed at the mouth of the river on Lake Champlain. Each branch travels over 35 miles to their meeting place in the appropriately named village of Au Sable Forks, where they form the main branch of the Ausable River, flowing another 22 miles to Lake Champlain. The second steepest river in New York, the Ausable has magnificent falls and gorges along its course, tempered by stretches

About the River

East Branch West Branch Main Branch Ausable Lakes, St. Huberts, Keene Valley, Keene, Upper Jay, Jay Mt. Van Hoevenberg, Lake Placid, Wilmington, Black Brook Au Sable Forks, Keeseville, Lake Champlain

The outlet of Lower Ausable Lake is where the East Branch begins its bouldery descent Marcy and South Meadow Brooks in the High Peaks Range converge to give rise to the As the East and West Branches converge in the hamlet of Au Sable Forks, the Main to the tiny hamlet of Saint Huberts, collecting the drainage waters from some of the West Branch of the Ausable River. Waters from Algonquin, Wright, Colden, and Table Branch becomes a broad, rocky, river that also represents the boundary between Clinton Adirondack’s highest peaks, including Marcy, , Skylight, and . As it Top mountains are carried by the West Branch over rocky terrain, emerging from the County to the north and Essex County to the south. moves on to Keene Valley, the river levels off, broadens, and meanders through this wilderness just before the Olympic Ski Jumps along NYS Route 73. Here the landscape scenic valley area, paralleled by NY State Route 73, a New York State designated scenic flattens to a valley, allowing the river to slow and wind, picking up the Chubb River First settled in 1825, Au Sable Forks maintains one of many historic bridges that cross byway. Upon reaching Keene, the East Branch cascades through Hull’s Falls before drainage beyond the ski jumps as it flows past the village of Lake Placid. the Ausable River between here and Lake Champlain. As settlements sprang up along continuing beyond these busy hamlets and flowing towards Upper Jay. One of two the river, bridges were important connectors in areas divided by water. historic bridges along this branch of the Ausable can be found near Hull’s Falls. As the West Branch reaches NYS Route 86 beyond Lake Placid, on its way through North Elba to Wilmington, it starts to take on a different character. Confined by mountains The Ausable makes its way northeastward from Au Sable Forks, with NYS Route 9N The East Branch’s journey to Upper Jay finds it winding through a broad valley floor, on either side as it winds along Route 86, the river begins a steep descent which includes winding alongside, passing through the hamlet of Clintonville before reaching the village turning freely and providing for beautiful views of the river, fields, and the Sentinel a series of falls. Monument Falls, Wilmington Notch, High Falls Gorge, and the Flume of Keeseville. Historic bridges join this village that is split in two by the river, and many Mountain Range. NY State Route 9N follows the river’s course, leading through the town move the water of the West Branch quickly and dramatically through to the town of buildings built in the mid-1800’s line its banks. of Jay, settled in the late 1700’s. The Jay Covered Bridge, which crosses the East Branch, Wilmington, where it is slowed by the Wilmington Dam, forming Lake Everest. has been the subject of innumerable artists and historians. Past and present, Jay has Venturing further in its quest to meet Lake Champlain, a mile downstream of Keeseville been a haven for artists and writers. James Thurber, the notable humorist, set part of Continuing on towards its confluence with the East Branch, the West Branch picks up the Main Branch cuts through the gorges and falls known as Ausable Chasm. With his short story, “Josephine Has Her Day,” in Madden’s Country Store in the mythical another major tributary, Black Brook, and squeezes through a scenic flume before walls as high as 175 feet, the water of the Ausable creates a spectacular and tumultuous town of Dale, which was actually Jay. Asgaard Farm near Au Sable Forks, home of reaching Au Sable Forks. scene before settling into a calm passage to the lake. The river empties into Lake painter and illustrator Rockwell Kent, can still be viewed by passersby, preserved pretty Champlain with a flourish of wildlife along the delta, at the Ausable Marsh Wildlife much as seen in his paintings. Management Area.

The East Branch meanders on to its confluence with the West Branch in the hamlet of Au Sable Forks.

ASS ER OC The Au Sable River Association was formed in August 1998 by residents of the watershed. This map is the product of a cooperative effort of the NYS Adirondack Park Agency and V IA I T The ASRA is a membership based organization which is working to improve the natural R I the Au Sable River Association. It was made possible by a grant to the Agency from E O and cultural resources of the Au Sable River, its watershed, and the quality of life for L N the NYS Scenic Byways Program through the Federal Highway Administration and the B Au Sable River Association residents. The ASRA brings together landowners, town governments, other non-profits, A Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century of 1998, administered by the NYS

S and State and Federal Agencies to identify problems and needs and implement solutions. P.O. Box 217 Department of Transportation. Additional funding support was provided by the Lake

U We are a resource for residents and towns, providing assistance and information on a

A Elizabethtown, NY 12932 range of issues from water quality to stream restoration. We view the watershed in its Champlain Basin Program. 518-873-3752 entirety and cooperate with all interested parties to improve the health of the watershed www.ausableriver.org and the quality of life for the residents and visitors. The ASRA would like to thank the following for their time, effort and information: We have a growing membership of residents and friends of the watershed. Our members Boquet River Association, Essex County Planning Office, Friends of the North Country support us by volunteering time and resources. We have a volunteer Board of Directors and a paid part-time Director. For more information about the ASRA or to become a Photos courtesy of Nathan Farb member please contact us: Au Sable River Association, P.O. Box 217, Elizabethtown, NY 12932, 518-873-3752, www.ausableriver.org

September 2002