Henderson Lake - September 15, 2026

On the portage trail

My first trip with the RICKA group in the Adirondacks was at Henderson Lake. It was a new trip for me, and also for RICKA.

Henderson Lake is a two-mile-long lake sitting on the edge of the High Peaks Wilderness Area. Covering roughly 281-acres, it is the “official” birthplace of the Hudson River. The river begins its 306-mile journey at the lake's concrete outlet spillway near the put-in.

Launching near the source
of the Hudson River

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the area around the lake evolved from a mining village into an exclusive Gilded Age camp. Remnants of both can be seen on the drive to the parking lot and the portage down to the lake. The lake was opened to the public in 2003, and formally absorbed into the state wilderness area in 2008.

The group met at 9:30 for the drive to the Upper Works Trailhead Parking Lot. From there it is a half-mile portage down a rocky path to the lake – a high-wheeled cart is recommended. We launched a began a counterclockwise circumnavigation of the lake. It was a cloudy day, but there were still beautiful views of Wallface Mountain, Henderson Mountain, McNaughton, and the MacIntyre Range.

Enjoying the mountain views

As we approached the northern end of the lake we noticed smoke coming out of the trees. At first we thought it was a campsite, but soon realized that it was a small forest fire. Several members of the group extinguished the visible flames, but it was probably still smoldered underground. Once we got back in cell phone range we reported it to NYDEC with GPS coordinates.

We had a big group, so about half stopped for lunch at the lean-to on the north-west shoreline near a small waterfall. The rest of us found some room on a grouping of boulders nearby. We continued down to the southern end of the lake, exploring the many bays and coves before returning to the put-in.

Links:
My Pictures
Upper Works Trail Head Parking Lot
Henderson Lake