Explore Bluff Point Lighthouse and Valcour Island on Lake Champlain
A unique opportunity on July 4th weekend to visit an authentic lighthouse in the Adirondacks.
Historic Bluff Point Lighthouse on Lake Champlain.
If you think lighthouses are just for the seashore, you are sadly mistaken. Bluff Point Lighthouse on Valcour Island was built in 1874 to guide boats between the island's west side and the shore on Lake Champlain, a heavily trafficked route between New York City and Canada.
Bluff Point Lighthouse was the last lighthouse built on Lake Champlain and operated until 1930. It was built of blue limestone rock and sports a red-shingled Mansard roof with an integrated octagonal tower that rises to thirty-five feet. The light could be seen from 18 miles away.
The lighthouse is open for tours in July and August (usually), and visitors must make their own way by kayak, canoe, or other watercraft. However, The Clinton County Historical Society (which manages the lighthouse) charters a boat a few times a year to take tourists to the island.
On July 7, 2024, you can be transported to Bluff Point Lighthouse and explore the trails on Valcour Island. Vessels depart beginning at 9:20 am. The cost is $30 per person. Call 518-561-0340 to reserve your spot.
Bluff Point Lighthouse on Valcour Island overlooking Lake Champlain.
Captain Mick Maynard is in charge of the transportation. There will also be a crew on the island at the dock and the docents in the lighthouse.
In prior years, the weather cooperated, but if it doesn’t (climate change is real), the rain date is August 4th.
Everyone should experience Valcour Island at least once – it was an important place on October 11, 1776, when Benedict Arnold (pre-traitor days) and his fleet helped delay the British and kept them from remaining on the lake that year during the American Revolution.
Visit the Bluff Point Lighthouse Facebook page for current information.
Discover things to do on the Adirondack Coast and Lake Champlain.
