09/05/2025
The Adirondack Canoe Classic — more commonly known as the 90-Miler — is set for Sept. 5-7, with 275 boats and more than 600 paddlers signed up for the three-day paddling stage race.
The race is hosted by the Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) with support from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, dozens of businesses, nonprofits and communities, as well as hundreds of volunteers. It takes paddlers on a three-day journey from Old Forge to Saranac Lake — the first 90 miles of the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail.
“The 90-Miler is truly one of the grandest paddling traditions in the Adirondacks,” said Karrie Thomas, executive director of the NFCT. “As a nonprofit charged with stewarding a 740-mile canoe trail – including the Adirondack Canoe Classic course — this race isn’t just an amazing community experience: it’s also a way for us to turn around and invest the revenue it generates directly into maintaining the access points, portages and campsites that all paddlers in the Adirondacks enjoy. We can’t wait to see everyone in Old Forge and cheer them on as they paddle to Saranac Lake.”
“This year’s event is particularly special, as we get to celebrate the NFCT’s 25th anniversary with thousands of paddling enthusiasts,” Thomas added.
The 90-Miler includes a full contingent of solo, tandem, four-person, and eight-person canoes as well as solo and tandem kayaks, one- and two-person guideboats, and stand-up paddle boards.
Race revenue is directed back into stewardship, maintenance and access projects on the Adirondack sections of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail and adjacent waterways. Revenue also supports the Northern Forest Explorers Scholarship Fund, which helps pay for kids aged 10-15 to participate in week-long canoe camping trips hosted by local guides.
Additionally, civic organizations working with the NFCT generate thousands of dollars for local projects during the 90-Miler. The towns of Webb, Long Lake, Inlet, Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake house, feed, outfit and gas up paddlers and their support crews not just for the 90, but for countless paddlers who pass through the Adirondacks.
The 90-Miler community is represented by a large contingent of local participants; more than 50 people are members of the Gold Canoe Club — paddlers who have finished the 90 Miler at least 20 times. While paddlers require strength, skill and stamina, participants range in age from 10 to 80. There will be over 50 students representing several regional colleges and universities paddling this year, and more than 100 first-time 90-Milers.
The best spots for spectators are as follows:
Day 1: The start in Old Forge, 8-9:30 a.m., several locations along state Route 28 including Arrowhead Park in Inlet and the finish line in Blue Mountain Lake.
Day 2: The beach in Long Lake, from 8:30-10a.m., a hike into Stoney Creek on the Raquette River, and the finish line at the Route 3/30 DEC Fishing Access east of Tupper Lake.
Day 3: The start at 8:30 a.m. at Fish Creek Campground, a hike into Bartlett Carry and the finish line festivities at Riverfront Park on Lake Flower in Saranac Lake.
For more information including a list of participants, boat classifications, frequently asked questions and more, visit northernforestcanoetrail.org/adirondack90miler.
The Northern Forest Canoe Trail is a nonprofit organization that maintains and promotes the 740-mile water trail that runs from Old Forge to Fort Kent, Maine, and connects New York, Vermont, Quebec, New Hampshire and Maine.
Pictured are participants in the 2024 Adirondack Canoe Classic are shown in Old Forge prior to the start of the 90-mile race. — Photo by Max Finkelstein
— By Chris Morris, For the Express
