The Spirit of Summer

Written by Eric Pfau

Couple on a motor boat on Lake George

Boating in the Lake George Area drives to the spirit of summer. Several vibrant, crystalline lakes grace the region, adding natural beauty and endless enjoyment to the small-town speckled Adirondacks. Boating on these cherished lakes is the ultimate summer freedom.

Taking to the water is both a rush of activity and a yawn of leisure. The feeling of skillfully pushing the throttle forward as the engine thunders and screams is intoxicating. Boaters spend their days following the wooded shoreline, dropping anchor in secluded bays, basking in the sun under cloudless skies, learning to waterski or tossing cast-after-cast for a lunker of a fish, before heading back in to enjoy juicy burgers at a waterfront restaurant.


Group of boats anchored in a bay on Lake George

Boating in the Lake George Area is a form of relaxation. Unwinding on the bow of a boat as it rocks back and forth is as pleasant as being lulled into a soothing sleep. Many people leave the dock with the simple intent of finding their favorite float spot, turning off their boat, and sipping a frosty drink until the sun goes down.

Boaters are free to sunbathe all day long. There are dozens of spots in the Lake George Area where boaters can find some sun. Many flock to Log Bay on Lake George, a shallow, sandy-bottomed curve in the shoreline that fills with anchored boats throughout he summer. Once there, boaters wander the knee-deep water, play rounds of volleyball, or just chill out on their boat and people watch.

View of the Adirondack Mountains from a boat on Lake George

Some float in Paradise Bay, an idyllic bite out of the shoreline of Lake George with a jumping cliff perfect for young adventurers. Others boat around in a daydream, peeking longingly at the mansions of Millionaires Row and solitary log cabins placed like pebbles on the green carpets of desolate mountains.


For some, boating is about exploration and discovery. Boaters cruise the aimless shorelines of these Adirondack beauties, searching for silent bays to hide in or empty waters to tube, or sometimes just roaming in search of nothing at all.

Boats on Lake George with the Adirondack Mountains in the background and camps on the shoreline

The Adirondacks are a cherished natural resource; the lakes are squeaky clean and crystal clear. When the sun is baking your skin, sweat is glistening on your forehead, and the heat is fogging your sunglasses, a boat will whisk you to those primo swimming spots in not time.

Person jumping off a boat into Lake George while others swim in the lake

On a boat, you aren’t confined to to local beaches. Choose your own swimming spots. Race to your favorite inlet and toss anchor. Dive and cannonball the day away from the bow of your boat. Drift untethered in open areas like Northwest Bay, a massive arm of Lake George with endless water to enjoy.


Kids love swimming off of boats. They strap on their snorkeling masks and probe the rocky shoreline, picking up algae-covered driftwood, collecting opened mussels, and scouting for darting sunfish. The more adventurous boat to Calves Pen, a stunning set of towering cliffs on the east side of Lake George that bold swimmers flock to for a daring leap.

Woman floating on a tube in a Lake George Bay with a mountain in the background

Boating can be the ride of a lifetime — especially from behind! Waterskiing, wakeboarding, and tubing are three high-speed activities that most boaters love. Adventurers shove their feet into a pair of waterskis, grab the rubber handle of a ski rope, and prep themselves to be ripped out of the water. Once they figure out how to ski a full lap without falling, it’s time to drop a ski and learn how to slalom.

the Spirit of Summer

Others plop into a tube, grip the safety handles on their sides, and wait for the ride to begin. If the tuber is lucky they’ll make it through the ride without getting wet.

Boating is the perfect excuse to act like a kid again, and wakeboarding is one of the most modern ways to do it. Boarders leap from boat wake to boat wake, launching over the water like Olympic athletes. Don’t worry about taking a spill — that’s all part of the fun.


While boaters crisscross the surface of the water, a thriving community of fish roams the depths of these Adirondack lakes. Anglers waste little time racing to their favorite hot spots and honey holes. Once they arrive at their secret hangout, an accurate cast and deft twitches of the road are all it takes to land an easy sunfish or a raging bass.

Couple fishing from a boat on Lake George with a summer camp in the background

These lakes boast excellent fishing for anglers of all types. Boaters float in shallow coves and cast against downed trees or into thick weed searching for a strike from largemouth bass. They can also sink their line sot the bottom of the deepest depths of the lake to troll for hungry lake trout.