Fort Ann offers a range of options for a stay: routes along the Champlain Canal, hikes, paddling on Halfway Creek, and historic sites. The waypoints, route lengths, and elevation gains make it easy to compare activities. You can decide whether your trip should focus mainly on hiking, water, or history.
Along the Champlain Canal and at Waterfront Park
The section of the Champlain Canalway Trail through Fort Ann begins at Baldwin Corners Road on the Fort Ann Towpath Trail. The Champlain Canalway Trail follows a purpose-built path to its endpoint and trailhead on Ann Street at Fort Ann Waterfront Park.
At Fort Ann Landing, Waterfront Park has an Empire State Trail trailhead, a pavilion, a picnic shelter, docking facilities, and a kayak launch. If these facilities are important to your plans, check their condition before your trip.
The remains of the old Champlain Canal Locks 16, 17, and 18 are also specific historic waypoints: they can be seen north and south of Ann Street along Canal Street. Their locations on both sides of Ann Street help you orient yourself to the lock remains.
Compare hikes by route type and elevation gain
Shelving Rock is in the Town of Fort Ann and can be reached from the Hogtown Road Trailhead. The Shelving Rock Trail is a 7-mile loop with 1,300 feet of elevation gain. The trail to the summit of Sleeping Beauty Mountain is 2.3 miles long and has 1,038 feet of elevation gain.
The two hikes differ in both format and measurements: Shelving Rock is the longer loop and has the greater elevation gain; the other trail leads to the summit of Sleeping Beauty Mountain. For comparison, you can consider both the route format and the length and elevation gain.
History from the Revolutionary War to the library
The Battle of Fort Ann was fought on July 8, 1777, on Battle Hill during the Saratoga Campaign of the American Revolutionary War. It is also an official “Path Through History” site. This makes a specific event from the Revolutionary War part of Fort Ann’s historic focus.
The Old Stone House Library was built in 1825 and serves as a public library as well as the headquarters of the Fort Ann Historical Society. It is listed on state and national historic registers. The historical span therefore reaches from an event of the Revolutionary War to a building with a public library function and a role in the local historical society.
Paddling and the wider region
On Halfway Creek, you can paddle nearly 1.4 miles upstream from the canal. If you want to center your stay around paddling, this route offers a specific indication of the activity’s direction and length.
In the wider region, the Shelving Rock Area of the Lake George Wild Forest has primitive campsites along Shelving Rock Road and Dacy Clearing Road. The Lake George Wild Forest spans several towns, so these campsites are best viewed as a regional addition. Paddling is allowed on all waters in the Lake George Wild Forest.
Discover more destinations: Argyle, Whitehall, Eagle Bridge, Fort Edward.
For the broader travel overview: Washington County.
