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Hot Spots for Pups to Cool Down During the Dog Days of Summer

Posted: 7/24/2020 - 3-minute read

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Hot Spots for Pups to Cool Down During the Dog Days of Summer

By Don Lehman
Warren County Director of Public Affairs.

The closure of Lake George’s infamous “Dog Beach,” where hounds by the hundreds cooled off every summer, has left some wondering where to take their four-legged friend for water access this summer. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation closed the Dog Beach due to concerns regarding people gathering in that area next to Million Dollar Beach, which is open at half capacity — and with safety protocols in place — for people to swim.

Here are a few ideas for where to take your water-loving pup:

13th Lake, Johnsburg

There is plenty of state land around this beautiful lake in the north end of Warren County. A trail along the lake's north side provides numerous access spots to the water, and a state camping and day use area on the lake's east end has a good amount of parking. Follow aptly named 13th Lake Road to Beach Road, where it dead ends at the lake.

Shelving Rock Day Use Area

Located on the east side of Lake George in Bolton and Fort Ann, Shelving Rock offers thousands of feet of publicly accessible Lake George shoreline. It is also crowded in the summer, and the lake can get choppy on windy days, but there are lots of spots for dogs and owners to get into the cold lake for a refreshing dip. It is accessible from the end of Shelving Rock Road in Fort Ann, and is part of the state-owned Lake George Wild Forest.

More details can be found from the state DEC here.

Schroon River access sites

There is a wealth of public access to the Schroon River in Warren County. When the river is not running high, the areas below Starbuckville Dam in the town of Chester are nice and calm for a dog to wade and chase a stick or ball. Warren County also operates a park with canoe access off Schroon River Road in the town of Horicon.

Some of the sites are listed on this water access website that includes Schroon River access points.

Northwest Bay Brook, Bolton

If you want to venture into the woods of the Tongue Mountain Range, a drive onto Route 9N between Bolton and Hague will take you along Northwest Bay Brook. Padanarum Road runs along the brook, and offers many access points for a nice walk and water frolicking. Part of Padanarum Road was closed last fall because of flood damage, but enough is open to get you and four-legged friend to some solitude and cold water.

Click here for more information.

Feeder Canal Trail at Feeder Dam, Queensbury

There is river access above the dam and below the dam, with public parking at the town of Queensbury’s Feeder Canal Park off Richardson Street/Haviland Avenue in Queensbury. The canal is not swimmable, as it has steep concrete walls, but the Hudson River has numerous clearings upstream and downstream of the dam. The river can flow high after heavy rain, and in the spring, but in the summer it is generally calm and easy to wade.

More information is available at the Queensbury Recreation Department website, where you will find more water options for a summer day.

Lake George Dog Park

The Lake George Dog Park offers obstacles, pipes, wide-open space and off-leash fun. This relatively new park opened in 2017. There are play areas for large and small dogs as well as water stations. It’s located off Transfer Road in Lake George near the Lake George Recreation Park. There is a brook near the Dog Park where pups can splash around in. It's located along the trails at the top of the Recreation Park near the football field. The Lake George Dog Park is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday — Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

Click here for more information.

Jack's picks

Local resident Jennalee Lukacs provided photos and some additional places for pups to splash around such as Moreau State Park and the Betar Byway — both a short drive south of Lake George in Saratoga County. We thank Jack and his adventurous guardian Jennalee for curating this photo gallery!