Boreas Ponds, Adirondacks, NY

Brightraven · Jun 1, 2026

Glenn,
If you do go to Boreas Ponds, I would suggest you also spend a little bit of time at Henderson Lake (if you haven’t been there already), which is not far from there and has a relatively easy path in to the launch (less than 1/2 mile). I’m not sure about handicapped parking but the lot is quite extensive.
Once you near the end of the trail and the water becomes visible, the atmosphere is very striking and the mountains feel very close. The photos below are a bit grainy because my phone was in a protective case…there was a tremendous amount of wind and waves on the lake that day…But in sum, it’s a very special place…

Simuliumvenustum · 2026-06-26T13:11:51-0400

Glenn MacGrady said:
Thanks, Ken. I have wheels and perhaps a companion with a truck.

Hi Glenn,

I revisited Boreas Ponds on June 24th. Since I was last there in August 2025, the DEC has greatly improved the canoe access. There is now a wheelchair-accessible path from the access road down to the water at the base of the dam, so it is now possible to wheel a canoe on a cart all the way to the water's edge. The path is well graded and covered with crushed stone.

Access to the water in August 2025 was via a steep trail from the access road down the side of the dam. The new trail is a vast improvement.

The old access trail to the water is now walled off with boulders.

The Four Corners parking lot, which has been resurfaced with crushed stone, has four handicap parking spots.

The lower parking lot, which is a short distance from the water, has four regular parking spaces and four handicap spaces. This lot has also been resurfaced with crushed stone. As mentioned in previous posts, a permit is required to access this lot.

Many spots along the 0.8-mile access road that leads from the Four Corners Parking lot to the canoe launch also appear to have been regraded and covered with crushed rock. The road was in excellent condition and readily wheelable for its entire length.