Lake George – Adirondack Mountains

Lake George

Basic Information

Date of trip: 05/27/2021 – 05/30/2021

Where we stayed:  AirBNB in Queensbury, NY, approximately 30 min from Lake George.

Our Itinerary

Day 1: Buck Mountain

Day 2: Sleeping Beauty Mountain

Day 3: Tongue Mountain

Day 4: Rainy day – drive back home

About Lake George

Our second mini vacation is here!  We picked a destination that is within 3 – 4 hours driving distance from home.  Sheldon has been to Lake George before and raved about its cuteness.  He couldn’t wait to take me on the Lake George famous steamboat.  We decided to combine our passion for hiking with this popular mountainous lake vacation destination.

Known as the Queen of American Lakes, Lake George stretches for 32 miles in length, 3 miles in width at its widest point, and almost 200 feet in depth.  The Native Americans originally called Lake George “Andiatarocte.” It was later renamed Lac du St. Sacrement by Father Issac Joques, the first white man to see the lake.  It was finally named Lake George by Sir William Johnson in honor of King George II of England. 

The town Lake George is located in the southeast base of the Adirondack Mountains in NY.  It was formerly called “Caldwell,” after James Caldwell, a Presbyterian minister who was a prominent figure in the American Revolution.  It included the towns of Queensbury, Bolton, and Thurman.

Lake George is full of family-friendly attractions, water sports, restaurants, outdoor concerts, hiking trails, hot air balloon rides, and skiing.  In the world of hiking, it is famous for its 12ster Adirondack peaks, which include Cat Mountain, Thomas Mountain, Buck Mountain, Erebus Mountain, Sleeping Beauty, Black Mountain, and six peaks on the Tongue Mountain.  During our stay, we were able to cover three mountains and 8 peaks.

Sadly, the weekend of our stay, Memorial Day Weekend, which is usually a busy and crowded weekend for Lake George, was not a favorite of Mother Nature.  The weather was unseasonably cold Friday – Sunday, with pouring rain on Sunday.  Our plan to hike all four days was cut short and, due to the cold weather, we were not able to take a cruise on one of the three ships of the Lake George Steamboat Company.  According to Sheldon, it is an experience not worth missing so we have to come back in better temperatures in the future.  You can book a cruise on the company Lake George Steamboat Company website.