The St. Regis Wilderness Region, 18,000 acres strong and home to 58 bodies of waters and endless mountains is a haven for cyclists – road and mountain – from the novice to the expert, from adults to children. Once you arrive at the Lake Clear Lodge, you do not need to travel anymore. Right from your handcrafted lodging door, you can take endless trips for an hour or days. The diversity of terrain, the countless wildlife, and incredible natural mosaics from bogs, ponds to boreal forests and majestic mountain views, you can see it all starting from our Lodge. For three generations, our family has been avid cyclists and hikers. We love the diversity of road biking one day and mountain biking the next and from experiencing a hike in the woods to a mountain climb. It’s all here as part of the 18,000-acre St. Regis Wilderness: a principal natural living theater of the 6 million acre Adirondack Park. Despite our best efforts, even we have only scratched the surface of hiking and biking experiences.
Samples of Biking Fun Right Outside Your Lake Clear Lodge & Retreat Door
Be prepared: the weather changes rapidly in the Adirondacks, and you may be going for miles without any amenities, i.e., water, food, and bathrooms! Always consult current statewide and site-specific regulations before biking/hiking anywhere. Pay attention to special restrictions. Any questions should be deferred to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation or www.dec.state.ny.us.
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What follows below are experiences we have undertaken with technical information provided by the publications detailed above. Despite our love for biking and the fact we have been here for generations, we have only scratched the surface of opportunities available to you. For example, the St. Regis Wilderness area is the largest intact forest east of the Mississippi River with over 50 species of mammals, an estimated 200 species of birds, a reported 86 species of fish and more than 30 tree species grow in the region. The 46 High Peaks with 42 mountains over 4,000 feet stretch over 1,200 sq. Miles alone. We have not yet even discussed the historical and sports sites to see of the Olympic region. To do and see so many different things while you bike is indeed an unprecedented opportunity in our area.
Right from your hand-crafted lodging door, you can experience:
Road Biking
Road biking is a great way to see the natural, historical and community diversity of the Adirondacks. In one moment you can be in a dense tree-lined road and the next moment see some of the most incredible vistas in the world. There will be long stretches of no amenities so be prepared, and there will be hills!
The Great Camp-Vista Loop
From Lake Clear Lodge – Paul Smiths- Donnelly’s- Lake Clear Lodge on Routes 30, 86 and 186. You can also extend out to Rainbow Lake, and if you do, so the entire loop is approximately 22 mi. in reasonably natural terrain with a few hills. This ride has some of the best vistas anywhere in the Adirondacks or the world for that matter.
It has a bit of everything from incredible vistas of the High Peaks to beautiful lakes with incredible great camps and dense woods as you border the St. Regis Wilderness area. A must see ride! Begin on our property and take side excursions to see Paul Smiths College and their Visitor Interpretive Center, and Upper St. Regis Lake where some of the great Adirondack camps exist including the former Merriweather Post Camp of Post Cereal and possibly see the “Idem” a racing sailboat specifically built for this lake.
Visit the beautiful sandy beach of Lake Clear – NYS 28th largest lake. We always stop at Donnelly’s Ice Cream stand and have our soul take flight in the breathtaking views of the High Peaks. Stop at Moody’s Tree Farm to see Christmas Trees and a balsam gift shop. There are also abundant wildlife viewing and even places to swim!
Bike the Heart of the St. Regis Wilderness Area Loop
From the Lake Clear Lodge with a reported distance of nearly 60 mi. in terrain that includes a dirt road section. See a more thorough look of many of the same sites as the previous loop. Also, you can take side excursions including St. Regis Mountain, which is the mountain you see from our beach. We often stop at the St. Regis River as it begins its trek to the St. Lawrence River and the Atlantic Ocean.
Take a side trip to climb Azure Mountain – where young falcons have been released. This ride is a microcosm of the diversity of the Adirondacks from mountain vistas, to rivers and bogs and abundant wildlife to go with it. You will also travel miles with potentially not seeing anyone. We have seen deer, owls, and birds.
You will travel on Route 458 for part of your trip that was famous for being part of the military trail that ran from Champlain to the St. Lawrence Valley during the War of 1812. We have also swum at beautiful Meacham Lake Campground, and the restaurant has reopened again though as of this writing we have not yet stopped!
Want more information? Come stay with us! Our Adirondack "concierge" guide will assist you upon your arrival.