Fulton Chain Lakes
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The Fulton Chain of Lakes is a string of eight
lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
s located in the
Adirondack Park The Adirondack Park is a part of Forest Preserve (New York), New York's Forest Preserve in northeastern New York (state), New York, United States. The park was established in 1892 for “the free use of all the people for their health and pleasur ...
in
upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region consisting of the area of New York State that lies north and northwest of the New York City metropolitan area. Although the precise boundary is debated, Upstate New York excludes New York City and Long Is ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. The chain is the dammed-up Moose River, and the dam which creates the chain holds back nearly of water. The lakes are located in Herkimer and Hamilton Counties.
Inlet An inlet is a (usually long and narrow) indentation of a shoreline, such as a small arm, bay, sound, fjord, lagoon or marsh, that leads to an enclosed larger body of water such as a lake, estuary, gulf or marginal sea. Overview In marine geogra ...
, Old Forge, and Eagle Bay are towns on them. The chain begins near Old Forge and ends before it reaches
Raquette Lake Raquette Lake is the source of the Raquette River in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. It is near the community of Raquette Lake, New York. The lake has of shoreline with pines and mountains bordering the lake. It is located in the t ...
. The lakes are named for
Robert Fulton Robert Fulton (November 14, 1765 – February 24, 1815) was an American engineer and inventor who is widely credited with developing the world's first commercially successful steamboat, the (also known as ''Clermont''). In 1807, that steamboat ...
, inventor of the steamboat, who proposed connecting the lakes to create an Adirondack canal. They are suitable for pontoon boats (the most popular type in the area),
kayak A kayak is a small, narrow watercraft which is typically propelled by means of a double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic word ''qajaq'' (). The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each se ...
s, and
motorboat A motorboat, speedboat or powerboat is a boat that is exclusively powered by an engine. Some motorboats are fitted with inboard engines, others have an outboard motor installed on the rear, containing the internal combustion engine, the gea ...
s. The chain is part of the
Northern Forest Canoe Trail The Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) is a marked canoeing trail in the northeastern United States and Canada, extending from Old Forge in the Adirondacks of New York to Fort Kent, Maine. Along the way, the trail also passes through the states ...
, which begins on First Lake and ends in
Fort Kent, Maine Fort Kent is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States, situated at the confluence of the Fish River and the Saint John River, on the border with New Brunswick, Canada. The population was 4,067 in the 2020 census. Fort Kent is home to a ...
.


Geography

The lakes in the chain have been given ordinal designations: First Lake, Second Lake, Third Lake, Fourth Lake,
Fifth Lake Fifth Lake is a lake located by Inlet, New York. It is part of the Fulton Chain Lakes. The inlet is connected to Sixth Lake by a creek and the outlet is connected to Fourth Lake by a channel. Fish species present in the lake are brown trout, lak ...
,
Sixth Lake Sixth Lake is a lake located by Inlet, New York. It is part of the Fulton Chain Lakes. The inlet is connected to Seventh Lake by a channel and the outlet is connected to Fifth Lake by a creek. Fish species present in the lake are brown trout, lak ...
,
Seventh Lake Seventh Lake is a lake located by Inlet, New York. It is part of the Fulton Chain Lakes. The outlet flows through a channel into Sixth Lake and the main inlet flows through a creek from Eighth Lake. Fish species present in the lake are brown trout ...
, and
Eighth Lake Eighth Lake is a lake located by Inlet, New York. It is part of the Fulton Chain Lakes. The outlet is connected to Seventh Lake by a creek. Fish species present in the lake are brown trout, lake trout, lake whitefish, smelt, rainbow trout, black b ...
. The chain begins with a small lake not counted in the series called
Old Forge Pond Old Forge Pond is located by Old Forge, New York. Fish species present in the lake are white sucker, black bullhead, rainbow trout, yellow perch, and rock bass. Carry down off NY-28 New York’s 28th congressional district is an obsolete con ...
. In reality, First, Second and Third Lake are one long lake separated by narrow
strait A strait is an oceanic landform connecting two seas or two other large areas of water. The surface water generally flows at the same elevation on both sides and through the strait in either direction. Most commonly, it is a narrow ocean channe ...
s. At the east end of Fourth Lake, by
Inlet An inlet is a (usually long and narrow) indentation of a shoreline, such as a small arm, bay, sound, fjord, lagoon or marsh, that leads to an enclosed larger body of water such as a lake, estuary, gulf or marginal sea. Overview In marine geogra ...
in Hamilton County, a stream, or channel, allows access to the small Fifth Lake. A portage is necessary to arrive at Sixth Lake, which is also connected by a narrow strait to
Seventh Lake Seventh Lake is a lake located by Inlet, New York. It is part of the Fulton Chain Lakes. The outlet flows through a channel into Sixth Lake and the main inlet flows through a creek from Eighth Lake. Fish species present in the lake are brown trout ...
. Another portage is required to gain access to Eighth Lake. Beyond Eighth Lake is
Raquette Lake Raquette Lake is the source of the Raquette River in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. It is near the community of Raquette Lake, New York. The lake has of shoreline with pines and mountains bordering the lake. It is located in the t ...
and another string of lakes in
Indian Lake, New York Indian Lake is a town in Hamilton County, New York, United States. The population was 1,352 at the 2010 census. The name is from a lake of the same name that is largely inside the town. There are no permanent stop lights in the town. Law enfor ...
.


Expansions in 1798

The lakes were expanded from to in 1798 when the Moose River was dammed at Old Forge. The present dam at Old Forge holds back of water. This reservoir is managed by the HR-BR Regulating District. In the late 1800s, the State Water Power Commissioner made an agreement with Fulton Chain cottage owners and recreational users to maintain the water level during the summer season, an agreement still in effect.


Recreation

Prior to World War II, the town of Inlet boasted fourteen Adirondack hotels. The Woods Inn is now the only historic hotel remaining open year round. Boating is a popular activity in the Fulton Chain of Lakes because any aspects of the lakes are accessible by water. For example, the restaurants of The Woods Inn, Great Pines (Formerly Northwoods Inn), Daikers, and the Screamen Eagle are all accessible by boat, you can also get to Inlet and Old Forge by boat. A very popular type of boat in the Adirondacks is the pontoon boat because many people enjoy relaxing on the lakes. Also fishing boats because of the vast numbers of types of fish and areas of the lakes to be able to fish. The lakes sport decent populations of gamefish including northern pike, lake trout, rainbow trout, brook trout, landlocked (Atlantic) salmon, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, brown bullhead, tiger muskie and various panfish. Tubing, skiing, knee boarding, and wake boarding are all common water recreational activities that are seen while on the Fulton Chain of Lakes. In addition to boating, snowmobiling is also very popular in the region during the Winter. Although the Fulton Chain of Lakes are not technically part of the snowmobile trails, once frozen many snowmobilers use them to access the same restaurants noted above.


Adirondack Canoe Classic

The Fulton Chain is the start of the
Adirondack Canoe Classic __NOTOC__ The Adirondack Canoe Classic, also known as the 90-miler, is a three-day, canoe race from Old Forge to Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks of New York, United States. The race has drawn as many as 500 competitors from California to Fl ...
, a three-day, canoe race. This canoe race is for anyone from beginners to experts, it is a way to get the community together and to get everyone involved with something. Many kids (usually older kids) will go with their parents and form a team. Many people train very hard for this 90 mile race, however some teams just go out there for the comradery of it all and just to have fun with friends. However, it is a rigorous course and includes three days of physical activity and hard work for participants.


Hiking

Hiking is a popular activity in the Adirondack Park because of the high numbers and varieties of hikes available. Some of the varieties of hikes include anything from the High Peaks to the relatively flat hikes of Sis and Bub. Bald Mountain is one of the most popular mountains to hike not only by the Fulton Chain of Lakes but also in the Adirondacks as a whole due to the views of the entire chain. At the top of this mountain there is the Rondaxe Fire Tower that has been restored to allow hikers to climb to the top of it in order to enhance the views of the Fulton Chain of Lakes. Sis and Bub lakes is a relatively flat hike, it has some inclination however it is nothing too drastic. This hike is good for families with younger children because it is not very rigorous or challenging. Another hike is the Sis, Bub, and Moss Lake trail, it is a full loop that connects Sis and Bub lakes to Moss Lake, this hike is very suitable for families and is primarily flat.


Surrounding towns

Inlet is located at the “head of Fourth Lake” and this is where it gets its name from because it is near the inlet of the fourth of the eight lakes. Inlet is a small town that includes Kalil’s Grocery Store, a post office, a realtor’s office, restaurants, other stores and a baseball field. Many of the businesses in the town are family owned and run. Eagle Bay is a small town that is also located on Fourth lake and includes a neighborhood full of cabins. The town includes restaurants, a laundromat, and a fire station. The neighborhood of Eagle Bay is a small, quaint place where the homes are on mainly square plots set back in the woods, however some of them are waterfront. There are two community beaches that are accessible to homeowners of the neighborhood, as well as boat slips that are available for purchase with the property. Old Forge is the biggest of the three towns adjacent to the lakes and is also located at the beginning of the Fulton Chain of Lakes, by the Old Forge Pond. In Old Forge there are grocery stores, restaurants, souvenir stores, realtors offices, and a fire station. Old Forge is a well known town all throughout the Adirondacks and especially around the Fulton Chain of Lakes. There is also a motel located right above the Old Forge Pond. A well-known water park called Enchanted Forest Water Safari is a very popular tourist attraction in Old Forge and is the largest water park in New York state.


References

{{authority control Adirondack Park Chains of lakes Reservoirs in Hamilton County, New York Reservoirs in Herkimer County, New York Tourist attractions in Hamilton County, New York Tourist attractions in Herkimer County, New York Reservoirs in New York (state) Northern Forest Canoe Trail