All three events should take approximately 3-4 hours in total.
What Can I See at the Hatchery?
Various life stages of fish are present at the hatchery throughout the year. Eggs are present from mid-October to November and from mid-April to mid-May. From April through June you can see small fish. Fingerlings are present from April through November, and yearlings can be seen from April through May.
The spawning process (where eggs are taken from mature female fish and fertilized by mature male fish) can be viewed at various times from September to October and again in April.
NOTE: At this time of year you will only see adult salmon swimming up the ladders to the hatchery. They do not begin collecting eggs until after Columbus Day. The Hatchery Building will open on September 23 (hopefully), so not sure what's inside to see. The hatchery visit will probably take no longer than an hour.
AFTER THE HATCHERY VISIT we will head to the Salmon River Falls and take an easy hike along the river. The hike should not take any longer than an hour or so. There is a very strenuous hike down to the bottom of the Falls, if you wish to take that one instead. The Falls are located 7 miles north of the Hatchery. Salmon River Falls Unique Area encompasses 112 acres of land. The 110-foot Salmon River Falls and the scenic gorge are the popular attractions of this wonderful parcel of state land.
Location: 2133 County Route 22, Altmar, NY 13302. The Salmon River Fish Hatchery is located on County Route 22, one mile northeast of the Village of Altmar, Oswego County.
Directions to the Hatchery and Falls: From Route 81 take the Pulaski exit and head east on State Route 13 to Altmar. Turn onto County Route 22 at Altmar and go past the Salmon River Fish Hatchery, to Bennett's Bridge. Continue north on County Route 22 and take a right turn heading east on Falls Road. The parking area is on the right about one mile up the road.
Falls Road Parking (43.549161°N, 75.942301°W)
LUNCH: You can bring your lunch and have a picnic or eat at a restaurant. Personally, I'm going to eat out! There is a very nice lodge, Tailwater Lodge, in Altmar that has wonderful food, although it is a bit pricey. You can check out the menu at tailwaterlodge.com. We can eat lunch there or anywhere else if someone knows of another place.
FACILITIES, DRESS, DOGS:
Dress according to the weather. Bring binoculars, bug spray, water, or anything you like bringing on an easy hike. If you decide to do the strenuous hike, you might want to bring a hiking pole. There are no bathrooms outside at the Hatchery, but they probably have them indoors, if the building is open. There are no bathrooms at the Falls. DOGS: Not sure if dogs are allowed at the Hatchery (probably outside, but not inside). They are allowed at the Falls hike, if you'd like to bring your pooch.
This free event is open to members and non-members of Women Outdoors. Non-members are invited to join us on two events to see what you think. The third time's a charm - we'll ask you to join Women Outdoors at that point. You can join now by clicking on Join Us.
