Skip to main content

Cornell University

6 Day Canoeing in the Adirondacks

Canoeing on a river

Looking for a more water-oriented trip with plenty of opportunities for swimming? Consider 6 day canoeing! This trip explores the Adirondack Mountains in upstate NY- often the Fulton Chain Lakes, Raquette and Long Lakes, Blue Mountain Lake, Tupper Lake, and the Saranac Lakes. Specific trip details will be provided by the trip guides.While some areas near small villages are populated, most of the country traversed is wild, secluded, and quiet. In August the warm water, bright sun, and cool nights make for an enjoyable trip through spectacular landscapes. You will spend time on some of the most beautiful lakes in Adirondack Park. Expect awe-inspiring beauty, lake swimming, and the potential to see amazing Adirondack lake wildlife--like the Loon! Usually, the trip is 5 days of canoeing and 1 day of hiking.

Details
Trip Dates

August 12, 2024: Arrive in Ithaca between 11am-1pm (Day 0)

August 13, 2024: Trip departs (Day 1)

August 18, 2024: Trip returns to Ithaca for Camp-o-rama (Day 6)

August 19, 2024: Move-in day (Day 7)

Trip Fee$585 (Financial Assistance available)
LocationAdirondack Mountains, NY
Activity LevelExpect to canoe about 5+ miles per day and portage (carrying the canoe) about 1-2 miles over the course of the trip
BasecampingNo
Access to showers or restroomsNo
Itinerary
Day 0Trip participants arrive between 11:00AM and 1:00PM at Cornell, trip participants and their guides meet and begin to get to know each other, prepare their belongings for the trip and have a trip dinner (usually at one of the restaurants in Collegetown). Trip participants and their guides sleep on the Arts Quad.
Day 1The trip wakes up bright and early and heads off to the starting point of their canoe trip.
Days
2-5
A normal day consists of canoeing about 5 miles, with ample time for rest and eating lunch. The trip will camp near the water each night. Some days may involve taking a day-hike and camping in the same site for 2 nights!
Day 6All trips return to Ithaca for Camp-O-Rama, a closing ceremony and celebration of the Outdoor Odyssey trips. Trip participants clean their gear, share a meal with other trips, and get the chance to meet some of the ~200 other participants.
Move-In DayTrip is shuttled back to Bartels Hall on the morning of move-in, where the participants return their rented gear as a group. Once all gear is returned, trip participants are free to register at Bartels Hall and move into their dorms. Oftentimes, guides will help their trip participants move in.

Testimonial

"... a big thank you for giving our daughter the opportunity to go on the Outdoor Odyssey Canoe trip in August. She had a great experience - so good that she took kayaking lessons when she returned and recently she told me she wants to be a guide herself! We are so pleased that the experience was so positive for her."