Plattsburgh is located on Lake Champlain, the sixth largest lake in the US. Nestled beside the Adirondack Mountains, the city offers a beautiful beach, hiking and biking trails, golf courses, boat launches, great
fishing spots, quaint shops and
restaurants, and a downtown waterfront park.
Plattsburgh City Beach, one of America's largest freshwater beaches, is within minutes of downtown Plattsburgh. The park features over a mile of sandy beach, a swimming area, picnic grounds, a concession stand and a nature trail, all surrounded by picturesque views of the mountains and lake.
Lake Champlain was named one of the 25 Hottest Fishing Spots in the US by Field & Stream magazine. Known worldwide as a premier location for bass fishing, Plattsburgh has hosted some of the largest professional bass fishing tournaments in the world. The lake also contains trophy-size trout, salmon and perch. Outdoor guides such as
Lake Champlain Angler Fishing Charters lead exciting sportfishing excursions.
The
Clinton County Historical Museum highlights the area’s exciting history dating back to the 1600s. Just south of Plattsburgh, Valcour Island was the site of the first US Naval battle, during the Revolutionary War. You can visit the restored
Bluff Point Lighthouse on Valcour, where displays include local history, ecology and architecture. The
Champlain Valley Transportation Museum provides transportation to the island aboard the replica Sail Ferry Weatherwax.
Audubon Magazine ranked the Lake Champlain Birding Trail among the top six destinations in the US for bird watching. And there may be much more to watch for: Hundreds of documented sightings of “Champ,” Lake Champlain’s legendary sea monster, describe a 15- to 50-foot-long creature with a long neck, thick body, four fins and a long tail.
If you have no luck finding Champ, don’t worry. State parks along Lake Champlain such as
Point Au Roche are also legendary for great fishing, camping, kayaking and sandy beaches for swimming.