The Outdoors · Adirondacks & North Country
Inlet Boating Starts With Fulton Chain Rules
Inlet visitors should start Fulton Chain boating and trail plans with DEC access information, local history, and current maps before choosing a launch.
Published June 24, 2026 · Last verified June 24, 2026
Inlet is an easy place to treat casually because the lakes feel close and inviting. Start with official access information anyway. DEC describes the 16,028-acre Fulton Chain Wild Forest as lying along the Fulton Chain of Lakes in the western Adirondacks, near Old Forge, Eagle Bay, and Inlet.
It notes that the area’s mix of natural and human-made features makes it useful for recreation and accessible to visitors and year-round residents. The Town of Inlet history page helps explain why the lake chain matters locally, tracing late-19th-century development around the Fulton Chain Club. For a practical day, use DEC maps and current notices early, then match your launch, paddle, hike, or parking plan to actual conditions rather than to a generic Adirondack map.
The practical move is to match the plan to the official place: Fulton Chain Wild Forest, Inlet, Old Forge, Eagle Bay, a specific launch, and current DEC notices. Do that before you assume parking, access, or a route will be easy.
For a boating or paddling day, keep the lake name, launch point, parking plan, weather, and group ability in mind. The Fulton Chain feels friendly, but Adirondack access still rewards a little homework.