Picnic area · Lake George NY
A steep rock face meets the water at this island picnic stop.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Lake George Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Lake George NY. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
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Guide
West Dollar Island is a small state day-use picnic island in Lake George's Glen Island Group. You reach it only by boat, and you need a reservation for a specific day-use dock. Make it part of a boating day rather than expecting an easy walk-up picnic stop.
Reservations are for individual dock sites, not a general arrival area. One listed West Dollar slip allows up to nine people, so check the details for the site you book. Pavilions are first come, first served, and dogs aren't allowed on the island, at its docks, or on boats moored there.
Dates of operation are seasonal; check current availability before launching. Public restrooms and potable water weren't confirmed for this island, so check before you leave shore.
A steep rock face meets the water along the island's shore. West Dollar sits in Lake George's Narrows, a six-mile corridor between the Tongue Mountain Range and the Black, Erebus and Shelving Rock mountains; the lake narrows to under a mile there. Lake George occupies a down-dropped fault block, called a graben, and drains north through the La Chute River toward Lake Champlain.
Wildlife
34 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
26 sightingsTimber RattlesnakeMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
22 sightingsOspreyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
60 sightingsLoonMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
33 sightingsPorcupineMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
84 sightingsGreat Blue HeronMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Lake George. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingPole Hill Pond and Ridge Loop5.8 mi · 3.8 hr · 2.3 mi awayA rocky ridge view and a quiet pond make the climb worthwhile.
ModerateBear Knob Loop1.4 mi · 1.3 hr · 2.3 mi awayA rugged little ridge loop with seasonal openings through the trees.
ModerateNorthwest Bay Trail10.8 mi · 5.5 hr · 2.5 mi awayA long wooded lakeshore walk to Montcalm Point.
ChallengingFive Mile Point Trail6.2 mi · 5 hr · 2.5 mi awayA steep ridge crossing reaches a lakeshore point.
ChallengingTongue Mountain Range and Montcalm Point Loop12.7 mi · 9 hr · 2.5 mi awayA full-day loop from bay shoreline to rugged Lake George ridge views
ModerateFifth Peak Trail5.6 mi · 5.5 hr · 2.5 mi awayA lean-to and Lake George views reward the Tongue Mountain climb.
ModerateShelving Rock Mountain Trail3.4 mi · 2.3 hr · 3.2 mi awayA steady woodland climb ends above Lake George.
ModerateLake Shore Trail9 mi · 5 hr · 3.2 mi awayA 9-mile out-and-back to Black Mountain Point on Lake George.
Picnic area · 0.9 mi awayBlack Mountain Point Picnic AreaA picnic stop among the trees on Lake George's east shore.
Picnic area · 1.1 mi awayHazel IslandA boat-only picnic stop with two reservable docks.
Picnic area · 1.2 mi awaySarah IslandTwo reservable dock sites make this a useful island picnic stop.
Picnic area · 1.8 mi awayCommission Point Picnic AreaA boat-in picnic stop with lakeside tables on Lake George.
Campground · 2.1 mi awayGlen Island CampgroundEven the mainland campsites are reached only by boat.
Picnic area · 2.3 mi awayPicnic IslandA boat-only picnic island with a pavilion beside Lake George.
Sight · 3.4 mi awayShelving Rock FallsShort woodland approach; the base takes a steep, rocky scramble.
Visitor center · 4 mi awayUp Yonda Farm Environmental Education CenterHands-on nature exhibits pair with a short climb to a lake view.Parkwolf’s Lake George ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
