The eclipse was just the icing on the cake. Gwenne and I (along with thousands of others) saw the event from Crown Point. The featured attraction lasted maybe two minutes but we spent the better part of the day exploring the area. Two state park facilities sit side by side here. Crown Point State Historic Site is to the north and a state campground is adjacent to the south. There's also a seasonal visitors center and the graceful bridge that connects New York and Vermont. On the east side of the bridge is Chimney Point with its own historical sites and campgrounds.
The Crown Point State Historic Site contains the ruins of two colonial era forts: one French and one British. There are also fossils in the limestone outcrops and distinctive ecological communities that have developed due to carbonate rock and the climatic influence of the large lake. Because this is a migration route with varied habitat the site is also used for bird banding events. There are numerous paths and hiking trails thru out the park.
The campground features 66 sites, a day use picnic area, boat launch, fishing pier and the towering Champlain Memorial Lighthouse. Both parks offer views of the bridge. With walkways on both sides you'll want to stroll across it for the views and the experience of ambling from one state to another.
Chimney Point on the Vermont side of the lake is a destination in itself. There is a state historic site here as well as the DAR Mansion and surrounding Vermont State Campground. Other points of interest include several wildlife management areas with a boat launch, a restaurant, RV parks and the Ass-Pirin Acres minature donkey farm (visit at your own risk...you may end up buying one of the lovable creatures!). A short drive away is the Dead Creek WMA, legendary among birders. For history buffs Mt. Independence and Fort Ticonderoga are nearby.
You could spend several lifetimes exploring Lake Champlain and surrounding shores. It's that big and why it's sometimes called the 6th Great Lake. The Empire State Trail follows the western shore and there are infinite biking, hiking and paddling options thru out its watershed. Even better, it's easily accessible from Washington County via scenic, short drives. Time to go, no eclipse needed.
* The Lake Champlain canon of books could fill a small library. Here are just a few that will help you enjoy visits:
- Lake Champlain: A Natural History by Mike Winslow is a good introduction to the lake and its watershed.
- Wetland, Woodland, Wildland: A Guide to the Natural Communities of Vermont by Elizabeth H. Thompson and Eric R. Sorenson will take you deeper into the ecology along the lake shore (and elsewhere in Vermont).
- Empires in the Mountains by Russell P. Bellico puts the various colonial ruins and battle sites into perspective.
That's it for now but I have a sense that this is going to be my Lake Champlain summer, so probably more to follow. You've been warned...
And a few more eclipse day pics...
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