Lake Clear Beach
Saranac Lake, New York · on Lake Clear · Saranac Lakes Wild Forest
Verified · 3 independent sources
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- No fee found
- SEASON
- Best in summer
About Lake Clear Beach
Lake Clear Beach is a state-owned, unsupervised day-use swimming hole on Lake Clear, a 998-acre natural lake in the Town of Harrietstown, Franklin County, just west of Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks. It sits within land classified under the Saranac Lakes Wild Forest and is reached via a gravel access road off NY Route 30. As a lake to swim in, it comes with official standing: NYS DEC classifies Lake Clear as Class AA(T), a designation whose intended uses include contact recreation (swimming and bathing), and a 2012 state-referenced water quality report explicitly identifies the site as a state-owned beach.
The beach lies along NY Route 30 near the hamlet of Lake Clear, within the Adirondack Park's Saranac Lakes Wild Forest, with pine trees lining the shoreline and a wide sandy strand facing out onto the lake (per adirondackregion.com and saranaclake.com).
Swimming at Lake Clear Beach
The beach has a wide, sandy shoreline with a gentle, gradually sloping bottom that lets swimmers wade out a long way from shore (one source estimates roughly a hundred yards) before the water gets deep, making it well suited to families and casual swimmers rather than deep-water or rock-jumping use. DEC's CSLAP water quality summary for Lake Clear rates the lake's water clarity as 'Crystal Clear' and its 2012 recreational assessment as 'Excellent,' and concludes the lake's chemistry data suggest swimming and contact recreation 'should be fully supported,' though it also notes additional bacteria data would be needed to fully confirm pathogen safety. There are no lifeguards on duty (it is an unsupervised day-use area).
How to get to this swimming hole
From downtown Saranac Lake, head west on Route 86 toward Paul Smiths; turn left onto Route 186 at the flashing light (near Donnelly's Ice Cream); continue about 4 miles, then turn right onto Route 30; the beach entrance is on the right after about 1.5 miles. The entrance sign may be missing, but a gravel road leads to a large parking lot (per saranaclake.com and alwaysfranklin.com).
Parking: Large gravel parking lot at the beach entrance off Route 30; multiple sources describe it as having ample room even when several cars are already present.
The hike in
- To the water
- <0.1 mi walk from the parking lot to the shoreline
- Time on foot
- 1-2 minute walk from car to water; this is a drive-up beach, not a hike-in spot
Dedicated parking area sits within about 0.1 miles of the beach (per adirondackregion.com); no trail or hike is involved.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Wide sandy beach with an unusually gentle, gradual slope (sources describe wading out roughly 100 yards before it gets deep), which is good for young waders, but this is an unsupervised state day-use area with no lifeguards on duty and no facilities, so adult supervision is advised (per saranaclake.com and adirondackregion.com).
Parking
Free
Large gravel parking lot directly at the beach entrance off NY Route 30 (reached via a short gravel access road); multiple sources describe it as rarely full even on busy summer days. NYSDEC lists the fee for recreation on Saranac Lakes Wild Forest lands generally as 'Free.'
Restrooms
None on site
No restrooms/facilities on site; saranaclake.com's write-up explicitly notes 'there are no lifeguards or facilities' at this beach.
Water clarity
Clear
NYSDEC-referenced 2012 CSLAP water quality report rates the lake's perceived clarity as 'Crystal Clear' (recreational/lake-perception score of 2.0 on a 1-5 scale, better than the 2006-12 average of ~2.2) and its overall recreational assessment as 'Excellent'; the same report lists a 2012 average Secchi-disk transparency of 4.63 meters (range 2.45-6.85 m over the sampling seasons), classifying the lake as mesoligotrophic with low algae levels and no shoreline algal blooms reported.
On the water
Restrictions: NYSDEC's CSLAP report lists public access to Lake Clear as 'hand launch' and notes that 'larger boats require private launching' -- i.e., there is no public boat ramp at the beach itself, so kayaks/canoes/paddleboards can be hand-carried in from the public day-use area but motorized/trailered boats need a private access point elsewhere on the lake. (Nearby Little Clear Pond and Little Green Pond, within the same Wild Forest unit, ban motorboats outright per NYSDEC, but that restriction is not listed for Lake Clear itself.)
Lake Clear is a 998-acre natural lake, large enough for casual paddling and open-water kayaking/paddleboarding away from the swim area.
Rentals nearby
Canoe, kayak, and camping-gear rentals (plus winter snowshoe/micro-spike/hot-tent rentals); a long-standing Adirondack paddlesports outfitter
73 Dorsey Street, Saranac Lake, NY 12983 -- roughly 8 miles from Lake Clear Beach; the site's own pages don't call out Lake Clear specifically, but it is the closest established paddlesports rental/outfitter to it and serves the wider Saranac Lakes/St. Regis Canoe Area region · Open daily, 8am-6pm
Backstory
Lake Clear has been monitored annually through NY's Citizen Statewide Lake Assessment Program (CSLAP) in most years from 1998-2012, and is stewarded by the volunteer Lake Clear Association, which has historically stocked brown trout and salmon and works on shoreline buffer and septic-system education efforts.
Lake Clear Beach: FAQ
Is Lake Clear Beach kid friendly?
Wide sandy beach with an unusually gentle, gradual slope (sources describe wading out roughly 100 yards before it gets deep), which is good for young waders, but this is an unsupervised state day-use area with no lifeguards on duty and no facilities, so adult supervision is advised (per saranaclake.com and adirondackregion.com).
Do I need to hike to reach Lake Clear Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Lake Clear Beach?
Large gravel parking lot directly at the beach entrance off NY Route 30 (reached via a short gravel access road); multiple sources describe it as rarely full even on busy summer days. NYSDEC lists the fee for recreation on Saranac Lakes Wild Forest lands generally as 'Free.'
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Lake Clear Beach?
Lake Clear is a 998-acre natural lake, large enough for casual paddling and open-water kayaking/paddleboarding away from the swim area.
When is the best time to visit Lake Clear Beach?
Summer; described by local tourism sources as a popular summer swimming spot, with CSLAP summer (mid-June to mid-September) average water temperature around 18.7°C (about 66°F) and a recorded 2012 max of 25°C (77°F).
What are the rules at Lake Clear Beach?
No swimming-specific rules were documented in the sources found; general statewide DEC fishing regulations apply to the lake (e.g., black bass season 3rd Saturday in June through Nov 30, 5-fish daily limit, 12-inch minimum), per the DEC-referenced CSLAP report.
What water body is Lake Clear Beach on?
Lake Clear Beach is on Lake Clear, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.
