Birding

Ausable Wildlife Management Area is an interesting five-mile circuit, touring extensive marsh areas amid the wide meanders of the Ausable Delta and at the mouth of the Little Ausable River. The marsh is home to many waterfowl species.

Ausable Point Campground campsites offer a shoreline comprised of natural sand and a gentle slope right to Lake Champlain. It borders a wildlife management area that offers a hiking trail, as well as water access for canoeists and sea kayakers to explore. With the city of Plattsburgh a short drive from this campground there is virtually no limit for entertainment opportunities.

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Park Features:

• Beach
• Wildlife management area with access for paddlers
• Swimming       
• Picnic area
• Windsurfing area   
• Grills
• Hiking trail
• Pavilion
• Fishing     
• Restrooms
• Birding
• Showers
• Car top boat launch     
• Campsites 

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Set in the valley between Lyon Mountain and Ellenburg, Chazy Lake has spectacular scenic views, great waters and plays host to a variety of watersports year round.

Physical characteristics:

• Elevation: 1541 feet
• Area: 1807 acres
• Maximum depth: 72 feet
• Mean depth: 33 feet
• Maximum Width: ~1.5 miles
• Length: ~ 3.5 miles
• Thermocline: ~ 30 feet 

Recreational Opportunities:

• Paddling
• Fishing
• Motor Boats
• Ice Fishing
• Snowshoeing
• Swimming

Access:

DEC boat launch with a hard surface ramp is located off Route 374, 5 miles west of the Village of Dannemora. It has parking for 20 cars and trailers.

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> For more information:  http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/71840.html

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Located just off Mason Hill Road in Peru, NY, minutes away from Rulfs Orchard, Heyworth/Mason Park is a beautiful site filled with history. Its the starting point of The Little Ausable River Trail, an all purpose trail to enjoy a variety of outdoor activities in a varied natural environment. The park is open year-round.

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This trail is a highway-based trail (approximately 300 miles) which unifies and connects 88 birding sites along the Lake Champlain shoreline and uplands in Vermont and New York into a cohesive and marketable unit.

Uniform way-finding signs are installed to identify each site as part of the birding trail. Interpretive signs will also be placed at sites to help reveal to visitors various natural and cultural history themes and messages. Other enhancements being constructed at some sites include boardwalks, viewing blinds, and platforms.

Macomb Reservation State Park allows you to enjoy a day in the wilderness playing on David Pond or the Salmon River. The park is open from mid-May to Labor Day. 

The New Land Trust, dates back to the 1970s, when a group of area students purchased a plot of land near the small hamlet of Saranac, NY. Today this 287-acre preserve offers more than 20 trails, a classic Adirondack lean-to, bunkhouse and even a few decorative outhouses.

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Preserve Features:

• Hiking
• Lean-to
• Birding
• Outhouses
• Nature Trails

Winter Activities

• Cross-country skiing
• Snowshoeing

Trailhead Parking: 236 Plumadore Road, Saranac, NY 12981

Mailing Address: PO Box 101 Saranac, NY 12981

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The 5 mile – or so trail starts at the Village of Champlain at Bill Earl Park, follows Elm Street in the Village of Champlain where it turns left and becomes a trail through the fields crossing Paquette Boulevard and heading toward Northeastern Clinton Middle/High School. The trail crosses Route 276 continuing as a cinder path until it reaches Prospect Street and is a shared surface with the road. It ends at Rouses Point Elementary School.

This Trail is for non-motorized use only. It allows residents and visitors to walk, run, bike or roll safely from one village to the other.

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With its prime location on the northwestern shore of beautiful Lake Champlain, its protected beach area, as well as its mix of open and forested walking/hiking trails, Point Au Roche State Park is a great family attraction!

Taylor Pond is large in size and often reminds visitors of a lake rather than a pond.  It offers a variety of water recreation opportunities and camping is available.

Physical characteristics

Elevation: 139 feet Area: 856 acres Maximum depth: 95 feet Maximum Width: .7 miles Length: 3.1 miles Thermocline: ~20-30 feet  

Recreational Opportunities

Camping Fishing Paddling Boating Beach access Swimming

Access

Access is located within the DEC maintained Taylor Pond Campground, off Silver Lake Road, 9 miles northwest of the Town of Ausable Forks. The boat launch is a beach launch. There is a day use fee applied during open camping season, but the launch is open year round. Parking for 20 cars and trailers.

> For more information http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/71850.html

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2 miles roundtrip, easy.  This wildlife management area is located just south of the Ausable Marsh.  It includes essentially the same habitat and viewing opportunities, but you can also see a rare cedar plantation and an old homestead site.