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Lake George, NY
Water Sports
Canoeing & Kayaking
In general, if you are canoeing, anything above Class III on the International Scale of River Difficulty is going to be too rough. The outfitters around Lake George should be able to tell you what spots in the Lake region are good for canoeing. Lake George is 32 miles long and deep, and there are lots of boats...motor boats and big boats, not to mention jet skis, cruising fast up and down the lake in summertime. For paddlers, this can be a danger, so you have to know what you are doing if you don't want to end up capsized or further away from your put-in spot than you'd planned. Canoe in the morning when it's not so crowded out on the water. Sea kayaking can be a better choice for paddling on Lake George, since waves can be a consideration during weather that can suddenly change for the worse while you're out on the water. They're faster and easier to maneuver than canoes, and your stuff won't get wet either. There are lots of access points for paddlers all over Lake George.
Boating
Lake George is the mecca for power boaters, since they love the speed they can muster up on this 32-mile long lake with no motor restrictions whatsoever. There are about fifteen different places on Lake George where you can rent boats there are even more marinas and boat dealers where you can put it, gas up, or tie up. You can also rent personal watercraft (e.g. Jet Skis) at lots of places, too. The lower part of Lake George is really busy with boaters, making it a really congested area for boating. It's better to rent a boat in the upper regions of the lake, if you can.
Whitewater Rafting & Tubing
There are lots of places in the Adirondacks to go whitewater rafting, ranging from class II to Class V. If you don't know what this means, look at the table below, which describes the Class rating system of the International Scale of River Difficulty. Read this chart and learn it, because you need to know on what types of waters you can handle yourself and your water craft. The Hudson River Rafting Comany is located in North Creek, in the Lake George region. They are on 1 Main Street in North Creek. They've been in business for thirty years, and will take you rafting for a full day excursion or for a two hour trip. There is also Syd & Dusty's Outfitters in Lake George, who will take you on all day rafting trips each Spring and serve you meals as well. Dinner is at the Log Jam Restaurant.
International Scale of River Difficulty |
| Easy | This is fast water some ripples or small waves, and dangerous spots are easy to spot. You can swim with little risk. |
| Novice | This is your basic definite, no-doubt-about-it rapids whose channels are easy to see without looking too hard. |
| Intermediate | This is water whose rapids are a little stronger, and the waves are not even-tempered but rather unpredictable and they strengthen in spurts so watch out. If you're in a canoe, it might be hard to avoid these irregular waves, and you might get swamped. YOu may encounter large wakes and strainers, but will be able to avoid these. If you've never been in the water at a location that is designated as Intermediate, you should scout the area first before rafting or canoeing or kayaking it. |
| Advanced | This water has strong rapids but they are predictable. Some areas may be tricky, so deft handling of your craft will be necessary. Swimmers should be very careful, since the risk to them can be high in this water. If a swimmer needs rescuing, it will take a group to do so. Advance scouting will be required most of the time in waters designated as Advanced. |
| Expert | These rapids can be very very long and violent. You will probably come up to large obstacles, holes, steep banks, and turbulent water that you will not be able to avoid. Don't make any mistakes because rescue will be difficult, even for experts. It's even difficult to do any advance scouting in Expert waters. |
| Extreme | This shouldn't even be a category to be considered when planning any rafting trip! It designates unexplored rapids where navigation might be hard or even impossible. |
Swimming
Million Dollar Beach is the main place to go swimming on Lake George. It's gigantic, State-run, and cheap. There's a fantastic view up the coast of the lake and the beach is sandy and wide. There are picnic tables, volleyball nets, concession, and a bath house for changing.
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