Lake George is long, narrow, deep and astonishingly clear, and it lies in a trough between mountains, running about thirty-two miles from the village at the south end to Ticonderoga in the north. Thomas Jefferson, who visited in 1791, called it the most beautiful water he had ever seen, and the description has stuck. The lake is ringed by wooded hills and dotted with hundreds of small islands, and in the morning, when the surface is still, the whole scene is doubled in the water. Lake George Village, at the south end, is a cheerful, busy resort of souvenir shops, ice cream stands and arcades, with a long beach and a harbour where excursion boats leave on summer days.
The history here is heavier than the atmosphere suggests. The lake lay on the main route between Canada and the Hudson valley, and in the French and Indian War it was the scene of fierce fighting. Fort William Henry, at the southern end, was besieged by a French and Indian force in 1757, and the surrender was followed by a massacre that inspired James Fenimore Cooper's novel The Last of the Mohicans. The fort has been reconstructed and is open to visitors, with cannon firing and costumed guides.
For riders, the road along the western shore, Route 9N, is a pleasure. It runs close to the water, with views through the trees, and the curves are easy and well surfaced. Traffic is heavy in July and August, particularly around the village, where visitors crowd the sidewalks, so a weekday in June or September is far better. In October the foliage is fantastic, and the lake takes on a deep blue under bright skies. The air is clean and cool, and in the morning there is often mist on the water.
Queensbury, about ten kilometres south, and Warrensburg have fuel stations, supermarkets and diners, and there is no shortage of places to eat in the village itself. Pack a layer, since the evenings can be cold even in summer, and watch for deer on the roads at dusk. If you want to swim, the water is cold but clean, and the public beach in the village is the easiest place to get in.