Skip to main content
Be prepared with helpful travel tips!
  • See & Do
    • See & Do
    • See all
      • See all
      • Seasons
        • See all
        • Spring
        • Summer
        • Fall
        • Winter
      • Accessibility
      • Arts
      • Attractions
      • Downtown
      • Health & Wellness
      • History
      • Live Music
      • Parks
      • Shopping
      • Stories
      • Weddings
  • Outdoors
    • Outdoors
    • See all
      • See all
      • Hiking
        • See all
        • Nature Walks
      • ADK Guides & Tours
      • Birding
      • Boating
      • Camping
      • Cross-Country Skiing
      • Cycling
      • Downhill Skiing
      • Fishing
      • Golfing
      • Ice Fishing
      • Mountain Biking
      • Paddling
      • Snowmobiling
      • Snowshoeing
  • Eat & Drink
    • Eat & Drink
    • See all
    • Cafés & Coffee Shops
    • Craft Beer & Cocktails
    • Restaurants
  • Events
    • Events
    • See all
    • Adirondack Snowshoe Fest
    • ArtWorks ArtMarkets
    • Can-Am Rugby Tournament
    • Celebrate Paddling ADK
    • First Night Saranac Lake
    • Plein Air Festival
    • Winter Carnival
    • 3rd Thursday Art Walks
  • Stay
    • Stay
    • See all
    • Cabins & Cottages
    • Camping
    • Inns, Lodges, Bed & Breakfasts
    • Resorts, Hotels, Motels
    • Vacation Rentals
  • First Time Visitors
    • First Time Visitors
    • See all
      • See all
      • Accessibility
      • Downtown
      • Getting Here
      • Greater Region
      • Stories
      • Seasons
        • See all
        • Spring
        • Summer
        • Fall
        • Winter
  • Local
    • Local title-header
      • Live Here
        • See all
        • Meet the Locals
        • Real Estate
        • Town of Harrietstown
        • Town of North Elba
        • Town of St. Armand
        • Village of Saranac Lake
      • Do Business Here
        • See all
        • Chamber Job Board
        • Essex County IDA
        • Franklin County Economic Development Co.
        • Professional Services
        • Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce
      • Community Initiatives
        • See all
        • Arts & Culture Master Plan
        • Downtown Revitalization Initiative
        • Saranac Lake Brand
        • Village Community Development Department
What can we help you find?
  • See & Do
      1. See & Do
      2. See all
        1. See all
        2. Seasons
          • See all
          • Spring
          • Summer
          • Fall
          • Winter
        3. Accessibility
        4. Arts
        5. Attractions
        6. Downtown
        7. Health & Wellness
        8. History
        9. Live Music
        10. Parks
        11. Shopping
        12. Stories
        13. Weddings
  • Outdoors
      1. Outdoors
      2. See all
        1. See all
        2. Hiking
          • See all
          • Nature Walks
        3. ADK Guides & Tours
        4. Birding
        5. Boating
        6. Camping
        7. Cross-Country Skiing
        8. Cycling
        9. Downhill Skiing
        10. Fishing
        11. Golfing
        12. Ice Fishing
        13. Mountain Biking
        14. Paddling
        15. Snowmobiling
        16. Snowshoeing
  • Eat & Drink
      1. Eat & Drink
      2. See all
      3. Cafés & Coffee Shops
      4. Craft Beer & Cocktails
      5. Restaurants
  • Events
      1. Events
      2. See all
      3. Adirondack Snowshoe Fest
      4. ArtWorks ArtMarkets
      5. Can-Am Rugby Tournament
      6. Celebrate Paddling ADK
      7. First Night Saranac Lake
      8. Plein Air Festival
      9. Winter Carnival
      10. 3rd Thursday Art Walks
  • Stay
      1. Stay
      2. See all
      3. Cabins & Cottages
      4. Camping
      5. Inns, Lodges, Bed & Breakfasts
      6. Resorts, Hotels, Motels
      7. Vacation Rentals
  • First Time Visitors
      1. First Time Visitors
      2. See all
        1. See all
        2. Accessibility
        3. Downtown
        4. Getting Here
        5. Greater Region
        6. Stories
        7. Seasons
          • See all
          • Spring
          • Summer
          • Fall
          • Winter
  • Local
      1. Local
        1. Live Here
          • See all
          • Meet the Locals
          • Real Estate
          • Town of Harrietstown
          • Town of North Elba
          • Town of St. Armand
          • Village of Saranac Lake
        2. Do Business Here
          • See all
          • Chamber Job Board
          • Essex County IDA
          • Franklin County Economic Development Co.
          • Professional Services
          • Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce
        3. Community Initiatives
          • See all
          • Arts & Culture Master Plan
          • Downtown Revitalization Initiative
          • Saranac Lake Brand
          • Village Community Development Department

Saranac Lake Trail Running

Watch Video
Be prepared with helpful travel tips!
September 05, 2018

Submitted by guest writer Tyler Merriam

Many people know about the fantastic trails located in and around Saranac Lake. Dewey Mountain and the Paul Smith’s Visitor Interpretive Center are just two of the numerous places to walk, hike, forest bathe, or even trail run! I’d like to take a few minutes to introduce you to the fantastic world of this last sport, trail running, an activity for which Saranac Lake is perfectly set up. I hope that, by the end of this blog, you’ll have a good idea of why you might want to trail run, what you’ll need to start, and where you can go in Saranac Lake to experience such a sport. 

Trail running (running on outdoor trails rather than roads or sidewalks) has numerous benefits, the most obvious is the affect that exercise has on your overall health. Various studies have shown that running, in and of itself, contributes to enhanced brain health, reduces cardiovascular risk factors, and positively affects emotional health. Additionally, trail running, by definition, takes place outside, thus placing you in a natural environment. There is a large amount of evidence that time spent outdoors also has a variety of health and wellness benefits, such as reducing stress levels, enhancing memory and creativity, and boosting the immune system. To top it all off, running on trails decreases impact on your body (particularly in ligaments and tendons), improves balance, and strengthens a more diverse group of muscles due to the variety of surfaces needing to be navigated. Because of these benefits, I think trail running has a huge “leg” up on other forms of cardiovascular exercise (pun intended).  

To get started with trail running, you’ll most likely want some different equipment than you’d use on your morning sidewalk jog. For starters, you’ll want to pick up a pair of trail running shoes (often simply called “trail runners”). These shoes differ from road running shoes in that they usually have a more durable upper and increased toe protection. Additionally, most trail running shoes have large lugs on the sole giving it better traction on dirt, gravel, and other variable surfaces. Lastly, most trail runners have a rock plate in between the sole and the footbed. This piece of material, usually made of lightweight plastic or firm piece of nylon, provides protection from sharp objects such as rocks and sticks. 

You’ll also need some sort of hydration system, even on shorter trails. Hand held water bottles (these often come with straps to lock them onto your hands), waist packs or waist belts, a trail running vest, or even a small backpack with a hydration bladder (such as a Camelbak) are some of the typical ways to carry water. Whatever method you choose it should be able to secure closely to your body to prevent chafing and limit damage to the equipment through the up and down motion of running. An electrolyte supplement, available at local outdoor stores, can also be added to your water to boost energy and reduce muscle cramps. 

Much of the other equipment you can bring is optional, though I highly recommend carrying some of it on every trip. These items include a map, headlamp if you’re running a long distance or during dusk or dawn, buy spray in the spring, sun screen, sun glasses, a lightweight trail running jacket on the colder days, and perhaps even some toilet paper. Trail runners often bring a variety of electronic equipment with them as well, such as a heart rate monitor (I never run without one), a music playing device if you don’t mind blocking out some of the natural sounds (Bluetooth headphones work best in my experience), and a fitness tracking gadget such as a Fitbit, GPS watch, or a smartphone app like Strava or Runkeeper. Even if you choose not to track your route or monitor your pace and heart rate, I highly recommend bringing a cell phone for emergency purposes; I learned this lesson the hard way after hopping out of the woods for 45 minutes with a broken ankle several years ago. 

After you obtain some of the necessary equipment, it’s time to hit the trails! As I wrote before, there are some classic places in Saranac Lake to run, but I want to share a few other options for those of you interesting in an easy introduction. The first is the trail into Moose Pond and back, beginning at the parking area on Bloomingdale Ave. The trailhead is approximately four miles outside of Saranac Lake at the end of a short dirt road that can be tricky to spot if you haven’t been there before. It’s just under a mile and a half from here to Moose Pond, making for a nice three-mile round trip run, with fantastic views and a potential swim at Moose Pond itself. If you like the idea of a swim, a similar trail can be found off Forest Home Road, about three and a half miles outside of town. This two-mile trail from the road to Lower Saranac Lake is a little more rugged than the Moose Pond Trail but offers more solitude than many other local options. This trail can also be tricky to find, so refer to a recent edition of the Adirondack Paddler’s Map North, or any of the Green Goat Maps, to get a better idea of where to park. 

If you want something closer to the heart of Saranac Lake, The Pines is the trail system for you! This 16-acre tract of land contains a network of moderate intersecting trails, most of which are canopied by, you guessed it, white pines. You can access these trails from several locations, including a few entrances off McKenzie Pond Road, as well as the roads surrounding Moody Pond. These trails are unique in that they are privately owned and maintained by the Saranac Lake Voluntary Health Association, a charitable organization dedicated to the health of people in the Saranac Lake School District. 

After a few shorter runs you may be ready to up the distance a bit. If so, the Jackrabbit Trail or Bloomingdale Bog Trail offer longer options. Try running the Bloomingdale Bog Trail from the trailhead off Route 86 to Bloomingdale-Gabriels Road and back, and you have yourself an eight-mile excursion, though the elevation gain and loss are minimal. For something even longer check out a portion of the Jackrabbit Trail. You can run from McKenzie Pond Road, just outside of Saranac Lake, all the way to Lake Placid in a little over five miles. Throw in a round trip with a short side spur trail to McKenzie Pond and your afternoon is booked.

As you delve into the world of trail running, please consider a few important safety tips: Always tell someone where you are going, make sure you bring the proper equipment, and ease into the sport, your body needs time to adjust. To pick up the right gear stop into one of the first-rate outdoor stores in Saranac Lake, such as Blue Line Sports. If you want more information on trail running options in the Adirondack Region, check out some additional information about places to run in Saranac Lake and beyond online. See you on the trails! 

Start planning your trip to Saranac Lake today! After running the trails, check out the local restaurants and then rest up in one of our cozy lodgings.


This week in ADK news:

This is how we roll

It's peak time

A spook-tacular town

Get your winter on, soon

Two-wheel leaf peeping

A welcomed rain check

Ghost towns and other facts
 

 

Related Stories

Fall Flavors
Running With the Sun
Saranac Lake is Fall-tastic for Kids!
Best Off The Beaten Path Fall Foliage Finds
Saranac Lake Adventure Travel
Three Fantastic Fall Hikes in Saranac Lake
A Fall Vacation with Hot Sara
Norman Ridge Ride
Fall Fishing in the Adirondacks
Lost Among the Rows
A Decidedly Different Fall Day in Saranac Lake
Fall Events
Fall Fun in Saranac Lake
Decidedly Different Saranac Lake
Cycling Loops in Saranac Lake
Finding Winter Finches — and other Cold-Weather Species
The VIC's Black Pond Loop
A Day on McKenzie Mountain
A Fall Hike up St. Regis Mountain
Fall Paddling in the Adirondacks is Amazing!
Beat the Heat!
Saranac Lake Trail Running
Fall for Saranac Lake
Hiking and Birding in Bloomingdale Bog
The VIC: it's luxury hiking!
Three of Saranac Lake's Best Paddling Routes
Paddling Jones Pond in the Fall
A Fall Hike Up Mount Baker
An Evening Paddle on Lake Clear Outlet
Azure Mountain Adventure
The Great Adirondack Corn Maze
A Fall Paddle on Little Green Pond
A Fall Paddle on the Floodwood Loop
Top Three Loops for Foliage
Five Fab Fall Viewpoints
Fall Migration is in High Gear!
Fall Seasons Cold Water Paddling
4 Go-To Paddling Destinations for Fall Foliage
Gorgeous leaves, all access
Be there at the finish!
An Evening Paddle on Middle Pond
Crossbills and Boreal Birds
McKenzie Road Bouldering
Not just a walk in the park
Slow paddle to Oseetah
Cross Country Skiing in Lake Clear
Enjoying Late Fall Cold Fronts And Their Migrants
Great Fall Birding!
Dia de Muertos at Pine Ridge
A Fall Paddle On Lake Clear Outlet
The Possibilities Of Fall Birding
A Fall Hike on Baker Mountain
Fall Events: a blaze of glory!
Zooming Around in the Fall
A Ride That Takes You Off The Beaten Path
Wonderful Weddings in Cool Places
Gray Jays!
2015 Most Popular Blogs
Shopping without the stress
John Brown's Other Bodies
Excellent October Birding!
Five top tips for cooking the hunt
Brighton: Dusk 'til Dawn
Unleash Your Inner Picasso
Paddling and Hiking Around Little Green Pond
Camping in the Cold (Disclaimer: This is NOT a How-To Guide)
A Cool Adirondack Adventure
Daddy Longlegs Love Burlap
Fall Warblers and Other Migrants!
Upcoming Fall Events
Enjoying Late Summer Wildflowers!
Hiking with the Crew up Baker Mountain
Saranac Inn, golf with a taste of Scotland
Learning to Love Every Season
Wedding planning with the pros
Two sides of the Trifecta
Four Seasons of High Points
Fly our Adirondack skies
Where to find hot beverages
The First Ski of the Season!
Healthy Holidays, Adirondack Style
Birding Along Lake Colby
Saranac Lake Remembers the Great War
A Guide to the Great Indoors
Fall Paddling; Being Ready for the Cold
The biggest Cure Tour of them all
History Comes Alive in Saranac Lake
Learning to Identify Fall Leaves
The Horse Knows The Way
Paddling and Snorkeling Little Green Pond
A Red Phalarope at Little Clear Pond!
Searching for Fall Warblers and Other Songbirds
Boat Trip Massages: Two Roads to Wellness
Paddling Little Clear Pond
Paddling Lake Clear Outlet
Hiking and Exploring Azure Mountain
An Evening Paddle on Moose Pond
A Great Place to Break Down
Adirondack Paddling, Choosing the Right Paddle
Adirondack Paddling - Choosing The Right Boat
Roughing it in style: a tour of White Pine Great Camp
5 Hidden Gems for Hiking, Paddling & Trail Running
Our lakes were born for boating
Something to Gobble About
Ducks and Otters at Lake Colby
Muskrats!
Hiking during Hunting Season
Goodman Mountain
Ducks on the Pond
Snow up high on McKenzie
You Don't Paddle Into the Wind
Five things you can do in Saranac Lake on Halloween week
Hiking St. Regis Mountain
Fall at the VIC
Panther Trifecta
A Fall Paddle on Jones Pond
A Fall Hike Up Baker Mountain
Sparrows Along Lake Colby
Going to Church
Visitors in My Yard
A Hike Up Panther Mountain
Where the leaves are on fire with color
Artist at Work Studio Tour this week
The Colors of Late Summer
Fun family events for fall foliage season
Scarface Mountain Adventure
Bloomingdale Bog Birds
Late Summer Yard Birds
Trail Running the Deer Pond Loop
What can we help you find?
Sign up to receive more information.
Enter Email
Do•Stay•Eat•Shop•Events
Work Here•Contact Us•DEI•Media Kit•Privacy Policy
39 Main Street, Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Powered by the Regional Office of
Sustainable Tourism
THERE’S MORE TO EXPLORE
We’ve got the best ideas for things to do on your next Adirondack adventure, and we will deliver them right to your inbox! THANKS FOR SUBSCRIBING! Your next adventure awaits you in your inbox! Tell us more about what interests you, and we can help you plan your next trip.
MANAGE YOUR PREFERENCES