Thawing temperatures signal the Adirondack Coast’s “liquid gold” rush each spring—sugar rush, that is!
As snow melts, the season’s sweetest treat begins to flow from the surrounding maple trees uniquely thriving in the Northeastern part of the U.S. In fact, the Sugar Maple is New York State’s official tree. You may have even noticed webs of piping running through wooded areas during your travels. These are sure signs the Adirondack Coast’s maple season is in full swing!
In order for the sticky sap to flow, daytime and nighttime temperatures need to strike a sweet spot (pun intended): slightly above freezing during the day and just below freezing at night. This means the Adirondack Coast’s maple production reaches its height around the end of March each year. Visitors head to our shores from far and wide around this time for Maple Weekends, a statewide celebration of this "liquid gold" and all of its goodness. This year, Maple Weekends falls on March 21-22 & 28-29 and maple farms across New York State invite visitors to their sugar houses to experience firsthand how pure, mouth-watering maple syrup and other related products are made. Visitors also have the opportunity to enjoy fun, family-friendly activities, taste New York’s freshest syrup and purchase maple products.
If it’s the purest of syrups you’re after, the area’s memorable maple farms and sugar houses won’t disappoint, offering up the standard “Fancy”, “Medium Amber”, “Dark Amber” and “B” grades travelers to Northern New York have come to know and crave. As natural sweeteners with nutritional value, these syrups present endless possibilities for adventures both inside and outside the kitchen. Bring some home to drizzle on your pancakes or waffles, in your coffee, or over your oatmeal, but not before exploring what other delicious confections the following Adirondack Coast sweet stops have in store.
Parker’s Family Maple Farm | 1043 Slosson Rd, West Chazy, NY
Parker family generations have been tapping trees for sap in West Chazy since the 1800’s. Today, theirs is one of the largest operations in the U.S. with a 1,000-acre maple farm producing 40,000 gallons per year. That’ll cover a lot of pancakes (and don’t worry, they’ve got those too). Fun fact: you need about 40 to 50 gallons of sap to produce just one gallon of “pure” maple syrup!
Want to learn more about production processes and how it all works? Meet the Parker family during your visit to the farm, which also includes a gift shop, restaurant, and equipment dealership. You’ll quickly learn the maple sugaring tradition is about more than just syrup and pancakes (although, we can all agree those are amazing!). This is a celebrated lifestyle and an agricultural art here on the Adirondack Coast, often carried on throughout generations, with historic roots in Native American tradition.
Whatever your maple desires might include—an agricultural history lesson, equipment to start your own operation, or maybe just a really, really great snack (the maple ice cream is highly recommended!)—visitors of all ages and interests will savor something sweet here.
Bechard's Sugar HouseI 61 Sanger Lane, West Chazy, NY
Today, Bechard’s Maple honors the legacy of father and son team Maurice and Marvin, who opened the farm as a hobby in 1998. After his father’s passing, Marvin continued the tradition with his wife, Tammy, and together they’ve grown from the original 300 taps to today’s 9,000 (and counting!).
With a background in contracting, Marvin designed and built the farm’s pancake house himself. Visitors can stop by for full pancake breakfasts complete with eggs, sausage, and bacon starting the first week of March (follow them on Facebook for the latest event updates!).
While you’re there, be sure to tour the original sugar house, where visitors will find uniquely shaped glass containers artfully filled with varying shades of shimmering amber liquid, among other treats: maple candies made in house, pancake mixes, sugars, recipes, cotton candy, doughnuts, sauces, and more! Whatever your sweet tooth is after, you’re sure to find it here.
Sacred Roots Maple | 161 Atwood Rd, West Chazy, NY
Sacred Roots is the artisanally curated maple haven you’ve been looking for, run by the young and friendly husband and wife duo, Ben and Ashley. The couple celebrates a deeply rooted and spiritual appreciation for their surrounding land and its 100-year history in the maple industry (hence, the farm’s name).
Bring the whole family along while the air is still a crisp and enjoy sleigh rides! Any other time, treat yourself to tasty samples and demonstrations. Learn how the couple proudly combines past traditions with modern technology by using a wood-fired evaporator to boil their sap. Fun Fact: the sap that comes from Sugar Maple trees is a translucent liquid with only 2% sugar content - because of this, it must boil, evaporate, and caramelize to transform into the sticky syrup we all recognize! With 66 acres of maple trees in their “sugarbush”, as the farms are often called, the pair takes great joy in creating an exceptional experience for their visitors.
Brandybrook Maple Farm & Olde Tyme Wine | 439 Brandy Brook Road, Ellenburg Center, NY
Escape the hustle and bustle of daily life and retreat to family-owned Brandybrook Maple Farm & Olde Tyme Winery in Ellenburg Center, a hamlet known for its quiet roads, scenic drives, and magnificent white wind turbines. Harvesting sap from 5 sugar bushes throughout the Adirondack Coast, this small farm operation continues to produce a variety of tasty creations since first opening its doors in 2007.
Here you’ll find the favorite maple standards—syrups, sugars, creams, and cotton candy—but you’ll also find an expanding list of more than 12 reds, whites, and fruit wines enhanced by (you guessed it!) their very own pure maple syrup. Book an appointment in advance and tour the winery and sugar house, sampling some the Adirondack Coast’s sweetest libations—all made using a combination of estate and local grapes, as well as other fruits. The first of its kind in Ellenburg Center, this stop is ideal for anyone looking to unwind with more than a shot or two of maple syrup!
There’s so much to tap into during the Adirondack Coast’s springtime maple madness! Planning to stick around for a bit after satisfying your craving for our “liquid gold”? Check out these other nearby attractions.
Other stops near West Chazy, NY:
Other stops near Ellenburg Center, NY:
