For the majority of my childhood I lived downstate in a small village in Orange County. Greenwood Lake, N.Y. is a former resort area that was centered on the recreational opportunities provided by a 9 mile long lake that spans the N.Y./N.J. border. While it was a great place to grow up, there were certain things that were noticeably absent, such as a high school of our own, real economic opportunities and access to water, unless your home happened to be in the right neighborhood.
Believe me when I tell you that none of the homes my mother rented over the years was in the “right” neighborhood.
Getting into, and onto the lake, was something that wasn’t always easily accomplished. Fortunately, there were friends with boats and beaches who shared their access with me and I learned to swim, skate and waterski.
Lake life was good.
This first summer of retirement, along with my recently purchased paddle board, has come with numerous chances to get on, and in, a number of lakes local to Albany, my home for the past 35+ years.
I’ve already written about my wonderful experience on Lake Lonely early in the summer, which was my first time on the water for Summer 2026. Since that afternoon in May, I’ve managed to get myself in, and on, 5 more bodies of water, with the majority of them being my initial visits.
Let’s start with the largest…
In all my decades of living “upstate,” I’d never been on Lake George before. Until this year. I’d been in the lake only once before. In fact, I believe getting into that water, after completing my very first 1/2 marathon in challenging hot and humid conditions, prevented me from passing out.
But, all of that was years ago. This time around, I was in a boat and we were cruising on top of the water and it was fantastic. The day was gorgeous and my boat owning friend was committed to showing me some of the lake – we went north beyond The Sagamore, skipping across the water as I held on tightly to the railings. We sought a “ball” to tie up to, but failing to find one, we moved on to dock in a narrow, open cove where we jumped in the water repeatedly to cool off, enjoying the refreshingly cool water in between sips of rosé and bites of canned fish and fresh salad. It was a perfect lake day and I hope to get back there again before boating season ends for the year. (Thanks, Margaret!)
Glass Lake was a terrific first use of my new paddle board and I’d love to go back there and peep the bald eagles and check out the herons. If you go there, be aware that the public boat launch is small and comes with only a couple of parking spaces. The water was really nice, though, and worth the effort.
Snyder’s Lake is a small lake less than 20 minutes from Albany and home to Camp Scully, an old school sleepover camp that hosted the Lilly boys many years ago. I believe the public boat launch is intended for residents of the area only, but I met a friend (thanks, Kara) who lives in the community and had no problems being permitted into the parking lot and putting in there. There was some jet ski activity on the lake but, it was generally a tranquil experience cut short only by the sound of thunder approaching. I really loved the timeless quality of the homes surrounding the lake and hope to make it back there for a longer paddle.
Thompsons Lake, accessed via a friend’s camp site, made for an excellent spot for a few hours on the water. The camp site (in the 60s section of the campground) provided easy enough access to the water via a 5 minute walk on a trail. We waded in to an adequate depth to launch and from there it was smooth sailing. I didn’t have my phone with me on the water, opting instead to gtf away from it for a couple of hours, but the visual of a magnificent bald eagle swooping overhead and then perching on an exposed branch, will stay with me for a long time. It was incredible to witness.
Burden Lake, (or should I say lakes since there are three of them?) was accessible to us through the generosity of another friend (thanks, Daryl!) whose wonderfully private property hugs the shore of the second lake. We launched from her dock on a windy day and rode a gust that quickly carried us towards the famous Kay’s Pizza and, via a culvert, to a different one of the lakes. We had been advised to look for some eagle activity and quickly spotted a large, but seemingly empty nest along the shoreline.
I didn’t get to see any eagles, but there sure was a lot of turtle activity in the lake. At least that’s what I think I was seeing…there were a number of times when I observed just a glimpse of a head popping out of the water before it disappeared again.
I prefer to believe it was a turtle rather than a snake and would appreciate you not correcting me, ok?
The temperature on this particular afternoon was pretty mild so I didn’t feel the need to dip into the water. That being said, I would have happily docked at Kay’s for a quick bite had that been an option. Yum, Kay’s!
Even though my paddle board is currently monopolizing my entire Mini trunk, the opportunities it has already provided me make it completely worthwhile, in my opinion. I love knowing that I can access beautiful and scenic areas that had previously not be available to me.
Where should I go next?
DelSo 