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Camping and Day-Use Sites in Narrow Island Group of Lake George Islands Closed Due to Storm Damage


Storm damage on the Narrow Island group of islands from the storm on the evening of July 16th.

Damage to island campsites.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced the temporary closure of many camping and day-use sites in the Narrow Island group of Lake George Islands. Due to storm damage in the area occurring on the evening of July 16, many campsites and day-use sites will be closed until further notice while cleanup of trees and repairs to infrastructure and docks takes place. Customers with affected reservations will be notified shorty.


Uprooted island trees.

Sheared off island trees.

Picture credit: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

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Lake George Land Conservancy Closes on Wiawaka Conservation Easement


The Wiawaka Uplands Conservation Easement protects more than 1,500 feet of streams that flow into Lake George.

On July 10, the Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) permanently protected 42 acres of forested land in the Town of Lake George through the purchase of a conservation easement from the Wiawaka Center for Women (Wiawaka).

Under this conservation easement (CE), the land continues to be privately owned by Wiawaka, and the LGLC will ensure the land’s permanent protection and assist with its stewardship. Though currently open for recreation only to Wiawaka’s guests, the conservation easement allows for sustainable public recreation in the future.

The upland property contains over 1,500 feet of stream corridor and five acres of forested wetland within the southern basin of Lake George. Town zoning would have allowed for residential and commercial development on the site, which would be visible from the lake and surrounding lands. In its natural and undeveloped state, the land will continue to slowly filter and clean rainwater and runoff from upland storm events, before the water reaches the lake, as well as protect precious wildlife habitat and scenic views.

LGLC Executive Director Michael Horn said, “The Wiawaka Center for Women is a gem within our Lake George community, carrying forward an important mission and incredibly rich history. I want to thank Doreen Kelly and the Wiawaka Board of Directors for allowing us the opportunity to permanently protect their forested uplands.”

Wiawaka Executive Director Doreen Kelly said, “We are incredibly proud to be closing on the easement with the LGLC. It is a historical moment in our 121st year of operation that protects the watershed and the land around Wiawaka for generations to come.”

The purchase of the Wiawaka Uplands Conservation Easement was supported by a $350,000 grant from the 2022 Forest Conservation Easements for Land Trusts Program (FCELT), and New York’s Environmental Protection Fund. FCELT is administered by the Land Trust Alliance, in coordination with the State department of Environmental Conservation. The LGLC is one of just four land trusts to have been awarded an FCELT grant in its inaugural year, and is the first to close on an FCELT-supported project.

Wiawaka is a nonprofit organization and the longest continually operating women’s retreat center in the country. The center was founded in 1903 as a destination for women working in the factories of Troy, NY, to escape the city and enjoy an affordable vacation. Today, Wiawaka continues to offer affordable accommodations and weekly programming, retreats, and evening lectures from mid-June to early September.

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DEC Forest Rangers in the News

Town of Dresden
Washington County
Wilderness Search: On June 27, at 6:07 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from two hikers at a trail junction near Black Mountain who were unsure of how to get back to their vehicle. At 9:18 p.m., Forest Ranger Kabrehl located the 65-year-old and 70-year-old from Long Island and escorted them back to their vehicle.

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Alert: Bear Spotted in Huletts

Please be advised that a black bear has been spotted in the center of Huletts Landing and on Lands End Road early in the morning foraging for food in garbage cans. The bear has been captured on private video cameras.

Bears can be very dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. Please let your family and guests know.

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ProcellaCOR Update

This just in from the Warren County courthouse – the Judge has overturned the temporary restraining order. The aquatic herbicide ProcellaCOR can be put into the lake at this time.

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DEC Forest Rangers in the News

Town of Fort Ann
Washington County
Wilderness Rescue: On June 4 at 2:05 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a subject with an unstable ankle injury in the Shelving Rock area. Forest Rangers Donegan, Geyer, and Hess, along with Fort Ann EMS, reached the 23-year-old from Saratoga Springs and splinted her ankle. Rescue crews packaged the subject into a litter and brought her to a waiting ambulance at 4 p.m.

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LGPC Moves Forward with Test of Aquatic Herbicide ProcellaCOR


A well-attended rally in opposition to the application of ProcellaCOR in Lake George was held at 8:30 am on Tuesday, May 28, 2024 outside the office of the Lake George Association. The Lake George Association has opposed the use of ProcellaCOR in Lake George.


Later in the day on Tuesday, the Lake George Park Commission rejected the Lake George Associations’ offer to pay the full cost of hand-harvesting in the two areas where the state wants to apply ProcellaCOR this year. Both sites are in the northern Lake George basin. One site is off of Huletts Landing.

News Channel 13 of Albany covered the Lake George Park Commission hearing here.

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New Bond Act Website

Governor Hochul has announced the launch of an enhanced website for the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, which was approved by voters in 2022.

The site is part of New York State’s commitment to a transparent process that empowers the public to track and learn about Bond Act investments statewide. New resources and features on the website:

An interactive statewide map to access facts about Bond Act-funded projects;
a funding finder tool; eligibility guidelines; and
Bond Act funding allocations based on project category.

Please encourage our state, local and school officials to apply for grants. It’s easy to spend other people’s money, the real work is bringing money into the town to benefit everyone.

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LGLC’s Sucker Brook Preserve, in Putnam, Now Accessible by Boat


The new seasonal dock, now open to the public, at the Lake George Land Conservancy’s Sucker Brook Preserve.

A seasonal dock is now available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Lake George Land Conservancy’s Sucker Brook Preserve, in Putnam.

The Sucker Brook Preserve is made up of multiple protected properties, including those previously known as the Gull Bay Preserve (protected in 2003) and Last Great Shoreline Preserve (protected in 2009). In total, the Sucker Brook Preserve encompasses a total of 1,078 acres and more than 6 miles of trails. Now you can visit by boat.

Most trails at the Sucker Brook Preserve are considered moderate, with many relatively flat and easy stretches. There are also challenging, though short, sections, notably at the southern end of the Orange Trail, and the Red Trail-South. In addition, because these are active beaver ponds, water levels vary throughout the seasons and years, which may impact trail conditions.

You can download and/or print a copy of the LGLC’s Sucker Brook Preserve brochure here to reference when hiking.

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The Solar Eclipse from Huletts


A picture taken this afternoon in Huletts of today’s solar eclipse.


It was a beautiful sunny day with a wonderful view of the eclipse for the hearty folks who watched it today from Huletts.

The next time a total solar eclipse will be visible again from the contiguous United States will be August 22, 2044. Today’s event is now preserved here!

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Thoughts on April

I’ve always thought April is such a good month. The worst of winter is usually over, and the world begins to wake up again. While it can be a little damp and rainy at times – the old axiom; April showers bring May flowers always holds true.

When we were children, we would always come to Huletts for our Spring Break. My grandmother would recite Longworth’s, Paul Revere’s Ride, from memory because it happened on the evening of April 18, 1775. Both my grandparents would tell us that rote memorization was a big part of their education as children. They would recite poems that were emblazoned in their memories as children.

Work would begin again on things that couldn’t be done in the winter and the lake’s ice would usually melt in April. (I always remember the sound the ice would make as it creaked and groaned in the winter.) Birds would start singing in the morning again as they returned from their winter migration.

My parents and my grandparents would always talk about the ideas of community, faith and family. I’ve sensed a greater longing for community and family in these tumultuous times where there seems to be a greater loneliness and anxiety loose in the world.

These discussions on the ideas of faith, family, and community still resonate with me today. My grandfather would say that the most important commission in the bible was Christ’s admonition to Peter; “to strengthen the brethren” which is also, at times, translated as “strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:32)

Hopefully, you have weathered the winter and April finds you enjoying the longer days and soon to be warmer weather. May you hear birds singing in the morning as we all look forward to returning to Huletts.