North Branch Moose River

A Great Way to Spend the Day

By Rich Macha

The thought of a 10-mile downstream paddle aided by a light one mph current can be very appealing, but as is the case with many great Adirondack paddling adventures, a little time and effort is required. Paddling the North Branch of the Moose River is a most pleasurable experience and folks who make the effort will be rewarded by its charm.

The North Branch flows out of Big Moose Lake and passes through Dart Lake and Lake Rondaxe before meandering its way to meet the Middle Branch in the hamlet of Old Forge. While Old Forge can be crowded with visitors in the summer months, paddlers can enjoy a few hours of travel in near wilderness on the nearby North Branch.

Since this is a one-way trip, a shuttle will be needed. To set up a shuttle, two or more cars will be required. Conveniently located, Mountainman Outdoor Supply Company offers rentals and shuttles to the North Street bridge for a fee. If you do your own shuttle, cars can be left southwest of the Green Bridge over the Middle Branch. From NY Route 28 in Thendara, drive south for 0.5-mile on Beech Street and Green Bridge Road. To get to the put-in, go east on Route 28 for 7.1 miles and take a left on Rondaxe Road. Drive 1.5 miles then bear right on Carter Road and go another 0.5-mile to a bridge over the North Branch. Park beyond the bridge and look for a short path down to the water.

Heading downstream, you pass under an old iron bridge after going 0.9-mile and, shortly thereafter, a private lean-to can be seen on the left. The river maintains a sinuous course and the scenery varies from turn to turn. There are many sandy banks along the way that are ideal for a lunch stop or break.

At times, the shores are steeper and wooded, sometimes they are dominated by shrubby alders, and at other times they are grassy with Joe Pye weed and white meadowsweet flowering in summer. The spire-like tops of black spruce trees are commonly seen.

The North Street bridge is passed under at the 5.7-mile mark. This can serve as an alternate put-in or take-out if a shorter trip is desired, although you will miss some of the best features of the river unless you paddle upstream. State land, part of the Fulton Chain Wild Forest, begins on the left about halfway through the trip.

At one point, at a place named Moulin, the river narrows and passes the site of a former sawmill – Moulin is French for mill. Moulin Mountain rises to the west of the river. The tracks of the Adirondack Scenic Railroad are on river right but are mostly out of sight from water level.

Approaching the 10-mile mark, signs warn paddlers of the rocky rapids ahead. The start of a 0.25-mile carry trail is on the left. A cart is only semi-useful here as you may have to pull through some mud and/or lift over a downed tree or two. The carry trail turns right and crosses the river on a wide footbridge then turns left to finish at the river’s right bank. You might be too busy portaging to notice the golf course past the trees on the right.

Now wider, the river continues past wooded banks for about another mile and flows into the Middle Branch in a marshy maze of grassy islands. A left turn would lead upstream for 1.5 miles to the dam that holds back the waters of the Fulton Chain of Lakes. Bear right and paddle downstream toward the Route 28 bridge. If you used Mountainman for the shuttle, your take-out would be right of the bridge. The Middle Branch goes under the bridge then passes some houses and you arrive at Green Bridge Road in under a mile to finish the trip.

I paddled this route with some friends and acquaintances on a weekday in early August of 2024. We covered 12 miles in a little over five hours, including a stop for lunch. The 9.5-mile car shuttle took up some extra time. While on the water, we did not see any other people until reaching the carry trail – I suspect that the river is busier on weekends though. More paddlers were observed below the carry as some folks come upstream from Old Forge or Thendara and turn around at the carry. Songbirds were plentiful and hawks, ducks, and an owl were spotted along the way. 

There are not many better ways to spend the day than to paddle down the North Branch of the Moose River.

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.