Hiking around Brown Tract Pond & Rollins Pond

[sumi]

Hi, I'm new to this forum. We have a car camping trip planned to the Adks the last week of July with 3 nights at Brown Tract Pond and 3 nights at Rollins Pond. I'm trying to plan two or three good day hikes for the group (3 adults and 2 boys, 9 and 12 years old, and our big goofy golden retriever.) We vary in terms of fitness and interest -- my son (the 9 year-old) and I have done a fair amount of camping and hiking but the others will need encouragement, maybe even some coercion...

I'd like to maybe plan one bigger hike which can be all day, maybe 6-7 miles with elevation (or longer if not.) Briefly browsing, I thought maybe something like Cascade or Big Slide or Avalanche Lake. It doesn't have to be a climb; we'd be just as happy (maybe even happier) with a good waterfall. This hike maybe just the two of us looking for a challenge.

I also want maybe two other hikes that are easy that the whole group can do. Something like Mt. Jo or the Indian Pass trail to Rocky Falls? I think 4-5 miles round trip would be do-able. I'm thinking that having a definite goal (top of a mountain, waterfall, swimming hole, etc.) would work better.

I'm not sure that I have a sense of how close these hikes are to the two places where we'll be camping (spreading out the big map at my desk at work wouldn't go over very well...) I would also love some other suggestions, alternatives.

My son and I camped our way thru the Adks 4 years ago but didn't do much hiking and have always wanted to go back -- we're pretty excited about this upcoming trip!

[Adk Keith]

Hikes around Brown Tract Pond include nice hikes to Shallow Lake and down the Beaver Brook.

A shorter hike, but very interesting ecologically, is a trip into Ferd's Bog. Take your bird and flower book and your binoculars.

A drive to inlet gives you access to the Queer Lake, Moss Lake and Big Moose Lake Areas as well.

[Crash]

In the immediate Rollins Pond Area, there are several easy hikes that you could consider:

1) Mt Arab Fire Tower - this is a mile hike to the top of a hill. There is a firetower that you can climb at the top of this "mountain". There is also a "museum" here and usually an attendent. My family hiked this hill this past Friday for the first time. You get a view of the town of Tupper Lake and the high peaks in the distance. This is the easiest of the hikes.
2) Panther Mountain - this is a little harder, but not much (from what I remember - my family hiked this last year).
3) Baker Mountain (in the town of Saranac Lake) is even a little harder (but still easy to do). You overlook the town of Saranac Lake and you have a view of Lower Saranac Lake.
4) Ampersand Mountain - much harder than the aforementioned climbs, but the view is worth the climb.
5) Ampersand Beach on Middle Saranac Lake- a short 0.6 mile hike (starts in the same parking lot as for Ampersand Mountain, but take the trail on same side as the parking lot). This trail ends on a beautiful half mile long sand beach.
6) Paul Smiths VIC - This place has quite a few interesting trails in the 1 to 3 mile length range. It also has a nature center with a butterfly house. This is all free.

Regarding Browns Tract Pond, I hiked the trail to Shallow Lake last year, and would also recomend that (I think I head somewhere that they replaced the bridge over the brook - if they didn't, you'll have to balance yourself on a couple logs to cross it!). Also, on Browns Tract Lower Pond, paddle to the island. There are some large rocks (that aren't very high) that kids jump from into the pond.