Chester (New York)

The Town of Chester is made of several communities in the Adirondacks around the small hamlet of Chestertown. Other hamlets within the town boundaries include Pottersville, Friends Lake, Loon Lake, and Schroon Lake. Of the three lakes, only Loon Lake has a public beach&mdash;for the others you'll have to check into a B&B.

Get in
Chestertown, which lies at the heart of the broader "town," is centered immediately south of the junction of NY-8 and NY-9, just off exit 25 on the Northway.

Do
The lakes are the big attractions, and are all popular places to swim, fish, boat, laze about, etc. There are also several sleepy horse ranches that will be happy to set you up with lessons, or a ride through the woods. Public lands are few in the immediate area, limiting the amount of hiking opportunities.

Go next

 * Ticonderoga, on US Highway 9N nine miles north of Hague and thirty miles NE of Chestertown, is a historic fortress from the native, Anglo-French and Revolutionary War era