Kayaking Glen Lake & Dunham Bay Marsh - 3/23/12

This was another unbelievable day of 75 degree March weather.  I went for 2 kayak paddles on this day; a morning paddle at Glen Lake in Queensbury, NY, and an afternoon paddle in the Durham Bay marsh in Lake George, NY.

Glen Lake is accessible from Glen Lake Road, just off Route 9 and Exit 20 of I87.  There is a small boat launch owned by the Town of Queensbury (adjacent to the Docksider Restaurant, a popular local restaurant) for car top boats.  In addition to the lake, you can paddle along the inlet stream for quite a ways in the Spring (it gets choked with lilies and grasses in the later part of the season).  

Great Blue Heron along the Glen Lake inlet stream

There is normally quite a bit of wildlife along the inlet stream (herons, geese, ducks, red-winged blackbirds).

My daughter Lindsay passing the heron

As you transition from the lake to the inlet stream, you pass under the Warren County Bikeway, which is very scenic and wooded between Glen Lake and Lake George.

Lindsay heading back towards the lake

The lake is mostly lined with houses, but there is a scenic view with French Mountain to the North.  From the northern end of the lake, West Mountain Ski Area and the Luzerne Mountains can be seen to the southwest.

My Glen Lake paddle shown in orange (click map to enlarge)

A leisurely paddle around the lake (and including the inlet stream) takes about 2-1/2 hours.  It is about 2-1/4 miles from the beginning of the inlet stream to the outlet at the northern end of the lake (as the crow flies).

Part II - Afternoon paddle 

In the afternoon I paddled the Dunham Bay marsh near the south end of Lake George.  There is a convenient private boat launch where you can pay $5 to launch a canoe or kayak, or you can launch from somewhere else in Lake George and enter the marsh by crossing underneath Route 9L.  The private boat launch is at the intersection of Route 9L and Bay Road.  There is plenty of parking there.  Many motor boats launch there to enter the lake.

Dunham Bay marsh extends southward from the lake about 2-3/4 miles and provides a nice flat water paddle with great wildlife.

My route shown in orange (click map to enlarge)

The marsh can be paddled down and back in two hours.  You can go north into the main lake for additional paddling.