On this fall day we put in our canoes for Black Pond by Keese Mills Road. After a short paddle, we ate lunch at the Black Pond lean-to near the footbridge, returned and crossed Keese Mills Road and paddled up to Lower St Regis Lake and back. We saw one other canoe the entire day.

It's a perfect paddle for visitors and beginners. Walking trails maintained by Paul Smith's VIC provide an option for non-paddlers to enjoy the same views. On previous trips to this area we've walked the trail from Black Pond to the lean-to on Long Pond, but you cannot easily reach Long Pond by canoe unless you attempt a carry through a marshy area across multiple beaver dams.