Drats! Mohawk Campground, billed as the only Lake George campground directly on the lake, was to be our choice du jour for the night. Alas, they were closed for the year, so we were left to fend for ourselves, relying on local tourism brochures for leads on camping accommodations. Eager to escape a crowded Lake George Village, we set our sights on Rogers Rock Campground, located in the unheralded town of Hague on the northern tip of the lake.
As we coasted through the campground in search of a site to pop up the tent, it became immediately clear our incomparable brain power had served us right once again. Mohawk may be the only private campground with lake access, but this secluded, public one was on time. Many sites lie right on the water’s edge, offering fantastic views of the hills surrounding the lake. Most of these spots were taken, except for one in close proximity to a neighboring, occupied site. After circling around 10 times to scope it out, and thoroughly scaring the couple next to this vacant site, we settled on #62 instead. Nobody was around to cramp our style, and a babbling brook (yes, babbling) ran behind our tent. This was definitely a welcome sound to fall asleep to, as opposed to semi-trucks screaming past my Brooklyn apartment.
After setting up the White Stag with the grace and dexterity of Mary Lou Retton at the Olympics, we took a walk around the campground before it got too dark. There's a well-traveled path that ambles along the lake, opening up to a small clearing that afforded us a stunning view of the moon reflecting down on the water. Since it was getting late, we didn’t have time to check out Rogers Rock’s facilities, which include group camping areas, a swimming beach, and a trailer dump station. We were especially sad at missing out on the dump station–tourists, bring your cameras!
Using a bundle of logs bought from a small convenience/liquor store up the road about half a mile, we stoked the embers of what would soon become a mighty fire. Time to break out the Keystone Ice, veggie dogs, and marshmallows for s’mores. I hadn’t been camping for quite some time, and was starting to forget the mysterious, soothing effect that staring at a campfire for hours brings. This night was a great reminder.
Don’t forget to put away all your food before zipping up the tent and trying to get comfortable on nature’s mattress. Deer, squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, and black bears are in the area, and they love human food (especially barbecued chips from what I hear).
We paid for our one-night stay as we checked out with Bud the Park Ranger, and were charged a mere $19.75. Bud even offered to let us stay throughout the day if we wanted, and recommended a spot for breakfast up the road. Those upstate New Yorkers–such accommodating people!