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See all 2 routes on West Branch Sacandaga River

New York | Hamilton County / Ferris Lake Wild Forest and Silver Lake Wilderness

West Branch Sacandaga RiverChub Lake / NY Route 10 to Shaker Place

A planning-only approximately 8-mile flatwater West Branch Sacandaga River paddle from the NYSDEC Chub Lake / NY Route 10 hand-launch area downstream to the improved Shaker Place take-out. NYSDEC describes the corridor as a meandering stream with navigable outlets to Chub Lake and Trout Lake, while Silver Lake Wilderness documents the downstream take-out and nearby boat-accessible campsites. This is a scenic backcountry route with limited facilities, not a guaranteed obstruction-free touring-water trip.

Route location

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Plan this route

DistanceApproximately 8 river miles from the Chub Lake bridge hand launch to the Shaker Place take-out
DifficultyEasy
Typical timeHalf to full day depending on current
ShuttleCar shuttle
A kayaker paddles the West Branch of the Sacandaga River in the Adirondack Mountains of New York.
Route photoWest Branch Sacandaga Chub Lake to Shaker Place; route-specific river contextPhoto by MJPlante1 via Wikimedia Commons

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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 distanceApproximately 8 river miles from the Chub Lake bridge hand launch to the Shaker Place take-outChub Lake / NY Route 10 to Shaker Place
DifficultyeasyNYSDEC characterizes the section as meandering flatwater, but the remote setting, shallow late-season conditions, beaver dams, floating wood, narrow channels, wind, cold water, limited facilities, and few formal exits make it more demanding than a maintained lake loop.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage the downstream vehicle at the confirmed Shaker Place take-out, then drive to the Chub Lake Parking Area on NY Route 10. Keep vehicles in designated areas, do not block gates or shoulders, and allow extra time for a slow flatwater day, side trips, carries, seasonal road conditions, and a daylight exit.
PermitsCheck posted rulesFollow current NYSDEC Ferris Lake Wild Forest and Silver Lake Wilderness rules, the Shaker/Oxbow Tract conservation-easement restrictions, New York boating and PFD requirements, posted parking instructions, and any seasonal road or access closure.
CampingOptions nearbySilver Lake Wilderness documents designated primitive sites along the West Branch and one designated site on Chub Lake, including boat-accessible sites; use only marked sites and follow current state-land rules. The Shaker Place Oxbow Tract expressly prohibits camping, so it is a take-out only. Nearby DEC campgrounds and lodging are separate basecamp options.
SeasonMay-OctNYSDEC describes this as a meandering flatwater paddle with navigable side trips to Chub Lake and Trout Lake. Spring and early summer typically offer more depth, while late-season low water, beaver activity, strainers, wind on open pools, and changing access conditions require a local visual check before launching.

Plan ahead

Tomorrow and the weekend

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Plan

Plan your trip

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

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

A planning-only approximately 8-mile flatwater West Branch Sacandaga River paddle from the NYSDEC Chub Lake / NY Route 10 hand-launch area downstream to the improved Shaker Place take-out. NYSDEC describes the corridor as a meandering stream with navigable outlets to Chub Lake and Trout Lake, while Silver Lake Wilderness documents the downstream take-out and nearby boat-accessible campsites. This is a scenic backcountry route with limited facilities, not a guaranteed obstruction-free touring-water trip.

Access map

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Start

Put-in

NYSDEC Chub Lake Parking Area / West Branch hand launch
Open mapDirections to put-in

The Chub Lake launch is an undeveloped state-land hand-launch context at a highway bridge; confirm the exact carry, water entry, parking, and traffic conditions in daylight.

Finish

Take-out

NYSDEC Shaker Place Take-out
Open mapDirections to take-out

The Shaker Place take-out is on a private conservation-easement tract with limited public use. Stay within the designated waterway access and parking area, do not cross closed gates, and follow current posted restrictions.

Road shuttle

Driving shuttle routeShuttle in Apple MapsOpenStreetMap
Access notes and hazards

Access caveats

  • The Chub Lake launch is an undeveloped state-land hand-launch context at a highway bridge; confirm the exact carry, water entry, parking, and traffic conditions in daylight.
  • The Shaker Place take-out is on a private conservation-easement tract with limited public use. Stay within the designated waterway access and parking area, do not cross closed gates, and follow current posted restrictions.
  • The stored endpoints are DEC-published access-area/waterline anchors, not surveyed ramps. Confirm the landing, depth, obstruction-free path, parking, and shuttle arrangement before launching.

Watch for

  • 01321000 proxy trend, local rain, shallow late-season water, deadfall, beaver dams, floating debris, cold water, and wind on Chub or Trout Lake
  • Narrow meanders, navigable-outlet uncertainty, limited facilities, wildlife, remote rescue, daylight, and the need to carry around obstructions
  • NY Route 10 traffic, designated parking, Shaker/Oxbow gates and no-camping rules, seasonal closures, and private sports-group or logging activity

Plan this paddle

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Conditions

Water levels, gauge history, and hourly forecast

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Gauge detail

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Gauge

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Weather

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Route gallery

Photos

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

A kayaker paddles the West Branch of the Sacandaga River in the Adirondack Mountains of New York.
West Branch Sacandaga Chub Lake to Shaker Place; route-specific river contextPhoto by MJPlante1 via Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons: CC BY-SA 4.0

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.

  • Named flatwater corridorChub Lake / NY Route 10 to Shaker Place; approximately 8 miles

    NYSDEC describes the West Branch as a meandering flatwater paddle and Silver Lake Wilderness publishes the Chub Lake access, downstream take-out, and approximate distance.

    Source

  • Official endpoint coordinatesChub Lake Parking Area 43.2553, -74.5353; Shaker Place Take-out 43.3243, -74.5303

    NYSDEC publishes both water-access anchors and identifies the associated NY Route 10 bridge/parking context.

    Source

  • State-land access and restrictionsFerris Lake Wild Forest Chub Lake hand launch and Oxbow Tract Shaker Place access

    DEC publishes the hand-launch sites and limits Shaker/Oxbow public use to the designated waterway access, parking area, and upstream river portion; camping and fires are prohibited there.

    Source

  • Downstream proxy gaugeUSGS 01321000 Sacandaga River Near Hope, NY

    The live station is downstream of the West Branch confluence and is used only for broad basin trend, not local depth or a go/no-go cutoff.

    Source

  • Camping contextSilver Lake Wilderness designated sites along the West Branch and on Chub Lake

    DEC documents boat-accessible primitive sites, while the separate Shaker/Oxbow tract expressly prohibits camping; use only marked legal sites.

    Source

  • Route imageWest Branch of Sacandaga River paddling image used as route-specific river context

    The Wikimedia image depicts the named West Branch and is presented as scenic river context; it does not certify current depth, obstruction, access, or camping conditions.

    Source

  • Same-river proxy gaugeUSGS 01321000, Sacandaga River Near Hope, NY

    USGS 01321000 is a live downstream main-stem station near Hope, below the West Branch confluence and far downstream of this upper reach. It is useful only for broad basin trend and rainfall context; route depth, local obstructions, tributary timing, and wind can differ materially at Chub Lake and Shaker Place.

    Source

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

    NYSDEC Ferris Lake Wild Forest / Silver Lake Wilderness / Adirondack paddling sources 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.Hamilton County / Ferris Lake Wild Forest and Silver Lake WildernessJump to routes in this region.

More on West Branch Sacandaga River

All 2
Whitehouse Road / West River Road to Blackbridge Road take-out above Sacandaga CampgroundHamilton County / Silver Lake WildernessHard · Approximately 7.6 river miles from the Whitehouse put-in to the Blackbridge Road take-out

Nearby routes within 75 miles

East Canada CreekPowley Place Hand Launch downstream to the island/head-of-rapids turn-around and back · about 7 straight-line mi awayEasy · Approximately 4 water miles out-and-back, with almost 2 miles downstream to the DEC-described rapids turn-around and the same distance returningPiseco OutletNY Route 10/Big Bay hand launch down Piseco Outlet to the West Branch Sacandaga confluence and back · about 9 straight-line mi awayModerate · Approximately 9 water miles round trip from the NY Route 10/Big Bay hand launch to the Piseco Outlet–West Branch Sacandaga confluence and back; American Whitewater lists the one-way reach at 4.5 milesSacandaga RiverHope NY Route 30 access / Town Garage to Northville Great Sacandaga inflow · about 15 straight-line mi awayEasy · 8 river milesSouth Branch West Canada CreekFayle Road to Nobleboro · about 15 straight-line mi awayHard · 5.3 whitewater river miles from the Fayle Road hand launch to the Nobleboro bridge/river access anchor

Quick answers

West Branch Sacandaga River paddling FAQ

What water level is best for the Chub Lake / NY Route 10 to Shaker Place route on the West Branch Sacandaga 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 Chub Lake / NY Route 10 to Shaker Place route on the West Branch Sacandaga River start and end?

This route starts at NYSDEC Chub Lake Parking Area / West Branch hand launch and ends at NYSDEC Shaker Place Take-out, Approximately 8 river miles from the Chub Lake bridge hand launch to the Shaker Place take-out on the water.

Is the Chub Lake / NY Route 10 to Shaker Place route on the West Branch Sacandaga River suitable for beginners?

This is listed as a easy 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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