A Paddle from Huletts Landing
by Alan Mapes
The islands in Lake George are fabulous places to kayak. With nearly 200 islands – most of them publicly owned – there is no limit of places to explore, but the group known as the Mother Bunch have always had special interest for me. Mother Bunch, Floating Battery, Hatchet and St. Sacrament – the island names are intriguing. Where did they come from?
Sitting at the base of Black Mountain, the Mother Bunch Islands lie in the northern half of the lake. Traveling to them by kayak is a very long trip from the main launching spots like Bolton Landing and Northwest Bay. But there is one special spot for close access – the small remote hamlet of Huletts Landing. To say that Huletts is remote is an understatement. Years ago, most guests at the hotel and casino there arrived by steamboat. These days, paddlers arrive by road from Whitehall, and it’s quite a drive from most locations.
The trip is worth it, though. The village is quaint and provides a nice launching area at a park operated by Washington County. This year the park will be open from June 26 through Labor Day. Parking and launching areas are next to the swimming beach. If the lifeguards are on duty when you arrive, I’d suggest checking with them on the best spot to park and launch.
The Mother Bunch Islands are part of a larger island group administered by the Department of Environmental Conservation known as the Narrow Island Group. Information and permits for this group are available from a DEC headquarters on Narrow Island, just off the Huletts Landing beach. The Mother Bunch is about three miles south of Narrow Island, and a nice day use landing is at Black Mountain Point is about two miles further. Before we make the trip, let’s get some background on the lake.
Lake George Facts
Thirty-two miles long and one to three miles wide, Lake George is known as the “Queen of American Lakes.” The crystal clear waters are up to 195 feet deep and are of very good quality, despite heavy recreational use that includes lots of power boats. A closer look at the lake reveals a number of environmental challenges, as with everywhere in the country, it seems. Milfoil water weeds and runoff from developed areas challenge the lake, but dedicated groups like the Lake George Commission are working hard to maintain the remarkable environment.
Lake George is very rich in islands – more than 170 of them, according to sources, though the number depends on whether you count every rock that pokes above the surface. The majority of islands are state-owned and can be accessed by the public. Campsites and day use areas are found all up and down the islands, many of them developed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Fees are charged and reservations may be needed well in advance for campsites. The season for the island campsites runs from mid-May through Columbus Day. After the season, use of the islands is free.
Paddle to the Mother Bunch
Kayaking is great both north and south of the Huletts Landing launch. For this trip, we head south, turning left from the launch and down the eastern shore. Leaving the beach, we round a point and head past the Narrow Island DEC headquarters. Stop in for a day use permit if you plan to spend time at Black Mountain Point, a good spot for lunch, a nap in the sun and an outhouse stop. The charge is only $5 for a half-day, and the fees go for a good cause – managing and maintaining the sites.
We follow the shore down the lake, staying out of the way of the power boats. The sun is out and there is not much wind to raise the waves, but the lake is still rocking from boat wakes. It’s a weekday, so the boats are not too intense. During July and August, I heartily recommend you paddle on weekdays – the weekends are very busy. For weekend paddling, the months of May, June, September and October are much less busy. The deep lake waters can be cold, so proper clothing and safety precautions are important.
This is a big lake and your kayaking safety and rescue skills should be sharp well practiced. Paddling with a group is always a good idea – there is safety in numbers when problems crop up. On this trip, I am paddling with the Adirondack Pirate Paddlers, a fun and informal group based in the Glens Falls area (adirondackpiratepaddlers.org). Adirondack Mountain Club also offers paddling trips (adk.org), as do several commercial kayaking outfits.
After three miles or so, we arrive at the Mother Bunch. The island group is fun to explore and we weave in and out between them, checking out the campsites and making mental notes of our favorite locations. A future camping trip is shaping up in our heads. Most of the islands have name signs, so we can follow our location on the map.
The pair of Floating Battery Islands are on the south end of the Mother Bunch group. Where did that name come from? In the book Lake George and Lake Champlain written in 1887, the author recounts seeing the remains of floating batteries (gun barges) in a bay of the southern island. These were built in 1758 for the French and Indian War, accompanying British General James Abercrombie in a campaign against Fort Ticonderoga (called Fort Carillon by the French) at the north end of the lake.
St. Sacrament Island reminds us of an early explorer, Saint Isaac Jogues, who gave this place the name Lac de St. Sacrament – later changed to Lake George. The naming of Hatchet Island will be left to your imagination. Lake George was the scene of much fighting during the Revolutionary War as well as the French and Indian Wars, some of it involving canoes and other boats. We can hope that the “Hatchet” name did not involve serious injury.
Our trip continues on to Black Mountain Point for a rest stop. From this landing, you can hike the three-mile trail to the top of Black, the highest mountain along the lake at 2,646 feet elevation. Our return route takes us to Five Mile Point on the western shore, past the Harbor Islands and Vicar’s Island, with its quaint chapel building. The GPS shows a trip total of a little over ten miles. For those wanting a shorter outing, the paddle from Huletts to the Mother Bunch and back would be around six or seven miles.
If You Go
Directions: From Whitehall, go north on NY Route 22 for about seven miles to a left turn on County Route 6, Huletts Road. Continue about four miles to the village. At the bottom of the hill, go right on Bluff Head Road, then left on Sunset Bay Road, and look for the park on your left. Hand launching of non-motorized boats is allowed from the beach area, along with day parking (no overnight parking). The park will be open this year from June 26 through Labor Day.
Map: National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map #743, Adirondack Park, Lake George/Great Sacandaga. Maps in this series can be found at paddle shops, hiking/camping shops, and at the ADK Member Services Center at 814 Goggins Road (corner of NY Route 9N) near the village of Lake George. Locally-owned Jimapco also offers the Lake George Boaters Map, available at many resellers and their store at 2095 NY Route 9 near the village of Round Lake. Both maps are printed on waterproof paper, so you can fold the map to your liking and put it right under the kayak deck bungees for easy use.
Camping sites on the Lake George Islands are $24 per night. Make reservations through Reserve America (reserveamerica.com). For information on the Narrow Islands Group, call the DEC Headquarters at (518) 499-1288.
For overnight parking, or parking and launching after Labor Day, contact the Huletts Island View Marina at (518) 499-0801. There is a small fee for parking and launching, and overnight parking for campers is available.
Alan Mapes retired from NYSDEC where he directed the Environmental Education unit. He now works with Atlantic Kayak Tours, where he instructs and leads kayak trips. Alan lives near Delmar and can be contacted through alanmapes.googlepages.com.
