Activities
Lakes to Locks Passage has been destination for visitors since the early 19th-century. World-class boating, fishing, biking and hiking opportunities can be found throughout the byway corridor. Whether you want to hike or snowshoe, canoe or waterski, rock climb or ride the rapids, the outstanding scenic mountains, valleys, lakes and rivers of Lakes to Locks Passage provide the perfect conditions!
By the early 1800's, guidebooks refered to this region as part of the American Grand Tour or the Fashionable Tour. American and European travelers were attracted to these tours, which were described as having picturesque and sublime scenery and the visual evidence of the United States' growth as a nation. At that time, vacationing and recreation were generally a passive and intellectual endeavor. The breath-taking natural scenery of the region inspired generations of artists and writers. As transportation improvements came to the region, the tourism industry boomed. Trains, canalboats and steamboats connected the regions communities, offering many fashionable and luxury hotels. Lake George and the world-famous spas in Saratoga and Ballston added to the leisure recreation attractions of the area. Today, recreation activities are much more physical. Individuals, families and group tours come for numerous outdoor activities.
Lakes to Locks Passage is known to many as New York's "Adirondack Coast," and provides access to its entire eastern edge of the Adirondack Mountains. Over the last century, the decline of mining and logging industries led to the creation of the Adirondack Park, opening the region for recreational use and tourism. New Yorks Adirondack Park, larger than the entire state of Vermont, is the only park in the United States that is a patchwork of private and public lands. Because of its size, there is no entrance gate to the Adirondack Park, nor is there an admission charge.
Explore the Passage
Recreation
