Bluff Point Light House on Lake Champlain.
Lake Champlain’s last lighthouse.
Bluff Point Lighthouse on Valcour Island was built in 1874 to guide boats between the island's west side and the shore. It was the last lighthouse built on Lake Champlain and operated until 1930.
Built of blue limestone rock, sporting 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 boat. The Clinton County Historical Society (which manages the lighthouse) will charter a boat a few times a year to take tourists to the island. Check their website or Facebook page for the most recent information.
Bluff Point Lighthouse’s first keeper was William C. Wait, later replaced by Civil War veteran William Herwerth in 1876. Herwerth died in 1881, and his wife Mary ran the lighthouse for 21 years.
The lighthouse once included a kitchen, living room, pantry, keeper’s room, four bedrooms on the second floor, a spiral staircase, and a ladder giving access to the light at the top.
A point of trivia: Bluff Point Lighthouse was built overlooking the site where, almost 100 years earlier, the first naval battle of the Revolutionary War, known now as the Battle of Lake Champlain, was fought.
Places to eat, shop, stay and things to do near Bluff Point Light House.
Shop for Adirondack gifts and clothing.
Upcoming events in the Lake Champlain and Adirondack Coast region.
A fresh take on familiar Adirondack landscapes.
The CATS Grand Hike returns with scenic Adirondack trails, flexible routes, and a finish-line celebration.
The Ausable River Two-Fly Challenge returns with high-stakes fly fishing, riverside gatherings, live music, and Adirondack tradition.
A poet, an exterminator’s office, and a search for meaning—The Exterminating Poet brings intimate theatre and puppetry to the Adirondacks.
Step into 1776 this Memorial Day at Fort Ticonderoga.
Climb one of the Adirondacks’ most iconic peaks—on two wheels.
William Shatner returns to Ticonderoga for an immersive Star Trek experience inside the iconic USS Enterprise set.