The best free beaches on Lake George

PHOTOGRAPHER: Erica Miller

Views of Million Dollar Beach on Lake George, in Lake George on Sunday, June 9, 2019.

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Other public beaches around the lake

The town of Hague offers a large town beach off Route 9N just south of the Route 8 intersection. There is 300 feet of lakefront and the Robert E. Henry Memorial Park features a summer concert series and a boat launch site (free for residents $15 for non-residents). For more information see townofhague.org.

Washington County Beach at Huletts Landing offers a free beach and free parking. This beach is at the far eastern end of the lake and can be reached by taking Route 4 into Whitehall and then Route 22 into the town of Dresden. The address of the beach is Bayview Road in Huletts Landing. The beach has a canoe and kayak launch that allows those using canoes and kayaks to explore the Narrows area of the lake including small islands in this part of the lake. A picnic pavilion, picnic area, grills and a basketball court and a tennis court are other features of Washington County Beach.

Shelving Rock is another area in the Washington County town of Fort Ann that has a small public beach. This area is controlled by New York State Forest Rangers and is part of the Lake George Wild Forest area that also features primitive campsites and parking areas in the Log Bay area of Fort Ann. The drive into Shelving Rock is from Shelving Rock Road and Hogtown Road and is quite a distance from the main highways.

A helpful website to check when looking for public swimming areas on Lake George is lakegeorge.com.

The state of New York has instituted a ban on untreated wood (for campfires and picnics) from outside the state. Untreated wood can only be sold up to 50 miles from its source in New York State and the seller must provide the purchaser with written proof of this.

The reason for the restrictions is that the Asian Longhorn Beetle and other invasive wood-eating insects that come in on untreated wood from other countries can kill many hardwood species in the state. Stores in and around Lake George sell New York-approved, treated firewood that is pest-free and can be used at campsites and parks around the lake.