Serene Raquette Lake Scene

Rickety Rackety Railroad, H.M. Beach

Inlet, New York Circa 1925

Inlet, situated on the eastern terminus of navigation of the Fulton Chain of Lakes, is the center of the resort section of the Central Adirondacks, stress is laid on the fact that when the hardy pioneers left that section for fresher fields they made their way to this part of the woods which had never been visited by white men. Nat Foster, one of the beloved characters of the Fulton region had headquarters at the head of Fourth Lake where this village now stands, using it as a half-way house when on his way to Raquette Lake and other lakes of the north. When Robert Fulton first visited this wonderful chain of lakes which now bears his name, he little dreamed that this strip of wild woods and water would later be one of the foremost resort centers of the State. Inlet abounds with points of interest, Rocky Mountain, Black Bear Mountain, Bald Mountain and many other high peaks where hardy hikers may enjoy mountain climbing, are all within a short distance of the village. The Eighth Lake excursion attracts hundreds each season. The Seventh Lake and Limekiln Lake waters are filled with trout and bass, and so much state land surrounds the lakes that they look as primitive as a century ago. Hotels, garages, stores, restaurants, gift shop, in fact everything which the tourist or camper may desire are to be found in this enterprising little mountain village. And last but not least, one finds here the real old time Adirondack pioneer and guide. Those lovable mountain characters, quaint in their ideas and rich in the tales of the early days, can tell stories of the woods so vivid that the listener can almost smell the smoke of the camp fire, and impress him with the fact that the great outdoors breeds men of broadened minds and rare honesty. Good roads from all parts of the State lead to Inlet. A new concrete road leads along the northerly shore of the chain of lakes through Eagle Bay to Inlet. Improved dirt roads are found to Limekiln, Seventh and Raquette Lakes and other points of interest. The boat trip through the Fulton Chain of Lakes is an outstanding feature of a Summer vacation as well as the Blue Mountain Lake excursion; all being easily made in a few hours from Inlet. No Summer itinerary is complete without some of these numerous jaunts through nature's great wonderland, with Inlet as a starting point.

From Inlet Chamber of Commerce Brochure, circa 1925

Nothing but the Best for J.P. Morgan

Raquette Lake RR Station and Steamboat Dock

The railroad was the principal mode of transportation to the Adirondack Park during its heyday. Once in the park, visitors often took large steamboats across the lake to their destinations, or just to tour the lake. Large tour boats, like the Clearwater on the Fulton Chain of Lakes, and Raquette Lake Navigation Company's vessel, continue to give visitors a similar experience with its narrated tours of the lakes.

Antique Maps: Raquette Lake 1875

Touch the Face of God

Adk Interior at Camp Pine Knot

Raquette Lake, New York

Raquette Lake is a big lake, but a small, small town. The town itself has not much more than a post office and a church. There is a little general store that has nothing more than bare necessities and some twiggy Adirondack gifts. The challenge of Raquette Lake is not just its size, but the fact that many, if not most, homes on the lake have no road access. Accordingly, residents must boat all provisions to their homes in the summer. In the winter, if the homes are even winterized, the options are more limited. We toured Camp Pine Knot, now known as Camp Huntington, one of the original Great Camps owned by Collis P. Huntington and now by the State University of New York at Cortland. We learned that enough fuel, food and provisions are stocked for the caretaker to make it through the long, cold winter. During that time, the lake is passable by snowmobile and truck for only part of the time. As the ice melts, there is no way to get to or from the camp. We think that this is roughing it to the extreme. Another great camp is located nearby. Sagamore was the Vanderbilt family camp and is almost as secluded as those Raquette Lake houses with no driveways. Fortunately for Sagamore, it has a long driveway, but even that becomes difficult to navigate in the winter and especially during mud season.