Description
Upper St. Regis Lake along with Lower St. Regis Lake and Spitfire Lake became famous in the late 19th century as a summer playground for America's power elite. Apollos "Paul" Smith started a hotel in 1859 for sportsmen, which became very popular with the wealthy and powerful of New York. People came to the area for its scenic beauty and recreational opportunities and eventually built their own great camps. These summer cottages often began as tent colonies with separate units for sleeping, dining, games, and cooking. The Great Camps in this area included Marjorie Merriweather Post's Topridge, Frederick W. Vanderbilt's Pine Tree Point, Anson Phelps Stokes's Birch Island Camp, George H. Earle Jr.'s Camp Katie and Whitelaw Reid's Camp Wild Air among others. This guided 4-5 hour tour provides a history of the Great Camps and allows you the opportunity to canoe/kayak on the lake getting a close up view of the boathouses. The tour also provides a perspective of the wilderness and how it has changed and evolved from its original state prior to the arrival of Euro-Americans. Lunch, canoes/kayaks from our fleet, transportation to/from our store, and guide is included in this day long Guided Trip. Call to reserve at least 2 weeks in advance between May 2 to October 12. Trip begins at St. Regis Canoe Outfitters, 73 Dorsey Street, Saranac Lake, NY.