Dresden Town offers access to two major lakes in the Adirondacks
At the edge of the Adirondack Mountains and New York’s border with Vermont, Dresden Town is defined by land and water. “We’re nestled between Lake George and Lake Champlain, so Dresden is bordered by two bodies of water, which is a great drawing point for vacationers and fishers,” says Linda Barber, a broker at Real Estate Innovations who has lived in Dresden for 50 years. “We love it here.” Dresden is also located within New York’s Adirondack Park, 6 million acres that are split almost equally between private land belonging to towns or homes and public, protected land destined to remain wild forever. Dresden residents often have acreage tucked along the town’s winding, wooded country roads.
Kayaking and swimming in Lake George or Champlain, hiking trails
Vacationers and residents gravitate toward Lake George for kayaking, boating, fishing and swimming. Kayak launches dot the lake’s shoreline, including at Huletts Landing, which also has a marina and golf course. Residents sometimes get in the water at the docks there, but true sandy beaches are a little harder to come by on Lake George. One of its most popular, Million Dollar Beach, is just 20 miles from Dresden’s southern edge. Lake Champlain is a major destination for the same waterfront activities. Dresden is located at the huge lake’s southern edge, where it’s narrower. Barber says its South Bay has a boat launch for bigger boats. During winter, both lakes’ shallower areas sometimes freeze over and are used for ice fishing, snow shoeing and cross-country skiing.
Dresden’s wooded, mountainous hiking trails often lead to gorgeous views. Trails in the Shelving Rock Area of the Lake George Wild Forest bring hikers to a mountain summit with a view of Lake George or to Shelving Rock Falls. Sleeping Beauty Mountain Trailhead has a moderate but sometimes rocky incline that leads to sweeping mountain views at the summit. Camping is another favorite activity. Some campgrounds are located on little islands in Lake George, accessible only by boat or kayak. Even on their own properties, residents spend a lot of time outside. “There’s some people that do a little gardening, farming,” Barber says.
Wooded retreats and lake houses
Aside from a few houses clustered together in the little community of Huletts Landing, most of Dresden’s colonials, log cabin-style houses and ranch-style houses are dotted along narrow country roads or winding dirt paths. Some sit right on the water of Lake George or Lake Champlain, and many have over an acre of land. Homes don’t sell very often here, so it’s harder to nail down exact price ranges; of five recent home sales, the three inland houses sold for between $250,000 and $450,000. Two houses sold with private docks right on Lake George, going for $1.4 million and $2.6 million.
Sasquatch and beer lovers unite at Whitehall’s annual festival
Residents look forward to a few annual events. "Clemons hosts an awesome Christmas party and sometimes a Halloween party," Barber says. Every year, locals practice their best Bigfoot-luring calls leading up to the Sasquatch Festival and Calling Contest. Held just 10 miles away in Whitehall, a town with a long history of Sasquatch sightings, the festival’s Sasquatch Calling Contest is judged by a local who claims to have heard the real deal. The festival also features a costume contest and all kinds of bigfoot-themed goods alongside typical festival staples — a beer garden, plenty of food and bounce houses.
Ice cream and small-town nightlife at Huletts Landing
Dresden is almost entirely rural, but there’s one central social scene here: Huletts Landing Ice Cream and Casino Bar. It’s where residents cool off with a sweet treat on hot summer days, but it’s also where they seek out nightlife. More of a bar than a casino, people meet there to drink, play pool and see live music or magic shows; unlike many country spots, this place stays open until midnight on weekdays and 2:00 a.m. on weekends. Red Top Tavern is another small option, tucked away close to Lake Champlain. Dresden has two post offices — one in in Huletts Landing and one along Empire State Trail — but residents drive about 10 miles to get groceries at Green Mountain Food Services in Whitehall.
Opportunities for hands-on government education in high school
Children in Dresden are served by the Whitehall Central School District, which has a C from Niche. The district, which consists of just two schools, has an overall student-to-teacher ratio of 9-to-1. The C-rated Whitehall Elementary School teaches pre-kindergarten through sixth grade, while Whitehall Junior/Senior High School, which teaches through 12th grade, earns a C-minus. Eleventh graders can apply for a leadership program where they spend a week on a college campus learning about state and local government by forming political parties, holding elections and more. The school sends students to Boys State every year and to Girls State every other year.
Traveling to nearby communities, Glen Fall Hospital
Empire State Trail, also known as state Route 22, runs along Dresden’s eastern side, leading north toward Ticonderoga at Lake George’s tip and curving east into Vermont. Most of the town’s other roads are small country roads without painted lines down the center. Glen Falls Hospital, which is about 34 miles away, is the nearest hospital.
Written By
Christina Norwood
