TRAVEL to KETTLE POND​
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BY CAR
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The most direct means of travel to Paul Smith's College, Kettle Pond's home, is by car. The campus is located inside the Adirondack Park in upstate New York (~30 minutes from Lake Placid, ~15 minutes from Saranac Lake) and is within several hours drive of most locations in the northeastern United States (as well as major cities in Ontario & Quebec).
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Writers who wish to carpool to campus will be offered the opportunity to note this in their registration forms upon confirming attendance to the conference (following formal offers of admission). Kettle Pond staff will make every effort to connect writers interested in sharing rides to campus. We have found this typically works out quite well, though it is worth emphasizing the conference merely facilitates these connections; Kettle Pond does not currently have the resources or staffing to provide transportation to writers arriving outside of the immediate area (read: to locations other than those listed below for air, bus & train travel).
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BY BUS & TRAIN
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​Both bus & train service to the area underwent schedule disruptions / route closures during the covid years, but are back up and running for 2025 (And we are SO HERE FOR IT we're nearly out of words... but you'll bring them -- the words -- we trust...)... Outside of driving, and especially for writers departing from the NYC area, these options may even be preferable...
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Train service** to Plattsburgh, NY (PLB) is available once daily via Amtrak.
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Bus service** directly to campus/Paul Smiths, NY is available twice daily via Adirondack Trailways. (NB: depending on your station of origin, it might be more reasonable to say once daily, but we'll leave those decisions up to our writers.)
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BY AIR
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Commercial flights* to the region are available, and shuttles to Kettle Pond are possible for writers travelling into both Adirondack Regional Airport (SLK) in Saranac Lake, NY & Plattsburgh International Airport (PBG) in Plattsburgh, NY.
Writers planning to travel by air are encouraged to book in advance, as space on regional flights is limited. Campus shuttles are typically only available on the first and last days of the conference, and will need to be reserved ahead of writers' arrivals to ensure availability.​​
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*A friendly reminder that REAL ID or a TSA accepted equivalent are now required for domestic US air travel.
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OTHER TRAVEL QUESTIONS?
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Writers with additional travel questions are encouraged to contact conference staff directly with their concerns. We are here to help!​
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