This Hadlock Secret Can Only Be Kept For So Long...
Commonplace is not Exclusive, even for New York Lakes
The definition of a ‘vacation’, according to dictionary.com is: “a period of suspension of work, study or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation or travel; recess or holiday. Some have different ideas of a good vacation than others, but a vacation boiled down is essentially the same wherever you go and whatever you do. Some like to go on vacation to the ocean and others to fresh water on a lake. They go for the same purpose; to getaway and unwind. Lake George, in the southernmost tip of the Adirondack Park, is a popular getaway from NYC. Less than a three hour drive and a very clean, large lake that is perfect for swimming, skiing, and just about any other water-sport out there. But if there was a privately owned Lake in the same area that is just as clean and with way less commotion and just as many opportunities, why not go there? We might just have come across the perfect solution!
It's a Good Sized Body of Water A body of water with the surface area of 220 acres is no joke. Hadlock Pond which is located in the Lake George area is roughly of that size. The well-known “Mirror Lake” in Lake Placid is similar in size. In fact, there are many lakes in New York State that are very similar in size to Hadlock. Here are a few you may have heard of:
These bodies of water are similar in size to Hadlock Pond. So why are they called lakes?! Well, one of two things: Hadlock is also a reservoir, which we will discuss in detail later on; or some of us like to think whoever named it a pond was just biased towards Lake George…
The Lake That's Disguised as Pond
According to Wikipedia, a “lake” has a source of inflow as well as outflow. Hadlock has both. A number of creeks and small streams trickle into Hadlock bringing fresh mountain water, but the main source of inflow is Bishop Brook which flows in from the North end. Half Brook then carries the outflow from the dam on the southernmost tip. The water itself is actually very clean. Tests have been done by the DEC to the water and the results came back rivaling that of Lake George, ”Class- AA”. This means the water is for drinking, swimming and any other water-sport activity.
Lake George is rated Class AA-Special — the highest rating that exists. And so is Hadlock...
One of the reasons the water is so clean is that in the summer of 2005 the dam on the southern end collapsed. All but a small amount of water remained for years. Finally in 2007 a new dam was built and this allowed for Bishop Brook to fill in the Lake again. This created a new opportunity for what is now a brand new body of water. All the water in Hadlock before left in a hurry, and now nature had the chance to refill it with the cleanest, freshest, most clear mountain spring water. Stand out on the dock at any one of Hadlock’s 268 privately owned properties and you’ll see for yourself.
The History or Fort Ann and How it all Came to Be
Hadlock Lake is in the town of Fort Ann. Full of American history, Fort Ann began as an English fort in 1692, later nicknamed the “Queen’s Fort”. Not too long after in 1755 the English renamed Lac Du Saint Sacrament, the neighboring lake, to what we all know and love it as “Lake George”. 1757 brought about a rebuilding of the fort and also the name. Lake George was named after King George II, and Fort Anne (with the “e”) was given its name after the King’s eldest daughter, Anne. The famous battle of Fort Anne occurred in 1777. In 1808 Fort Anne lost the “e” in its name and the Fort Ann as we know it was created. Here are a couple of dates to remember.
Activities and Attractions in Fort Ann
Fort Ann today is a small town with many restaurants and attractions of its own. The top things to do in Fort Ann according to TripAdvisor are: 1. Lake George Distilling Co. is right off of 149 in the town of Fort Ann. 2. Hill Billy Fun Park is a great place to get ice cream after a long day of mini golfing. Of course there are many great hiking trails in the area. 3. Sleeping Beauty Mountain is just as striking a view in the summer as it is in the winter. 4. The Schumann Preserve at Pilot Knob is a great hike for young kids. Find a house on Hadlock and you won’t run out of things to do!
On the water, in the Adirondacks, in a Private Peaceful Setting, It Seems Like a No-Brainer
So, with a lake that is 3 miles long and just under 1-mile wide that is just as clean as one of the cleanest lakes in the world, why go anyplace else? Water-ski, tubing, Paddle boarding, you name it, this lake has it. Being privately ownedhas its perks as well. We can live without the crazy outsiders that create unnecessary traffic on the water. All this being within 15 minutes of Lake George, if you really need to get your fix, we call this a win-win.