Paddling Minerva Stream

By Rich Macha

Minerva Stream flows out from the southwest corner of the Hoffman Notch Wilderness in the eastern Adirondacks and wends its way through the hamlets of Irishtown and Olmstedville in the town of Minerva. Paddlers can enjoy four or more miles of flatwater stream above the dam in Olmstedville for a round-trip of at least eight miles. Despite the hints of civilization here and there, the scenery is mostly wild and natural.

You can start by the gazebo in Olmstedville. From the junction with County Route 29, drive north on County Route 30, aka the A P Morse Highway, a short distance to the gazebo on the left where there is room to park several cars. 

The following information was gathered from a mid-summer trip that I did with some friends in 2024. Our trip covered 9.4 miles in over five hours, including a break for lunch. On a weekday, we saw two solo paddlers along the way. Water level, on the higher side on our trip, and obstructions like beaver dams and blowdown can vary from month to month and year to year, as is the case with Adirondack streams in general. 

Paddle upstream away from the dam. Some houses are passed but soon the stream narrows, shores become wilder, and a low beaver dam is encountered. You may be able to paddle hard and slide over it.

The direction of paddle then turns from west to north as Kelso Brook enters on the left. Moxham Point, the east end of the Moxham Mountain massif, stands out to the southeast, and Gore Mountain can be detected in the distance. Other peaks that can be viewed on the trip include Green to the northwest, Snyder and Oliver to the east, and the dome of Hayes Mountain to the north.

The stream then passes under the County Route 30 bridge. An alternate launch spot can be found northeast of the bridge. From here, it is about three miles to the next bridge upstream. You are never more than a half mile from roads, but they are back roads that are very lightly traveled.

When paddling Minerva Stream, you must have a tolerance for beaver dams – this is, after all, the territory of the eager beaver. We confronted a beaver dam about every half mile – some were small and I could paddle hard and slip over them, some were breached (paddlers should never take apart a beaver dam), and some required exiting the boat. On the way back downstream, I only had to get out for one big three-foot-high dam and was able to slide over the rest. It is usually easier to get past the beaver dams when the water level is higher, so pick a time with recent rains and avoid dry periods. Spring of 2025 has been very wet, so that should not be an issue for a while.

The shores are mainly grassy. Occasionally, white pine and cedar trees come close. Backwaters along the way can tempt you to explore away from the main stream. In summer, a wide assortment of colorful flowers adorn the stream banks and waters. These include Joe Pye weed, cardinal flower, steeplebush, buttonbush, goldenrod, yellow pond lily, fragrant white water lily, smartweed, as well as the invasive yet attractive purple loosestrife.

After passing under the O’Neil Road bridge, there is another launch spot in a backwater to the east. Access to the put-in here is via the nearby transfer station. The transfer station was undetectable from the water.

North of the bridge, a small rectangle of state forest preserve, a portion of the Vanderwhacker Wild Forest, is soon entered – this is the only state land along the route. About half a mile upstream of the bridge, a large, downed tree threatened to block passage, but there was just enough room to squeeze past its branches. Not too far beyond, I encountered a major blockage of several downed trees and turned around to head back downstream. 

Back in 2001, I was able to continue over a mile further upstream. The scenery got even wilder and prettier, while the frequency of beaver dams increased somewhat.

With the light current, the 4.5-mile paddle back to the gazebo will likely be faster and easier than the upstream paddle. I have heard of folks doing a one-way trip by spotting a vehicle or bike at the gazebo and, with a short shuttle, starting the paddle at the transfer station.

Many Adirondack streams are home to a seemingly growing population of busy beavers, and their dams create sections of deep water so that they can live their lives - consequently, paddlers are able to take advantage of those deep waters. A paddle on Minerva Stream is probably not for everyone, but for those who like a little bit of a challenge it can be extremely rewarding.

A lover of wild places, Rich Macha has led many trips for the Adirondack Mountain Club and has spent 20 years in the paddle/snowsport business. For more of Rich’s adventures, visit: northeastwild.blogspot.com.