To me this is just a classic fall hike. I start out on Shelving Rock Road and climb Shelving Rock Mountain, then I come back 0.6 miles to the trail split and take the trail down to Lake George. From there it's a nice stroll on a nostalgic carriage road to Black Mountain Point with gorgeous views around every turn. Add fall colors and the lack of boat traffic and it's really tough to beat.
On today's trip, the weather was just perfect. Fall colors, while nice on Shelving Rock Road, were not near peak yet down by the lake. Those of you that might be interested in this hike might hit some great color here in the next week or two.
On the way up Shelving Rock Mountain I saw the owners of the Lake George Restaurant -
Bistro LeRoux. Great restaurant and great people. In 30 minutes I was out on the Shelving Rock ledge enjoying the fabulous view that never gets old. I took a bunch of pictures there like I always do, then I moved on.
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| Panorama from the Shelving Rock ledge. |
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| Montcalm Point and First Peak - Tongue Mountain Range from Shelving Rock. |
As I hiked the trail from Shelving Rock towards Black Mountain Point, I was surprised that I was leaving the fall color behind and that most of the leaves near the lake have not turned yet. It didn't matter much, it was still a wonderful place to be.
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| Typical views along the carriage road. |
I always find myself inspecting all the campsites along the way to Black Mountain Point. There are quite a few I lust after as amazing campsites. I may be back for a camping hike before fall is done. It will be hard to pick one!
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| Great campsites as well. |
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| Looking south. |
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| Sightseeing boats are still out. |
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| Nothing wrong with this campsite! |
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| There is a campsite here as well! |
I spent more time looking at campsites then I realized. It was 4 PM when I reached Black Mountain Point.
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| Black Mountain Point. |
On the way back, even though it was getting late, I had to shoot up the yellow trail (near Red Rock Bay) the 0.5 miles to the vista (one of the best on Lake George). The trail is hard to follow though, especially at the bottom. There are some yellow paint blazes and the yellow plastic soup can lids nailed to trees, but there aren't many official trail markers until you've gone 0.3 miles.
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| A new sign near Red Rock Bay. |
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| The vista location! |
It was 4:45 when I left the vista location. I waled quickly, only stopping to talk to 2 lone men hiking along the carriage road. At 6:15 I got back to the car. It was already starting to fell like darkness was setting in.
Don't miss trying this hike. No big mountains but a great walk. Afternoon is best to get the sun shining on you!
Hike Stats:
Hike Distance: 12 miles
Hike Time: 5 hours
Total Vertical Gain: ~2000'
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| My route (click image to enlarge) |
Mike, are the docks still in or has the DEC started pulling them? Was thinking of doing some boat camping this weekend and hiking up to the vista point.
ReplyDeleteJeff, they have started pulling. The docks are still in at the day use areas, but the docks for the campsites are quickly getting pulled.
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