NY 3 West from Plattsburgh to Saranac Lake

This stretch of NY 3, from Plattsburgh to Saranac Lake, is a great road and passes through a very rural, un-touristy part of the Adirondacks. It is more like the other rural parts of NY State, without all the High Peaks scenery and climbing and no Placid like preppiness. The road itself is one of the best and oldest two lane highways in the state. It is popular with high peaks residents who want to do a day of shopping in Plattsburgh or go to Montreal. It does have some good sized mountains and one good hilly stretch near the Clinton County line. Its main attraction is fishing along the Saranac River, which it follows most of the way to Plattsburgh. The most desolate and mountainous part is the stretch through Franklin County. There are numerous parking areas along the road, for fishermen and others. Southbound drivers can access NY 3W from Exit 38 and use the NY 374 bypass to pick up NY 3. In Plattsburgh, NY 3 is the main shopping area and as Cornelia Street, goes by SUNY and the airport and into downtown.

In Clinton County, it goes through the hamlets of Cadyville, Saranac, Redford, and Clayburg; in Franklin County, it goes through Sugarbush and Vermontville, and finally in Essex County, it goes through Bloomingdale, where you make a left hand turn towards Saranac Lake Village.