Upstate Beer Tourist

admin

Aug 18 .

Camping, Craft Beer in NY’s Fulton Chain Region and Old Forge

Written by Kayc Cass-Northrop

When looking for complete silence, there is nothing better than an Adirondack silence within the Moose River Plains Wild Forest. Most of the ponds there are so remote that you are lucky to see another group at your destination, although the campsites have become more popular over the years. My husband and I used to camp in the primitive sites when we were younger and I could handle no running water, no showers, and only rustic outhouses. His family grew up camping there and while I also grew up camping, my mother only went there a few times, without us kids. In my 20s I loved camping there with my husband, his family, and our son. These days I opt for the hot water showers and flushing toilets of the nearby DEC campground at Limekiln Lake and enjoy spending a day back in the Moose River Plains Wild Forest- South Area each time we are there. The whole MRP area covers 79,487 acres, includes more than 65 ponds and lakes; about 100 miles of brooks, rivers, and streams; miles of marked trails; and more than 100 primitive roadside campsites. There are only a couple roads throughout the Wild Forest Areas and they can be a beast to drive on. Be prepared to drive very slow and a higher-sitting vehicle is recommended. A couple of our favorite places to frequent there are Lost Ponds, Ice House Pond, Helldiver Pond, and Beaver Pond. This past visit we saw fresh moose tracks for the first time! Of all the years we have been going there we have never seen a moose and it is my dream to finally see one some day. At least now I have proof that they still do exist in that area.

Photo by Kayc Jo Cass-Northrop

Hiking nearby mountains and trails are always popular things to do in the area too. This past trip we completed the Fulton Chain Trifecta hiking challenge. This challenge includes three mountain hikes in nearby Old Forge and Inlet- Bald Mountain, Rocky Mountain, and Black Bear Mountain. We first did Rocky Mountain back in 2016. This is the shortest of the three hikes, but has a pretty steep, rocky climb to the top, hence the name. The trail is about 1 mile up and back down with an accent of 475 feet. The summit sits at an elevation of 2205 feet and has gorgeous views of the Fulton Chain of Lakes. In 2020 we hiked Bald Mountain. This hike is about 1.8 miles round trip, with an ascent of 400 feet. There are several places along the way to stop to take in the views and the summit, elevation 2350’, has beautiful views of the Fulton Chain of Lakes and Blue Mountain. Atop Bald Mountain is also the restored Rondaxe Fire Tower. Climb up for superb 360 degree views! This firetower is also part of the ADK Fire Tower Challenge. This summer we climbed Black Bear Mountain and completed the Trifecta Challenge. Black Bear Mountain is the longest of the challenge, but offers three trail options with two trailheads. One trailhead shares a parking lot with Rocky Mountain on Route 28 and the other is off Uncas Road. The Uncas Road trail is 2.2 miles one way and is less steep. The other two trail options start together off the Route 28 parking lot. Of these two, the shorter but more difficult and steep trail is 1.9 miles to the summit, while the easier climb is 3.1 miles. That longer trail joins with the Uncas Road trail toward the end to get to the summit. We decided to park on Route 28 and complete the two trails there as a loop, for a total of 5 miles, and took the advice of many others and took the shorter trail first to climb up the steeper ascent, 700 feet, instead of trying to climb down the tricky rocky face on the way back down. Once at the summit, 2442’, we were treated to beautiful views of forests, mountains, and waters toward the south and east. We headed back down via the longer but easier 3.1 trail after chilling at the top for a while. The Trifecta Challenge can be completed in both summer and winter for different patches and is perfect for the whole family.

When in the Fulton Chain area, we always spend a day or two in the towns of Old Forge and Inlet. Old Forge is the larger of the two and has many shops, restaurants, bars, a brewery, hotels, motels, cottages, a nice town park, and several family friendly activities. Old Forge is home to the Water Safari amusement park that is great on a hot day. Inlet is a small, quaint village. It is a nice place to spend the day wandering the shops, restaurants, bars, and the town park. It also has a variety of places to stay if camping is not your thing. Both Inlet and Old Forge have Blue Line Coffee Houses which are a must stop for us for tasty espresso drinks whenever we are driving by. Stop by any of the nearby public boat launches on the many Fulton Chain Lakes to hit the water for the day with your watercraft or the parks for a swim.

Photo by Kayc Jo Cass-Northrop

And of course, any trip to Limekiln for us is not complete without a stop (or two or three) at the Fulton Chain Craft Brewery in Old Forge. This farm brewery was founded in 2014 by Justin Staskiewicz and Richard Mathy. Using 100% NYS hops and 85% NYS grain, they brew a wide variety of year-round and seasonal beers and have many choices on tap each day, usually also including one on nitro. They have great prices, pints for $6-$8, half pints for $4-$5, or a flight of four for $12, and have a nice selection of NYS wines, ciders, and spirits on the menu. Take home items include crowlers, growlers, and limited 4-packs of cans. During our stop on the way through to setting up camp, Adam and I shared three flights to be able to try most of the options they had that day: Adventure Canoe IPA, Go Fluff Yourself (peanut butter and fluff ale), Permanently Visiting (saison), KPNTRKN (honey and rye ale), Stealthy Buddha (scottish-style ale), Bear Road Coffee Stout, Appropriate Amount Ale (chocolate maple brown, made with NYS maple syrup), Blueberry Gose, Flooded Tent (cucumber lime saison), Drink Your Wheat-ease (raspberry wheat), Mango Scotty (mango blood orange blonde), and Eskimo Strong (imperial amber). They also had a pilsner, Pils are Good, and the Bearded Lager on that day. They were all very tasty but my favorite of the day was the coffee stout. We took advantage of their crowler 3-pack deal (three for $30 as opposed to the still well-priced $11 singles) and purchased a variety to enjoy throughout the week at the campsite. The brewery and tap room have an Adirondack lodge look and feel complete with a beautiful mountain lion mounted on the wall. There are several tables, a couch with a fireplace, and a long wraparound bar with seating indoors and a large outdoor seating area filled with picnic tables. The brewing equipment is on display both through a large window inside the tap room and on the opposite end of the building from an open deck area where you can see the tanks that are named for the different Fulton Chain lakes. Inside of FCCB is a separately owned and run restaurant, Brewside Grill & Test Kitchen. This small, unique-menu restaurant is a big kick with locals and visitors. Seating for the restaurant is shared with the brewery. The kitchen hours are different from the brewery, so check ahead to make sure they will be open if you are hoping for some nosh along with your drinks. We enjoyed the Tuscan Pasta Bowl and the South West Bowl during our stop for lunch on our way back by before hitting the road home. Both items were delicious as have been the other meals we’ve enjoyed there during past visits. Of course we consumed a pint with lunch and grabbed another 3-pack of crowlers to take home with us. Fulton Chain Craft Brewery is definitely worth a stop if you are anywhere near the Old Forge area, no matter the season. I’ve never been to the area in the winter, but I hear it’s quite popular with the snowmobilers too.