Located on a peninsula in Essex County, Crown Point State Historic Site is the site of a former military stronghold at the south end of the wider section of Lake Champlain.  There is a state campground located across the road.  The eastern terminus of the 4600+ mile North Country National Scenic Trail is located at Crown Point SHS.  There is a kiosk for the NCNST that overlooks the Lake Champlain Bridge and Vermont. 

The French built a fort here in 1734 called Fort Saint Frederic and then the British built Fort Crown Point in 1759.  The ruins of both forts are located here.  The state campground features a historical lighthouse that was built in 1912 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the discovery of the lake in 1609 by French explorer Samuel Le Champlain.  You'll find more info on this great place by checking out the NY State Parks website.

The state campground features 66 sites, many along the lake, however a fence and steep bank keep the sites from being truly "lake front".  There are many trees that also block the view of the lake from the campsites.  There is a pier near the lighthouse that has a real nice view of the Lake Champlain Bridge (see pano below).  You can find out more info on the state campground, including a campground map, from the NY DEC website.

The North Country Trail in the Adirondacks is still in the development stages, although there are many other stretches of the hiking trail ready to be explored in Central New York and Western New York.  You can find out more info on the future of the NCT in Adirondacks from our website.  A kiosk marks the eastern terminus of the North Country Trail, however we did not see too many blue blazes or any trail yet to be officially constructed at Crown Point SHS when we visited in spring 2012.

Crown Point, Lake Champlain Bridge & Green Mtns from Cheney Mountain

Champlain Lighthouse

North Country Trail emblem and Lake Champlain Bridge

North Country Trail kiosk at Crown Point SHS

Bridge over Lake Champlain from the pier near the historic lighthouse