Cycle through the shores of history
A great ride on a fast dirt road takes you back to the shores of Raquette Lake and on to a historic great camp.
How to get there
The rides begin at the intersection of New York State Route 28 and Uncas Road in Eagle Bay. Parking is available behind the pair of electric poles that support a small array of electric infrastructure located at the intersection. (Coordinates: 43.768969, -74.811195).
By the numbers
- Level of difficulty: Intermediate and difficult
- Route length: Intermediate 17.4 miles (28 km), Difficult 25.4 miles (40.9km)
- Elevation gain / loss: Intermediate 500 feet (152 m), Difficult 1,257 feet (383 m)
- Fast, hard packed dirt, some sections of loose stones over hard-packed dirt.
Ride through camps and communities
Riding Uncas Road route is a delight. It’s fast, and not only on the first two miles, where you are cruising on pavement and climbing a very gentle grade. When you hit the dirt, you’ll quickly realize slowing down to enjoy the view is a good thing. In no time you’ll pass the entrance to Browns Tract Campground, where you may catch a brief glimpse of Upper and Lower Ponds. Shortly after the campground the road changes to pavement, just before a short drop down a steep hill. The drop includes a very sharp and blind hairpin turn. Once through the turn, be mindful of speed because at the very bottom of the hill the road surface abruptly reverts back to dirt. For a short distance the dirt is covered with loose stones. From this point on the road is again fast and firm until reaching the small community of Raquette Lake. As you pass through the community, you continue along County Route 2 to an incredibly scenic view from the bridge that crosses over Browns Tract Inlet. This is the turnaround point for those interested in the Intermediate ride.
Before heading back to the car, it is worth taking a spin through the community of Raquette Lake where, during the summer and fall, scenic and dining tours of the lake are available aboard the W. W. Durant, which is run by the Raquette Lake Navigation Company.
A more challenging ride
For those who’d prefer the Difficult ride, you continue beyond the Browns Tract Inlet Bridge, across New York State Route 28, and up the Sagamore Road for another four miles of great dirt road riding. This portion of the road has more hills and there are loose stones on those hills so caution on downhills is advised. At the end of the road is Great Camp Sagamore. The camp, which is listed as a National Historic Landmark, is a 27-structure compound on the shores of Sagamore Lake. The camp not only includes a large, three-story great camp main lodge, but it also has a two-lane, open-air bowling alley pavilion. The camp was originally constructed by William West Durant, a designer and developer of great camps in the Adirondacks, and the son of Thomas C. Durant (vice-president of the Union Pacific Railroad when it was expanded to meet the Pacific Railroad in 1869).
Access the grounds
To access the grounds of Great Camp Sagamore, you will need to purchase a ticket and plan ahead so that you arrive a little before the start of a scheduled tour. The tours run from early June through mid-October. An up-to-date tour schedule can be found at on Great Camp Sagamore's website. Tours include the option for lunch as well. Access to the grounds is also available to overnight guests and Great Camp Sagamore offers a variety of weekend educational programming which is also found on the website. That said, you can still enjoy this out-and-back ride to the camp without purchasing a ticket, but you will only see a few buildings from the turnaround point.
After soaking in all that Great Camp Sagamore has to offer, hop on your bike to head back to Raquette Lake and after a tour of the community (and perhaps a scenic cruise), return along Uncas Road to your car.
Due to limited cellular coverage, please be sure to download this route and save for offline use before you leave home.
