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New York | St. Lawrence County / Aldrich Pond Wild Forest

Little RiverYoungs Road Hand Launch to Streeter Lake Road Hand Launch

A planning-only nearly 7-mile Little River flatwater route between the current NYSDEC Youngs Road and Streeter Lake Road hand launches in Aldrich Pond Wild Forest. NYSDEC identifies the named endpoint launches, a short carry around Schuler Fall, and the low-water paddling corridor; its management amendment documents the public canoe-route purpose and access infrastructure. The Youngs Road launch is currently listed as temporarily closed for a culvert-replacement road reroute, so this route must not be treated as open until DEC posts that access as reopened.

Route location

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Plan this route

DistanceNearly 7 river miles from the Youngs Road Hand Launch to the Streeter Lake Road Hand Launch
DifficultyModerate
Typical timeAbout 3–5 hours one way
ShuttleCar shuttle
Oswegatchie River at the USGS near-Oswegatchie station, used as downstream watershed context for the Little River Youngs Road to Streeter Lake Road paddle.
Route photoLittle River and Oswegatchie watershed paddling contextPhoto by USGS

Need to know

Why this call
This route is documented for planning, but does not receive a Paddle Today score.
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Route overview

Trip details

Access rules, camping, seasonal conditions and trip length.

Distance, difficulty, rules and camping
On-water distanceNearly 7 river miles from the Youngs Road Hand Launch to the Streeter Lake Road Hand LaunchYoungs Road Hand Launch to Streeter Lake Road Hand Launch
DifficultymoderateNYSDEC characterizes the corridor as nearly 7 miles of flatwater but requires a short carry around Schuler Fall. Shallow sections, wood, beaver activity, cold water, seasonal roads, limited exits, and a temporarily closed launch make this a moderate backcountry paddle rather than a casual park float.
ShuttleCar shuttleConfirm the Youngs Road launch has reopened before staging a vehicle there. If open, stage at the Streeter Lake Road hand launch, then shuttle to Youngs Road; allow for seasonal roads, the Schuler Fall carry, gate/culvert work, limited cell service, and a same-day access check at both ends.
PermitsCheck posted rulesFollow current NYSDEC Aldrich Pond Wild Forest state-land regulations, closure notices, seasonal road/gate restrictions, designated-site and at-large camping rules, PFD and boating requirements, Clean-Drain-Dry controls, and all posted conservation-easement rules. A public launch does not authorize private-bank camping or an improvised portage.
CampingOptions nearbyAldrich Pond Wild Forest provides designated primitive camping and water-access opportunities near the broader Little River/Streeter Lake corridor. Use only marked legal sites under current DEC rules; do not camp at the closed Youngs access, on private conservation-easement land, at the carry, or on an unmarked riverbank.
SeasonMay-OctNYSDEC describes this as a nearly 7-mile flatwater stretch and notes that levels, seasonal roads, culvert work, and the Schuler Fall carry affect feasibility. Treat late spring through fall as a planning window only; confirm the current closure notice, road condition, water depth, wood, weather, and daylight before launch.

Plan ahead

Tomorrow and the weekend

Forecasts can change. Check current conditions again before leaving.

TomorrowChecking

Waiting on forecast.

WeekendChecking

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Plan

Plan your trip

Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

A planning-only nearly 7-mile Little River flatwater route between the current NYSDEC Youngs Road and Streeter Lake Road hand launches in Aldrich Pond Wild Forest. NYSDEC identifies the named endpoint launches, a short carry around Schuler Fall, and the low-water paddling corridor; its management amendment documents the public canoe-route purpose and access infrastructure. The Youngs Road launch is currently listed as temporarily closed for a culvert-replacement road reroute, so this route must not be treated as open until DEC posts that access as reopened.

Access map

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Start

Put-in

NYSDEC Little River Youngs Road Hand Launch
Open mapDirections to put-in

The Youngs Road hand launch is currently listed as temporarily closed. Recheck the DEC Adirondack backcountry page immediately before travel and do not substitute the closed access with a roadside or private-bank entry.

Finish

Take-out

NYSDEC Little River Streeter Lake Road Hand Launch
Open mapDirections to take-out

The UMP amendment records the public route, launch, carry, and take-out as facilities developed by use and subject to maintenance/design work. Confirm the current marked carry, road surface, parking, waterline, and landing on site.

Road shuttle

Driving shuttle routeShuttle in Apple MapsOpenStreetMap
Access notes and hazards

Access caveats

  • The Youngs Road hand launch is currently listed as temporarily closed. Recheck the DEC Adirondack backcountry page immediately before travel and do not substitute the closed access with a roadside or private-bank entry.
  • The UMP amendment records the public route, launch, carry, and take-out as facilities developed by use and subject to maintenance/design work. Confirm the current marked carry, road surface, parking, waterline, and landing on site.
  • The Streeter Lake Road launch is seasonal and remote. Confirm gates, road conditions, parking, daylight, and the exact legal landing before using it as a shuttle endpoint.
  • Do not extend the route into Streeter Lake, the Middle Branch Oswegatchie, or private/easement waters without a separate access, distance, hazard, and camping review.

Watch for

  • Youngs Road closure status, culvert work, seasonal gates, road conditions, and the downstream proxy/local-water mismatch
  • Schuler Fall carry, shallow water, beaver activity, strainers, cold water, weather, daylight, and limited extraction options
  • marked hand-launch boundaries, private conservation-easement land, designated campsites, and any posted restriction on Streeter Lake Road

Plan this paddle

Choose your trip times

No account needed. Check the selected access points above, then choose both dates and times. For an overnight paddle, set take-out to the following date.

Trip schedule

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Conditions

Water levels, gauge history, and hourly forecast

Check the forecast and local water levels before launching.

Gauge detail

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Gauge

Recent trend

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Weather

Hourly forecast

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Next 8 hours

Short-route forecast

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Route gallery

Photos

Check each caption: some photos show the surrounding area rather than this exact trip.

Oswegatchie River at the USGS near-Oswegatchie station, used as downstream watershed context for the Little River Youngs Road to Streeter Lake Road paddle.
Little River and Oswegatchie watershed paddling contextPhoto by USGS
Public-domain downstream watershed context photograph; not the Little River reach

Sources

Data and sources

Read the access and hazard notes and check the linked guides. We do not issue a daily score for this trip.

NotesWhat to know before you go

These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.

  • Current public paddling corridorNearly 7 miles between the Youngs Road and Streeter Lake Road hand launches

    NYSDEC identifies the Little River corridor, both endpoint launches, and the short carry around Schuler Fall.

    Source

  • Public launch coordinatesYoungs Road 44.1432, -75.0278; Streeter Lake Road 44.1442, -75.1105

    NYSDEC publishes the two hand-launch coordinates; verify the current waterline, parking, carry, and posted access conditions from the ground.

    Source

  • Canoe-route and carry historyDEC formalized the public canoe-route purpose and public-land Schuler Fall carry context

    The UMP amendment documents the public route, Youngs Road launch/parking, public carry around the waterfall, and Streeter Lake Road take-out planning.

    Source

  • Current closure noticeYoungs Road Little River launch temporarily closed for culvert-replacement road reroute

    DEC’s Adirondack backcountry notice is the operational gate for this route; do not use the upstream launch until DEC posts it open.

    Source

  • Downstream proxy gaugeUSGS 04262000 Oswegatchie River near Oswegatchie, NY

    USGS provides current downstream Oswegatchie telemetry, while the historic Little River 04261975 site has no current continuous or daily data; use the active station only for broad trend context.

    Source

  • Camping and land-use contextAldrich Pond Wild Forest primitive camping and state-land rules

    Use only marked legal campsites and current DEC land rules; no closed-access or private-bank camping is implied.

    Source

  • Approved same-watershed context imageUSGS Oswegatchie River near Oswegatchie station photograph

    The public-domain image is labeled as downstream watershed context and does not depict the Little River launch, carry, or current conditions.

    Source

  • Same-river proxy gaugeUSGS 04262000, Oswegatchie River near Oswegatchie, NY

    USGS 04262000 is a current Oswegatchie River station downstream of the Little River corridor. The historic Little River station 04261975 has no current continuous or daily data, so 04262000 supplies only broad same-watershed trend context; local depth, recent rainfall, beaver activity, wood, and the actual access conditions control.

    Source

  • Safety and river conditionsCheck live gauge, recent rainfall, trend, debris, bridges, and access conditions before launch

    NYSDEC Aldrich Pond Wild Forest / Aldrich Pond Wild Forest UMP Amendment 2 and its linked safety material warn that conditions change rapidly and require local inspection.

    Source

  • Image decisionApproved watershed/proxy-gauge context image used for route presentation

    The image is clearly labeled as watershed/proxy-gauge context and does not claim to depict this exact reach.

    Source

Verify it yourselfCheck the source links

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New York route guideBrowse every tracked New York route.St. Lawrence County / Aldrich Pond Wild ForestJump to routes in this region.

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Quick answers

Little River paddling FAQ

What water level is best for the Youngs Road Hand Launch to Streeter Lake Road Hand Launch route on the Little River?

This planning route has no live Paddle Today score. Review the linked water-level sources, current access notices and route-specific hazards before travel.

Where does the Youngs Road Hand Launch to Streeter Lake Road Hand Launch route on the Little River start and end?

This route starts at NYSDEC Little River Youngs Road Hand Launch and ends at NYSDEC Little River Streeter Lake Road Hand Launch, Nearly 7 river miles from the Youngs Road Hand Launch to the Streeter Lake Road Hand Launch on the water.

Is the Youngs Road Hand Launch to Streeter Lake Road Hand Launch route on the Little River suitable for beginners?

This is listed as a moderate route. Review the difficulty notes, hazards and current access conditions against your group's skills. No live score assesses this trip.

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