Originally, the only way to explore the Adirondacks was by water. The great rivers and lakes were the initial highways providing transport into and through the vast Adirondack wilderness. Today these same waters furnish visitors to Franklin County with a vacation experience unequaled anywhere in the east. More than 240 pristine mountain lakes and ponds and hundreds of miles of trout streams and rivers afford the setting for water recreation opportunities including fishing, swimming, canoeing, sailing, water-skiing and exploring.
Franklin County has a canoe vacation tradition that leaves a life-long impression.
Teddy Roosevelt as a young boy of 14 had his first introduction to a true wilderness while vacationing with his parents at Paul Smiths. Franklin County's interconnected waterways allow for canoe trips ranging from a day to two weeks. Visitors can canoe the St. Regis Wilderness Canoe Area, the only specially designated canoe management area in New York State. Other canoe trips include the Raquette River to Tupper Lake route. This 18-mile leisurely winding paddle meanders between sandy wooded banks and affords quality time for bird watching and fishing.