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Outdoors in the Adirondack Park and the North Country
At every turn the out-of-doors beckons. The Adirondack Park boasts more than 2,000 miles of trails open for biking, hiking, horseback riding and snowmobiling. State and local public parks for picnicking and camping are scattered throughout the region, as are many private campgrounds, such as Lake George R.V. Park, and Fins, Feathers & Furs Hideaway Retreat in Argyle. There are also summer camps operated by the Girl Scouts of the Adirondack Council, the Twin Rivers Council of the Boy Scouts, and the Silver Bay YMCA and Conference Center.
The famous Warren County Bike Trail runs between Lake George and Glens Falls, with overpasses crossing Aviation Road and Route 149. Gore Mountain Ski Center in North Creek offers mountain biking in the late spring, summer and fall, and holds several competitions each summer, as well as skiing in the winter. West Mountain Ski Area in Queensbury is just minutes from downtown Glens Falls and offers snowboarding and lighted night skiing . The Feeder Canal Trail from Glens Falls to Hudson Falls features nine miles of hiking/biking trails. A new bike route is being planned to parallel the Champlain Canal in Saratoga and Washington Counties.
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Adirondack Winter Sports and Activities
There is no shortage of winter sports in the North Country. Mountains and hillsides mean endless miles of trails for downhill and cross-country skiing, snowshoe treks, snowmobiling and sledding. Ice skating is widely enjoyed in enclosed rinks and on local lakes and ponds, which also offer ice fishing from January through March. Many communities sponsor winter carnivals jam packed with events, food and fun for all ages.
Downhill skiers will enjoy Gore Mountain in North Creek, West Mountain Ski Area in Queensbury and Willard Mountain in Greenwich. Warren County boasts more than 100 miles of groomed snowmobile trails which access many restaurants and accommodations. Cross country skiing is available in almost every community. The City of Glens Falls' lighted International X-Country Ski Trails are enjoyed by thousands each year in the city’s Crandall Park.
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Family Fun and Recreation
Golf is a major pastime of the North Country with over a dozen beautiful courses, including some designed by renowned golf course designer Donald Ross. Try the challenges of The Sagamore in Bolton Landing, or Queensbury’s Hiland Golf Club, Bay Meadows Golf Course and Indoor Golf, or Sunnyside Par 3.
Warren County boasts golf with panoramic Adirondack views, at courses like Cronin's Golf Resort in Warrensburg, or Top of the World in Lake George. Scenic Washington County offers Kingswood Golf Club in Kingsbury, Pole Valley Players Club in Hartford, while Northern Saratoga County welcomes golfers to Airway Meadows in Gansevoort.
Other ARCC members offering outdoor activities include Adirondack Extreme Adventure Course, The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom, Tubby Tubes, Lake George Steamboat Company, Lake George Shoreline Cruises, Saratoga Gaming and Raceway, The Adirondack Museum, Gore Mountain Mineral Shop, and The Washington County Fair.
There is no short of beauty in the Adirondacks. Be sure to visit Natural Stone Bridge & Caves, just 25 minutes from Lake George, is an adventure destination in the Summer, and an excellent place to snowshoe in the Winter. Take a self-guided tour on over 14 miles of trails.
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North Country Lakes and Rivers
North Country lakes and rivers are a boater's or fisherman's dream come true. Lake George is popular for both power boating and sailing. The historic Lake George Steamboat Company, founded in 1817, still offers daily cruises on the lake in season, as does Lake George Shoreline Cruises.
Warren County alone has more than 160 lakes and 1,000 miles of streams and rivers. Lake George and Lake Champlain lure fishermen with nine major game fish and a number of panfish just waiting to be hooked. ARCC members who offer recreational goods and services on Lake George include Castaway Marina, Dunham's Bay Boat Co., Dunham's Resort Corp., Harris Bay Yacht Club, and Bayview Marina.
Washington County's lakes and ponds offer a variety of boating and fishing experiences, as do the Battenkill and Mettawee Rivers. The Battenkill is noted for canoeing and the New York State Barge Canal, or Champlain Canal as it is known, attracts both private boats and cruise ships. Champlain Canal Tour Boats is located at Canal Lock C5 in Schuylerville and offers cruises on the canal and Hudson River in season.
The Fort Edward Yacht Basin on the Hudson River offers several amenities for boaters. Lock 12 at Whitehall, the entry in Lake Champlain, provides a number of services for boaters, as well.
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Upstate New York Hunting and Fishing
Warren County claims some of the best wild game country in the Northeast, especially for black bear, Adirondack whitetail, Eastern coyote, snowshoe hare, ruffed grouse and woodcock. Washington County, noted for its abundance of deer and wild turkeys, has 20,000 acres of state-owned hunting land.
Within the six-million acre Adirondack Park are over 200 lakes and ponds, many on public lands, in addition to the major rivers and streams. Lake George is known for landlocked salmon, lake and rainbow trout, smallmouth bass and several species of panfish. Smaller lakes and streams are home to brook and brown trout, as well as bass.
New York State Law requires both hunting and fishing licenses for residents and non-residents. Licenses may be purchased at city, town or county clerks' offices and other locations. For complete information, contact the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.