What kind of wildlife can you see on Loon Lake in the Adirondack Mountains? Currently one thing you can see is an active eagle’s nest. This is Loon Lake near Lake George. There is another Loon Lake father north in the ADK.
A summer resident of the lake community who was also kayaking was nice enough to lead me to the nest. Not sure if she wanted me to identify her, but thank you if she ever sees this. The nest is high in a tree on private property next to the lake.
I saw both parents in the same area and one eaglet. The eaglet appears to be about the size of the parents. This one would have been born this year. This was taken from a kayak while there was motorboat traffic. It is not as clear as I would have liked.
Here’s hoping they leave the resident loons alone and do not consider them as a meal option.
There is more than one Loon Lake in New York. One is north of the Saranac Lake/ Lake Placid area, but does not have public access. The second Loon Lake, which I visited, is in Warren County northwest of Lake George and it has public access.
How to Get There
You can get to Loon Lake by taking 87, the Adirondack Northway north from Lake George. Take the exit for Chestertown/Highway 8. Travel west past Chestertown. There are two access points on the southern end of the lake. The first one charges a fee, but it also has a free boat wash you can use without paying to put your kayak in. The second location is very closeby. This location is a town recreation area with a beach and parking right along highway 8.
This is the boat launch that charges a fee.
Loon Lake is 525 acres in size. The length of the shoreline is just under 12 miles. It has many houses on the southern end. I was told many of these are summer homes or rentals. The majority of houses have dock and motorboats.
There was more activity on this lake than I am used to, but I will say the boaters kept a safe distance from this kayaker. People were very friendly on and off the lake.
I could hear thunder the entire time I was on the lake, so I may have done less than half the lake. The thunder was in the distance, but always think of safety first.The dogs seemed to enjoy riding on a stand up paddleboard.This man zoned back and forth on the lake on a hoverboard.Arriving back at the beach. The beach is next to highway 8. The parking is right next to the road.
Overall I would say this is a nice place to paddle. It is not as busy as Lake George, but you are not totally isolated. There are also several other lakes within a short drive of this lake.If you want to paddle a lake in an areas with a friendly, small town feel go to Loon Lake in Warren County, New York. It is another great Adirondack paddle.
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