This trip takes you to the far reaches of the St Regis Canoe Area. It is a more challenging route intended for experienced paddlers. This route is less traveled and the carries are more rugged than some of the more popular routes. Lightweight boats are essential. The route itself can be varied due to the many options that present themselves along the way but the one described here begins at Little Clear Pond and finishes at Hoel Pond.

Starting out at Little Clear Pond you make your way north. There is no fishing on this pond as it is used exclusively by the nearby Fish Hatchery for breeding stock. This may explain the prevelance of Loons on this pond as well as the others nearby! The carry across to St Regis Pond is reasonably long but easy going and well maintained. Look for St Regis Mountain with the fire tower on top as you paddle across St Regis Pond. At the western end you'll find the carry for Ochre pond and from here this trip becomes more of a back country experience. This is a reasonably long carry on a more rugged trail. Once you reach Ochre you are rewarded with a serene paddle through this very quiet and scenic pond. On the western shore you'll find the carry for Mud Pond and then another rugged carry to it. Once the trail reaches Mud you can hop down into it and paddle or you also have the option of carrying straight on the trail to Fish Pond. Once in Fish Pond it is worth exploring a little and just taking in the quiet beauty of this picturesque, remote location. There are a couple of primitive camp sites on the shore and this is a good place to stay if you are doing this trip over multiple days.

To the west of Fish Pond you can venture into 3 smaller ponds (Little Fish Pond, Little Long Pond and Lydia Pond). Once you are ready to loop back, find the carry to Nellie and Bessie Ponds and make your way down there. When you have explored these then look for the carry to Long Pond. This is the hardest carry on this route and can be very muddy. It's about 1.5 miles long. Before reaching Long Pond you'll hit a flooded area that will need to be paddled (pictured above). Navigate through the fallen trees and branches to find the short remaining carry to Long Pond. Once back to Long you are back in more traveled territory and the going is easier from here. Head west to find the carry for Slang Pond and then paddle across into Turtle. At the far end of Turtle you can briefly hop out and cross the Railtrail to enter Hoel Pond. Head south east across the pond and find the finish on the eastern shore.

There are 70 primitive camp sites across 20 ponds in this area. They are all first come, first served. There is enough to do and explore here to occupy you quite easily for a few days. Long Pond Mountain and St Regis Mountain both have trails leading to the summit from here too.

We can help you plan your trip and provide everything you need, including shuttle service to put your vehicle in the right place for when you finish. See the Planning section of our web site for more information.