Note: Access to Lows Lower Dam will be closed for the 2024 season. For further information, and the latest from the DEC on Lows Lower Dam access, check the Bog River Complex page.

The remote and serene backcountry paddle into Lows Lake is the perfect spot for a multi-day paddling trip. It's a motorboat-free location with 39 primitive campsites, and it's also one of the largest nesting areas for loons in the state.

Getting there

From the intersection of Route 30 and Route 3 in Tupper Lake, follow Route 30 toward Long Lake. Turn right on Route 421 and follow it for about 6 miles to the access road for Lows Lower Dam. Please note this is a very small parking lot for the heavy use it gets.    

Paddling

Get to Lows Lake by following the Bog River from Lows Lower Dam to Hitchins Pond. Cross the pond and take out along the rocky shore near the base of Lows Upper Dam. The carry up and over the dam is aided by a well-maintained footpath and forest road. Continue following the Bog River to Lows Lake, about 11 miles from the first dam.

Plan on spending more than a day exploring this massive and scenic lake. Loon calls fill the air, the wetland boasts colorful birds and plants, and splendid views of rugged mountains surround this wilderness area. Lows Lake is possibly one of the most talked about and secluded lakes in the Adirondacks.

Type of launch: There is a carry of about 200 feet and a dirt launch.

Type of water: A gentle current along a river to a backcountry pond.