Paul Smiths

Adirondack Trail, State Rt. 30, in Franklin County

The Paul Smiths area includes Lake Clear, Paul Smiths College, and the Visitor Interpretive Center (VIC) at Paul Smiths.

From the hamlet of Paul Smiths paddlers have easy access to some of the most pristine historic lakes and ponds along the 188-mile Adirondack Trail Scenic Byway.

Paul Smiths was named after the Paul Smith's Hotel, founded in 1859 as one of the first wilderness resorts in the Adirondacks, by guide turned hotel proprietor and entrepreneur Apollos Smith. Take a tour of the Campus of Paul Smiths College –“The College of the Adirondacks “ on beautiful Lower St. Regis Lake – great for paddling and sailing.

Just off the byway Route 30, on Route 86, is St. John's in the Wilderness Episcopal Church. This beautiful stone chapel in a serene wooded grove, was founded in 1876 by Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau. In the late 1800s, many wealthy and famous summer residents arrived by boat from their Adirondack Great Camps to attend services. In the present structure, built in 1930, you’ll see beautifully-crafted stained glass windows, and traditional Adirondack architecture.

Two locations just north of Paul Smiths are worthy of stops. At the Adirondack Park Visitors Interpretive Center, it’s fun and easy to experience Adirondack wildlife up close and personal. Walk, paddle, cross country ski, or snowshoe trails that take you into and along special Adirondack habitats—bogs, marshes, swamps, ponds, and varied types of forests. The Nature Center offers displays, movies, and presentations by naturalists.

At Meacham Lake Campground, experience the sights, sounds, and smells of a beautiful Adirondack Mountain lake for a few hours, a day, or a longer stay. Set in the midst of typical Adirondack wild forest, the campground is the only development on this 1,203-acre lake. The whole family will enjoy a picnic, swimming at the sandy beach, and playground on the north shore. The west side offers primitive and walk-in camping sites, while the main campground will accommodate tents and RVs.

Beginning in the north in Malone, just a few miles below the Canadian border, down to the Mohawk River Valley in the middle of New York State, the 188-mile Adirondack Trail Scenic Byway gives travelers easy access to the scenic beauty of the Adirondack Mountains. Enjoy year-round recreational activities, countless opportunities to explore history, and the friendly people and relaxed pace of life you'll find in communities along this byway.

• Franklin County Tourism Information

• Adirondack Regional Tourism Council