Swimming Near Gore and North Creek?

Although still a "newbee" to NYSB I'm learning it is OK to ask! So I have a question... any good places to take kids to swim in the general Gore area without going all the way to Lake George? We are usually in the area during the week and we know about the little swimming area near Ski Bowl, but there never seems to be anyone there and usually (last few times at least) someone had posted a "no swimming" sign. We don't require a lifeguard as long as it is a sandy bottom. Any suggestions?
Thanks in Advance!!!

P.MAC ... first ... the HR Forum isn't a month old yet, so I'm thinkin you are a seasoned HR veteran.

Assuming you are looking for something you can drive to ... the state beach at 13th Lake is pretty nice. I wouldn't exactly say it's sand, but it's a mixture of sand and rocks that are pretty smooth, not much muck. We swim there all the time (with crocks on our feet), and by this time of year it's pretty warm. You have to go fairly far out to get over your head.

If you go around the lake on the western side (to the right, as you face the lake) a walk maybe 10 minutes, you'll come to some rocks you can dive off  - deep enough so you'll never touch bottom.

If you're willing to hike maybe 20-25 minutes, you can drive to the trailhead on the Old Farm Road and hike the eastern side of the lake to Elizabeth Point. It's a beautiful spot with a commanding view of the Lake:



Again the dropoff isn't fast and there is sand mixed with smooth stones, but it is sweet.

Garnet Hill Lodge has exactly what you are looking for, but you've got to be a guest.  They'd probably consider dinner guests to be legit for beach use, but that may be more of a commitment than you'd want.

Let me think more on this. Hopefully others can come up with more ideas.

yea Loon Lake, very nice, sandy bottom, clean water...all these are.......The Loon beach is, i believe on rt 8, whatever the road is that comes of exit 25. There's a changing house and "rinse off shower". The water in Loon tends to be a little warmer than other lakes and there's a floating dock to jump from, kids dig that. Loon is not far from Gore. lake luzerne is another really nice beach, but farther away. Schroon same thing. Pitkin's resturant, main st Schroon has really good BBQ dishes. Lake George isn't sooo far if you go to Bolton Landing which you can get to quickly from the warrensburg exit?(check map), head east. Very quaint town and a Ben & Jerry's. IMO Stewart's ice cream is better and far cheaper. One beach there, southern, is a pay to park, but has a dock to jump from. the northern beach, I'm not sure about pay. Lake george village, the best beach is sheppard park downtown. park cheaply a block or so off main st, near the park, behind northern arcade. swim, then raid the arcade and junk shops( that's our M.O.)If you need quarters to feed the meter, the arcade has change machines. Million Dollar beach at Lake George Village cost way more to park, much farther walk and the water isn't even waist deep. Lake George Village has fireworks thursday night.

The "general policy " at "most" lakes is if the Lifegaurd's not there and the sign says you can't swim without lifegaurd, they generally leave you alone anyway and you can swim. They make that announcement to cover their booty. Loon and Luzerne are that way and are frequently swum after hours. Not sure about the others policy.

There, now you know what my family does all summer. Luzerne or Sheppard Park tomorrow. Quads Sunday.

Sorry harv, to answer your earlier query,..no Ididaride pics/report from me. I mean I-did-a-ride...but it'll be on the quads in Hartford not the bikes in NC. Curt or Jeff Palka may hook you up. I'll ping Curt.

We love going to Minerva Lake.  Nice beach, lifeguards, and diving platforms, plus a playground if you have kids, and a pretty good snack shack as well.  The water is clean and the views from the beach are pretty nice...only about a 10-12 minute drive north on 28N from North Creek.

MattyR wrote

We love going to Minerva Lake.  Nice beach, lifeguards, and diving platforms, plus a playground if you have kids, and a pretty good snack shack as well.  The water is clean and the views from the beach are pretty nice...only about a 10-12 minute drive north on 28N from North Creek.

I had a feeling there would be a good option up that way.



Sounds great for us.  



It's a town run beach? Is there a fee?



Colder nights can't be far behind. MattyR is back.

Minerva is free.  And it's got pavilions and grills if you want to make a day of it.  My wife used to go there when she was a kid, so that's how we found it.  We hang out at Minerva just about every time we go to our cabin in the warm weather...

Anybody know which access road to take to the beach? Looks like there are three possible... Minerva Lake Rd., Beach Rd., and Healey Rd. On Google maps, Minerva Lake Rd looks most promising.

We spent a day at Speculator Beach and it was awesome.  There are bathrooms, life guards and snacks within walking distance.  The view from the beach is stunning.  It is on the main drag, so it is easy to find.

Since I started this "quest," I wanted to thank everyone for their very helpful feedback. We just returned from a week at our cabin in Johnsburg and basically hit a different beach every day. Most of our flexibility was the result of the feedback from the forum, so THANKS to all of you. Maybe I can fill in a few more details.

Monday we hit "Million Dollar Beach" at Lake George. I had wondered why they called it "million dollar beach." But the plaque in the main pavilion answered my question. The beach was opened in 1951 and cost a million dollars to build! A little crowded, yes. But the facilities were GREAT. Where can you get a beach like that with locker rooms, hot showers (at least a dozen on each side) and cheap locker rental (75 cents) in the heart of Lake George. When we walked up to it, my wife said "no way this beach is free, you must have to pay or have season passes. But it really was free!

Tuesday we hit Minerva Beach... enough has already been said about that! What a great beach (thanks for the pics Harv)! Where else can you buy your kids an ice cream sandwich for 75 cents! A large slushie for a dollar?

Wednesday we hit the beach at Schroon Lake. Very Nice, with choice of sitting on sand or grass (under the trees). I must say that while I had no 'complaints' about the water at any of the beaches we visited, Schroon Lake was the clearest in terms of visibility. I swam out to the raft which is about 6 feet deep and I could see the bottom clearly.

Thursday we hit Lake Pleasant (Speculator). First time with no life guards, seems they had to go back to school. But several couples were swimming, so we joined in. If this lake has a fault, it is the location. Located at the far north end of the lake, it seems to catch a "wind tunnel" even on a calm day like we had. But it was still a pleasant (no pun intended) experience.

Friday found us back at Lake Minerva. We are convinced that it is the closest and best beach in the area. An added plus for me, there is a tree near the water where you can set up and not be "roasted" in the sun. Great week for us, my 5 yr old had the time of her life.

THANKS to all of you who provided feedback and info. Sad part is, it is over (for us) until next year! Good news is ski season is on the way!!!!!!!!!!!