Oswegatchie Questions

My friend and I want to paddle and camp the Oswegatchie in the next few days. It's mid-summer. Do we need to worry about crowding? There appear to be quite a few camp sites which makes me think there may be quite a few people.

It's been wet there, which I guess means there might be quite a few bugs, too.

If you have any inkling of whether there will be a lot of people, short parking, short camp site selection, or other insight, please share.

I haven't been there in about 15 years, but before then I never saw many folks during the week in summer. Was never there as I recall on a weekend, but I assume the likelihood of other boaters would naturally increase on a weekend. How much, I can't say.

You never really know what the vibe is year to year, week to week on those DEC sites. I can say I was just around the corner and spent two weeks at Cranberry Lake. None of the DEC sites were occupied (or looked like they recently had been) on Cranberry for the two week stay I was there. Although as I passed the Oswegatchie on my way in & out, it looked low (mid summer usual low). However we pulled out just as the rain arrived from hurricane Beryl, and I know that area got a ton of rain so it might be good now. I would be more worried about the flow then obtaining a site. Maybe someone closer to that area can give you the latest flow. The DEC sites have seemed to cool down since the Covid rush.

I've been twice - 3 yrs ago and last year. Saw no one 3 years ago and only a couple other parties last year. I really don't think you'll have any trouble finding a camp site.

Same experience for me, very few people when I went. The first lean-to was full of drinkers sporting a chain saw and a generator, but every other lean was open. We stayed right at the falls, river left?

Check the USGS water levels just for fun.

Do take a break at High Rock - I often think about staying there on my return paddle but have not managed it yet.

Thanks for those replies.

We thought to go during the week, but there’s a weather window making Friday look like the day to start. I’d hate to get there and find a parking area jammed with vehicles.

My friend is in the eastern ‘Daks, over by Champlain and reports they’ve gotten lots of rain over the past few weeks, so we believe there should be plenty of water.

Paddled on some overnighters on the Oswegatchie in both summer and fall and was outside of any holiday weekend. Saw few people and most leantos were available and really nicely situated overlooking the river. Beautiful area.

Anyone been to High Falls lately - if so, how many dams?

Bog Hog Captain said:

Paddled on some overnighters on the Oswegatchie in both summer and fall and was outside of any holiday weekend. Saw few people and most leantos were available and really nicely situated overlooking the river. Beautiful area.

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Keeled Over said:

Anyone been to High Falls lately - if so, how many dams?

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We've been up and back to High Falls from Inlet 3 times, all after Labor Day. There have always been many beaver dams. Depending upon water level, many can be paddled upstream and over. A pole is useful when water levels are lower. There have only been 1 or 2 on any trip where we've had to drag over, but it's all about water level....

it's been a few years, but the last time I guided on the Lows-Oswegatchie traverse, we lost count at around 70 beaver dam crossings. Luckily, with high enough water flow most could be paddled directly over, but too many required getting out of the canoe and dragging over. By far, the majority were above High Falls. Rarely on any of many trips have I ever seen many of the campsites along ther river highly occupied.

We spent three days on the Oswegatchie, paddling from Inlet up to High Falls and back. That wasn’t enough time, IMO. I wish we had planned 5 or 6 days.

For the record, there were 8 beaver dams. We paddled over 2 and pulled over 6. This must be a water-level dependent statistic. The most difficult obstacle was a tree across the river. We carried around the root ball side. There were two or three rocky rips, one of which required a 90-degree turn in the middle. I lost the bow to the current and we were sideways in a heartbeat. Lucky to stay upright, and we walked up the rest of that rip.

We heard it said there are many, many more beaver dams between High Falls and the “traverse.” But if you are the type who considers the traverse fun, what’s a few dozen beaver dams?

This was my first time tripping up river. Okay, maybe I’m a wuss, but I didn’t like it that well. The upper half of the trip is through spectacular spruce and white pine forests, which I didn’t even notice while paddling upriver. Too busy minding the currents and setting up for the the next 270-degree bend. It wasn’t until heading downstream that I picked up my gaze and noticed it was an incredible place. Those white pines are the biggest trees I’ve ever seen in the east.

Regarding crowds, we encountered about a dozen people a day. There were about 8 vehicles in the lot on Friday. maybe ten on Sunday night. So, it was neither wilderness nor an amusement park. Plenty of campsites were available, and we only detected half the campsites shown on our map. I’m wondering if some of the signs are gone. Some of the sites are overgrown and apparently are not used much.

Nice and instructive report Chip.

I'm interested in what areas in Adirondacks if any you find more "wilderness" like. Most of my paddling is split between BWCAW and Quetico PP, both much more wilderness like than anything I've found in Adirondacks.

billconner said:

Nice and instructive report Chip.

I'm interested in what areas in Adirondacks if any you find more "wilderness" like. Most of my paddling is split between BWCAW and Quetico PP, both much more wilderness like than anything I've found in Adirondacks.

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The Adks have nothing on the boundary waters or any of the big spots in canada. We always do our adk trips on the shoulder seasons to try to avoid the crowds. Still a beautiful place to visit and it is close to us but I look forward to our big summer trip to the larger spots up north or out west.

Have you bushwhacked land or waterways to ponds in some of the nether regions of the Pepperbox, Five ponds, or Pegeon Lake Wilderness areas of the Western Adriondacks?. Much of the adjoining Wild Forest lands are just as remote and isolated, if that is what you are looking for. Granted, those isolated lesser traveled portions of the Adirondacks are not up to the standards of interior northern Canada or the Cascades, and of course nothing compares to 1000 miles of wilderness trip planning and navigating down the Yukon or Makenzie, but if you are wiling to do a little land navigation exercise and stay away from flip-flop trampled trails, you will be as alone as you wish to be in our own patch of wilderness lands.

billconner said:

what areas in Adirondacks if any you find more "wilderness" like

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I don't know that much about the Adirondacks. I've paddled Bog River/Lowes, Little Tupper, and areas over on the Lake Champlain side. Also, 20 or more years ago I paddled a chain of 5 or 7 ponds and have forgotten the name of that route. It was perhaps in the St. Regis Area and we didn't encounter any people on that one, but portages have a way of reducing traffic. So if it is remoteness you seek, I'd say look at routes with portages.

The one trip I made in the BWCA, in September, we encountered very few people after the first day. We averaged 8 portages a day and by the second or third day were encountering maybe one person a day. Portages have a way of reducing traffic. It was much more wilderness than anything I've paddled in the east.

I have not done any of the Canadian routes, so can't compare. But, the Adirondacks are only a few hours distant from the most populous area in North America, and it is a wonder they are as wild as they are.

Chip said:

paddled a chain of 5 or 7 ponds and have forgotten the name of that route

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Most likely the "7 carries", and there is also a somewhat longer "9 carries" version of the same route.

To reiterate, get off the main trails and seek remoteness in the less traveled wild interiors. Small pond linked to small pond. It may take some skills and determination that many others don't or won't have.

Speaking of Oswegatchie, plan a route from Lows (the correct spelling) to the Oswegatchie headwaters, then on to the waters in the Five Ponds Wilderness north of Stillwater Reservoir, then into the Pepperbox and into the Cowboy Beaver Meadow. Exit via the Beaver River toward Croghan.