Black River Trail Scenic Byway

One of 13 Scenic Byways of the Adirondack North Country

• Ogdensburg - do not miss the Frederick Remington Art Museum which showcases the illustrations, paintings and bronzes of one of the world's most famous artists. Ogdensburg is the only city in St. Lawrence County, the fifth largest county east of the Mississippi River! See historic old buildings like the Robert C. McEwen Customs House, the oldest federal building in the USA. Take a walking tour of the War of 1812 sites.
• Heuvelton - Heuvelton is home to three large cheese producers, one being Heritage Cheese which buys most of the milk from the local Amish families who were attracted to this area's simple, rural farming and dairying. They are one of three colonies in St. Lawrence County. Ninety-percent of the milk produced in St. Lawrence County goes into local cheese production.
• Harrisville - enjoy a scenic view of the Oswegatchie River from a grassy picnic area in the center of town. The now closed Number 4 Mine of Gouverneur Talc Company produced some of the most unusual minerals found in New York State. The Kilbourn House, now a B&B, has some photos of its riverside location, and describes the history of their home. View today's weather at one of
Lewis County's webcams and enjoy the bluegrass sounds of the Atkinson Family.
• Croghan - visit the American Maple Museum and maple syrup producers in Lewis County area. The Museum was originally the home of Croghan's millionaire, Theodore B. Basselin. Enjoy photos of the past in Croghan, Lowville and other communities in Lewis County as well as some from the Croghan Railroad Museum. Among the historical homes in Lewis County is the Mennonite Heritage Farm, now a museum preserving the lives of early Amish-Mennonite settlers. Located just outside Croghan, the farm hosts the annual Zwanzigstein Fest, a day-long celebration featuring traditional Mennonite foods, crafts, and activities. Close by, the Beaver River, because of the drop of elevation from the eastern edge of Lewis County to its confluence with the Black River, has a total of nine hydro plants. The Croghan Tract is located in a transitional area between the Tug Hill Plateau and the more rugged area of the Adirondack Mountains. The terrain is generally rolling, with hardwood forests covering much of the area.
• Lowville - visit one of the oldest county fairs in the United States. Postcards of early Lowville show early American craftsmanship like the Italianate villa Hough House, a National Historic Landmark built in 1860 on Collins Street. In 1903 G. A. Blackmon, one of the leading businessmen in Lowville, formed a corporation to build and operate a railroad from Lowville to Croghan. Kraft Foods in Lowville is now the biggest producer of soft body cream cheese in the world. The Lowville Nature Trail at the former Tree Nursery is a 92-acre site, includes an arboretum with over 300 different species of trees and shrubs, a Christmas tree plantation, stocked fishing pond, wildlife marsh and restored fire tower.
• Six miles south of Lowville along Route 26, you will soon be in Whetstone Gulf State Park where the three-mile-long gorge, one of the most spectacular scenic vistas east of the Rocky Mountains, cuts into the eastern edge of the Tug Hill Plateau.
• Tug Hill - The Tug Hill Plateau, with huge views of the farmlands of the Black River Valley and the Adirondacks, rises out of Lake Ontario to an elevation of 2,000 feet and is a mecca for recreation enthusiasts. With the greatest average yearly snowfall, 200 to 300 inches, of anywhere in the east, winter sports here are unbeatable. There are nearly 500 miles of groomed snowmobile, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing trails. The Tug Hill Ski Club is the original group of skiers who started the annual Tug Hill Tourathon more than two decades ago.
• Glenfield - take in the scenery on 65 miles of Otter Creek horseback riding trails.
• Lyons Falls - take advantage of the Moose River canoe and boat launches and picnic areas and admire the Gould Mansion, Richardson Romanesque structure, on High Street.
• Boonville - visit the Dodge Pratt Northam Art Center and Community Center, Woodgate Pines Golf course, and celebrate the annual largest celebration of the NYS lumbering industry at Woodmen's Field Day. View old Postcards of Boonville.
• Pixley Falls State Park - six miles south of Boonville on Rte. 46 take a minute to explore the Five Combine Locks of the Black River Canal, designed to connect the Erie Canal (Barge) to the Black River. From Rome to Boonville, a distance of 25 miles, it was necessary to build 70 locks to lift the boats and water 693 feet. From Boonville to Lyons Falls, where the canals met, a distance of slightly over 10 miles, 39 locks lifted their cargo 386 feet. At the park is also a dramatic 50-foot waterfall, 22 stream-side campsites, and a nature trail. A cross-country ski trail runs along the Black River Canal, which is just inside the park entrance. Boonville is the north end of the trail, starting at the warming hut on Route 12, south of downtown Boonville.
• Delta Dam - When the water is low in Delta Lake, look for the rooftops of Delta City which was flooded by the lake in 1912. The Delta Lake State Park offers camping, swimming, and boat launch.
• Rome - do not miss Fort Stanwix nor the Erie Canal Village where in July 4, 1817, the first shovelful of earth was turned for the construction of the original Erie Canal. To learn more about Rome, home of Revere Copper and Brass, and people such as Francis Bellamy who wrote the Pledge of Allegiance, visit the Rome Historical Society Museum and the Rome Art and Community Center. View some Photos of Rome. Nearby by is the Oneida Indian Nation. Also nearby is the Rome Sand Plains, a combination of high sand dunes and low peat bogs, making this area a rare natural feature.

Maps of Adirondack North Country
and Tourist Oriented Signage