How to spend a fall weekend in Lake George

If you're looking for a fall foliage adventure, a four-hour drive to Lake George opens up a world of dazzling colors on display wherever you look —or point your camera.

With average temperatures ranging between the 50s and 70s through October, according to accuweather.com, you can breathe in that bracing mountain air at Oktoberfests, Halloween attractions, harvest festivals or on a hike, bike, kayak or drive to an Adirondacks overlook.

"Visitors don’t simply look at the foliage here — they can immerse themselves in it from the water, the trails, the treetops and the mountaintops," says Gina Mintzer, executive director of the Lake George regional Chamber of Commerce and CVB.

Here are five ways to get the most out of a season-ending trip to the "Queen of American Lakes."

Have a leaf-changing experience

For a mountain view, drive the winding 5.5-mile Prospect Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway to a 2,030-foot summit where you can see 100 miles in every direction open through Nov. 11 ($10 parking fee).

Put on sturdy shoes to hike the 3.2-mile round-trip Prospect Mountain trail along a onetime railway roadbed to 1,630-foot summit lake view. Cyclists can pedal the Warren County Bikeway, a paved 9.4-mile multiuse trail running from neighboring Glens Falls to Lake George. See fall color on the fly (or on a climb) at Adirondack Extreme, featuring treetop and zip line courses for ages 9 and up and kids courses for those as young as 6. The adventure park is open through Nov. 7 ($40-$55). 

For a change of pace, combine your leaf-peeping with a relaxing paddle. "We’re located on the bay with a no-wake zone, so it’s very calm once they get started on the water," says Julie Eigo, owner of Lake George Kayak Co., which rents single and double kayaks through Oct. 12 ($35-$45/hour). 

Sample a brew or a brat at Oktoberfest

The main event for suds and savories fans is the Lake George Village Oktoberfest, which transforms the downtown lakefront into a Bavarian street festival from Oct. 9-11 (free). Sample German food and locally crafted German-inspired beers at an event that also features live entertainment, artisan vendors, carnival rides and traditional keg tossing and stein hoisting contests. 

Also on tap for fans of German grog and grub: the Adirondack Pub & Brewery’s 20th annual Oktoberfest Oct. 17, which serves a taste of the mineral-rich lake water in $7 pint brews, such as Bear Naked Amber Ale, Bobcat Pilsner and Lake George’s IPA ($59 includes 5-ounce sampler Stein, beer and cider tasting, $15 food voucher, guests must be 21 or older).

"Every single thing we brew here is made with Lake George water," says James McReynolds, general manager of the rustic, lodge-style restaurant and beer garden where Oktoberfest features authentic German food, drink and keg toss, stein hoisting and chicken dance contests. 

Camp out on a Lake George island

If you don't mind roughing it, you can skip the luxe lodgings for offseason camping's scenic beauty, affordability and quiet on one of Lake George's more than 170 islands.

"You can hear the sounds of silence this time of year," says Robert Keating, caretaker of The Glen Island Group. The group rents 212 overnight campsites spread across almost 30 state-owned islands in the central part of the lake known as the Narrows, a 5-mile stretch noted for pristine natural beauty, dramatic cliffs and quiet coves through Oct. 12 ($28 per night). Choose from island campgrounds with one to 33 campsites, most of which are equipped with a fireplace, a picnic table, a latrine and a boat dock, Keating says. The islands can only be accessed by boat, so if you didn’t bring your own craft, you can rent one or hire a water taxi from local marinas, Keating says.

Learn the haunted history of two historic forts

The whole family can have a blast at the two Colonial era forts book-ending the lake, both of which are debuting spooky Halloween tours tied to America’s 250th anniversary.

Led by scare actors, the Fort William Henry Museum’s new Fort Fright haunted experience explores the ramparts, bastions, underground rooms of the fort built for the 1750s French and Indian War. Ominous lighting, eerie fog and sound effects help tell tales of the fort’s blood-soaked history (Sept. 24-Oct. 30; not recommended for children under 10; $15-$25).

Visitors of all ages can learn about Fort Ticonderoga's 271-year history inside the redesigned 6-acre Heroic Corn Maze open through Oct. 25 ($14-$30). This year's Maze Quest highlights six stories of heroism from 1775 and 1776, incorporating Revolutionary War history, such as the Patriots' scouting missions to Montreal and the Noble Train of Artillery's march to British-held Boston.

The fort also puts on daily musket- and cannon- firing demonstrations by performers in period costumes and ends the season with a reenactment Oct. 24-25 of the Continental Army's 1770s defense of Ticonderoga against the British.

Shop off the beaten path

Venture a few miles from the lakeshore to savor seasonal treats like cider doughnuts made fresh daily at The Silo Gift Shop and Restaurant and homemade apple pies or the award-winning goat and cow milk Kunik triple creme cheese from Nettle Meadow Farm at the Cleverdale Country Store.

The shopping’s also locally sourced in Warrensburg, a few miles northwest of Lake George Village, where tens of thousands of shoppers mob a walkable fall marketplace billed as the World’s Largest Garage Sale. Hundreds of vendors line Main Street and residential front yards Oct. 2-4 selling antiques, clothing, furniture, handmade crafts and local delicacies such as chip stix, a fried spiral cut potato on a stick dipped in sour cream and onion and other flavors, says Anne Tyler, executive director of the Warrensburg Chamber of Commerce. There’s also live music and children’s entertainment.

Spend the night 

Lake George lodgings include "value-conscious" hotels, historic lakefront properties and full-service luxury resorts, according to the Regional Chamber of Commerce. The recently remodeled Home2 Suites by Hilton Queensbury — Lake George serves a complimentary breakfast and has an indoor pool (rates starting at $130). The lakefront Fort William Henry Hotel, within walking distance of downtown, features on-site restaurants and wood burning firepits (rates starting at $144).