FULL: Bartlett Carry Club & Environs
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
In 1854, Virgil Bartlett established an inn for 50 guests and a horse-drawn wagon service for transporting boats along the portage between Upper Saranac and Middle Saranac Lakes. Legendary for its trout fishing and hospitality, this historic crossroads was known as “Bartlett’s Carry” for the next 35 years. The property was then reorganized as The Saranac Club by wealthy patrons, who added lodges and private cottages. In 1968, Fran and Jay Yardley purchased this thousand-acre stretch with 37 buildings and restored the complex as the Bartlett Carry Club. Over the next several years, the club shifted to private, cooperative ownership. Get an insider’s view of this special place of historical value and private beauty. In the afternoon, we will explore the former homestead of prolific wilderness advocate Clarence Petty.
The Bartlett Carry Club tour is led by actor, storyteller, historian, and author, Fran Yardley, whose book, Finding True North: A History of One Small Corner of the Adirondacks, will be available to purchase. The tour begins at 10 AM and ends at 2 PM.
The fee is $70 for AARCH members and $85 for non-members.
Please note that there will be roughly a half mile of walking over hilly, uneven terrain.