Following the Ausable River
This post offers a great itinerary for those seeking to explore both the Adirondacks and the Lake Champlain Region
Table of Contents
Geography
The Ausable River winds its way from west in the Adirondack mountain chain towards Lake Champlain in the east. The river merges together from two sources at its confluence at Ausable Forks, with both a branch coming in from directly west and a second from the south.
Where Does the Name Ausable Come From?
The river’s name comes from the French, Au-Sable. Like Lake Champlain, in which the Ausable spills into, the river was charted by the explorer Samuel De Champlain, whom the lake is also named after. “Au-Sable” roughly translates to “Of Sand” due to to the large sand deposits on its shore.
A Brief History
The Ausable estuary has a long and surprisingly diverse history both due to its geological importance and its position on lake Champlain. Like all of the Champlain region there is little wealth left in its small towns to indicate its former importance, when battles raged on the lake between Britain and the United States. Yet since its colonization by Europeans in the early 19th century (1800’s) its tributaries and mainline have been a conduit underground railroad….french canyon of the adirondaks tourism
Up the Ausable
Main Branch
Ausable Marsh Wildlife Management Area (Ausable Point)
The state park is located at the Ausable river delta, where it meets Lake Champlain. It should be no surprise that the campground has nice sandy beaches, hence the name of the river as was mentioned above. Today, the campground is filled with Quebec licence plates with many swimmers enjoying the summer sun and well-maintained campsites! If you are into bird watching, beaches or camping this is the place for you.
Ausable Chasm
Called the Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks, the Ausable River gorge is a sight to behold. Taking route 9 from Ausable Point you will cross a bridge above the falls. Pull over and walk across for a view.
A popular tourism site since its opening to the public in the early 19th century, the canyon can be explored by hiking or tubing (at a cost!) and camping is offered on site. Additional activities like rock climbing and night tours are also offered. Click here for more information about the campground and here for more information about the complex, with a guide of attractions included.
A lesser attraction on the same site, but one that is just as interesting, is the North Star Underground Railroad Museum. When I entered the site there were only a few visitors, in contrast to the droves lined up at the canyon. This museum details the journey of escaped slaves though to the Quebec border, is one of the better regional museums I have visited in the state of New York. The staff is knowledgeable, passionate about their work and friendly, so take the time to talk to them. They know the history of the area, can answer any of your questions and even take guests on guided tours of buildings were the slaves where hidden.
A particularly moving thing I learned at this museum was that slaves would sing songs to help guide them north towards Canada. One particular song, that of the Drinking Gourd, is still imprinted on my memory. Here is an excerpt:
Follow the drinkin’ gourd For the old man is waiting just to carry you to freedom If you follow the drinkin’ gourd
African American folk song
Keeseville
Following a tip from the museum employee at the North Star we pulled into Keeseville, a town town on the Ausable that had clearly seen better days. We were looking for a house used to smuggle escaped slaves as part of the underground railroad, this house had a fake compatment where the owners would hide away the slaves and can be visited in conjunction with the North Star Museum.
The old mill town, built on the Ausable River, numbers no more than 2000 people and displays many architectural remnants of the French Canadians who lived here, including the church. You can find a gas station, a bank, a pub and many other amenities in town. If you are camping this may be a good spot to buy firewood.
A stone’s throw from the downtown is the house we were looking for. It is located right by the bridge crossing the river. A New York Heritage plaque is all that is left to mark the good deeds done here to ensure runaway slaves could make it to safety. An interesting fact about Keeseville is that it was home to William Henry Jackson, the renowned civil war photographer.
Au Sable Forks
This small junction sees the
West Branch
Heading straight west from the forks, this branch follows the Ausable up the Wilmington Notch.
Wilmington
This small town hosts coffee shop and a pretty Methodist church. It is good place to grab a snack before doing some hiking at Whiteface mountain. The North Pole, a Santa themed campground is nearby but I have not stayed there. You will also find many motels and other forms of accommodation as you are approaching Placid. If its a hot day, there are several retro ice cream shops such as the Whitebrook Dairy Bar.
Flume Falls
A small yet pretty waterfall on the Ausable River.
Whiteface
This famed ski resort at the base of the Ausable River is a place of renown. For those looking for a challenge, there are four ways to scale it lofty heights, where you will find a weather station that looks more like a castle then a place of science.
- The first and most challenging way to visit the summit is to hike the 4,865 feet (1438m) up the mountain. Be careful what path you take up the mountain or your climb may be in vain, the paths are not marked well and some just take you to the secondary ski lifts. If the right path is chosen you will meet the Veterans memorial highway at the castle like gift shop and cafe.
- The second way it to take the gondola up the mountain, a fairly standard way of getting up the mountain. Beware this gondola stops at the top of Little Whiteface.
- The third is a 400m passage that take an elevator. This elevator brings you to the top of Whiteface. It was closed for renovations during my 2018 visit.
- The last, and my favourite is to drive up the mountain. From there you take the remaining hiking trail to the top of the mountain.
High Falls Gorge
This nature trail along of the Ausable River, part of the Wilmington Notch, leads to an impressive gorge with an adjoining catwalk fastened to the rock so you can see the falls up close.
Just bear in mind that this is a payed attraction, and one that charges more then it should. There are plenty of free trails that can be enjoyed all through the Adirondacks without paying a dime.
For more information click here.
John Brown Farm / Olympic Ski complex
Bypassing the town of Lake Placid entirely
Marcy Dam – Ausable River
The ruined Marcy Dam is a sorry sight. Once it held back flows from the mountain creating a beautiful pond, but now that pound has been emptied and the views of Mt Marcy from this area are not longer what they used to be. An early version of the dam was constructed by the Conservation Corps during the 1930s, and rebuilt during the early 1970s. Unfortunately it was damage during Hurricane Irene, and the pond drained. The bridge that used to go over the dam has been rerouted downstream and will not be repaired due to he conservation departments new philosophy of naturalization of rivers (Environmentally this may not be the worst move but lets be honest, they are probably too cheap to build it, New York State is poorly run).
This is the main rally point for the High Peaks in this region. There are a many campsites in the area, and people will set up camp at this location to prepare for their hikes. Furthermore it is an important crossroad for hikers with trails lead from the dam to most of the high peaks.
For more information click here.
South Branch
Following the Ausable south towards the Keene Valley you will be rewarded with even more impressive views.
Jay
Another pretty town in the Adirondacks, the town of jay is just a stop on the Ausable.
Keene
Another town with pretty churches and inns to serve hikers. The town of Keene is bigger then Jay and is home to one of my favourite Adirondack churches, Keene Valley Congregational Church UCC.
Upper Ausable Lakes
The southern source of the Adirondacks culminates in spectacular fashion, where the towering green mountains envelop the slender Upper Ausable Lakes. This is the second source of the Ausable’s water and they flow down towards Lake Champlain. Here you will find the spectacular Indian Head vista as well as towering waterfalls and glorious peaks such as Mt. Gothics.
For more information on the Ausable Lakes and the Keene Valley click here.
