Lake George Waterfront Cruises

Lake George Waterfront Cruises runs a one-hour narrated sightseeing trip aboard the Horicon from 2 Kurosaka Lane. Keep it if you want to see the lake from the water and hear what happened along its shores: the cruise takes in mountain-lined stretches, islands and old estates without a hike or a long walk. The historic trip is seasonal, generally April through October, so plan around a sailing.

Parking at the departure is paid and first-come, and it can fill on busy days. Seating is first-come too, and the open upper deck has a passenger limit. Arrive early if you want time to park and choose a seat. If the upper deck is full, the first two decks still give you views through glass-enclosed sides.

The Horicon is an 85-foot, double-deck wooden yacht built mostly from mahogany, teak and yellow pine. Launched in 1988, it is the fourth commercial vessel to carry the Horicon name on Lake George. The first two decks are glass-enclosed, and the second deck has glass ceiling panels; you can stay inside and still follow the shoreline.

The narration covers Revolutionary and French and Indian War sites along with the old estates of Millionaire’s Row, including families such as the Peabodys and Trasks. Lake George was a strategic north-south corridor during the French and Indian War. Jesuit missionary Isaac Jogues named it Lac du Saint Sacrement in 1646; British General William Johnson renamed it Lake George in 1755 for King George II. Fort William Henry sits at the lake’s southern end, with Fort Carillon—now Fort Ticonderoga—to the north.

The best reason to be on deck is the combination of broad water, wooded islands and mountain ridges. For a photo with the Horicon and the lake in the same frame, use the open upper deck when capacity allows; the enclosed decks make a more sheltered place to watch. Sunset and fall-color sailings appear in the seasonal lineup, but the exact offerings vary.