Thomas Jefferson called Lake George "the most beautiful water I ever saw" when he visited in 1791, and the lake still earns the compliment. Stretching 32 miles through the southern Adirondacks, fed by subterranean springs so clean that lakeside residents drink straight from it, Lake George is one of the clearest large lakes in the eastern United States.
The lake's history runs deep. The Iroquois knew it long before Europeans arrived, and during the eighteenth century its position between the St. Lawrence and Hudson rivers made it a strategic prize. Fort William Henry at the southern end and Fort Ticonderoga at the northern outlet into Lake Champlain both saw fierce fighting during the French and Indian War. The ruins and reconstructions are still worth visiting.
Today the southern end around Lake George Village is the busy hub, with a boardwalk, mini-golf strips, and steamboat cruises that run up and down the lake. Head north and the mood changes quickly: the western shore is largely state-owned forest, the islands are accessible only by boat, and the water stays cold and clear well into summer. Hiking, kayaking, fishing, and swimming are the main draws, and the fall foliage season in late September and October is spectacular.