The main route from Saranac Inn to Paul Smiths extends through a series of ponds long known as "the Route of the Seven Carries." From Saranac Inn, you carry 1.5 miles over the road to Rat Pond, then carry along the north side of the railroad track to Little Green Pond. It is .5 miles across Little Green Pond to the carry on the east side of the pond. This carry is .125 mile long and brings you into Little Clear Pond. An alternate route would be to canoe up Lake Clear Outlet on the northeast shore of Upper Saranac Lake, then upstream on Hatchery Brook past two wooden bridges to the takeout point at Rt. 30. there is a .75 mile carry to Little Clear Pond. Canoeing through Little Clear Pond to the north end, you will find s well defined trail leading northwesterly to St. Regis Pond. There is a lean to on the south shore of St. Regis Pond approximately .75 miles east of the outlet. by following the east shore of St. Regis Pond a short distance, you reach a carry of .1 mile east to Green Pond. This pond is only about .25 mile wide and one soon reaches the carry at the northeast part which leads north .25 mile into Little Long Pond. Canoeing northeast for about a mile through Little Long Pond one reaches the north end of the pond and a carry of .25 mile into Bear Pond. The carry from Bear Pond to Bog Pond leaves the east side of Bear Pond and is about 100 feet long. Between Bog Pond and Upper St. ?Regis Lake there is a 200 foot carry. From the end of this carry proceed northeast across Upper St. Regis Lake through the narrow channel into Spitfire Lake. Then paddle along the east side of Spitfire Lake about a mile to the stream leading into Lower St. Regis Lake, and across the latter about .75 mile to Paul Smiths.

From Paul Smiths, travel northeast to Kushaqua. Carry about .25 mile to Church Pond located next to Rt. 86 on the north side of the highway. Then travel east through the very shallow channel into Osgood Pond and travel to the east end. Canoe up the outlet to Jones Pond and through this pond to the carry at the north end, which is about 1 mile from the west end of Rainbow Lake. The trip through Rainbow Lake is about 3 miles to the east end of the lake. From here, travel down the north branch of the Saranac River to Lake Kushaqua where the trip ends on the north end of the lake There is camping at Buck Pond Campground.