Two small North Country communities, ten minutes apart from each other along the Lake Champlain corridor, give visitors access to one of the more underrated combinations in Upstate New York: genuine Adirondack adventure, a historic river hamlet with 147 buildings on the National Register, and a lakeside state park, all without the drive times that a Lake Placid or Saratoga-based trip would require.
Beekmantown: Lakeside Living and Point au Roche
The Town of Beekmantown is a rural community of roughly 5,500 residents stretching from the shores of Lake Champlain on its eastern edge to the forested hills bordering the Adirondack Park on its west — a genuine cross-section of the Champlain Valley’s landscape variety within a single township. Beekmantown sits approximately one hour northwest of Burlington, Vermont, and about one hour south of Montreal, which makes it a genuinely well-positioned base for a trip that might include either destination as a day trip or a bookend to a longer stay.
Point au Roche State Park
Beekmantown is home to Point au Roche State Park, one of the standout natural attractions on the New York side of Lake Champlain. The park offers boating, fishing, picnicking, swimming, and a network of trails winding through woods, meadows, and along the lakeshore — the kind of complete outdoor day that doesn’t require driving to multiple separate destinations to get a swim, a hike, and a picnic all in one visit. The park’s peninsula setting gives it water views in multiple directions, a specific geographic advantage that a lot of Lake Champlain access points on the New York shore don’t share.
“Beekmantown calls itself one of the best-kept secrets in the region, and that’s a genuinely fair description. It’s a quiet township with real lake access and mountain views, without the tourist infrastructure that changes the character of a place once it’s discovered.”
Keeseville: A Historic Hamlet on the Ausable River
Keeseville is a small hamlet straddling both Clinton and Essex Counties, located about 13 miles south of Plattsburgh and roughly 20 minutes south of the city — close enough for easy access to Plattsburgh’s fuller range of amenities while offering a genuinely different, more historic small-town character on its own. Established around 1812, Keeseville developed into a 19th-century industrial community and is now a National Register Historic District containing 147 historic buildings and bridges — a remarkable concentration of preserved architecture for a hamlet of its size.
The Ausable River runs directly through the center of Keeseville, and the town’s historic bridges and riverside architecture make an unhurried walk through the hamlet genuinely rewarding — quaint, scenic roads with views of both the river and the Adirondack Mountains beyond. Keeseville is also the birthplace of William Henry Jackson, the American painter, Civil War veteran, and photographer who achieved international fame for his images of the American frontier, adding a specific claim to historical significance beyond just the architecture.
Ausable Chasm: The Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks
Keeseville’s single biggest draw is its proximity to Ausable Chasm, a sandstone gorge attraction that has drawn tourists since 1873, making it one of the oldest continuously operating natural attractions in North America. Often called the “Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks,” the Chasm offers walkway access down into the cool box canyon, miles of nature trails with scenic vistas and waterfalls, and adventure options including rafting, tubing, and a notably approachable two-mile “float through nature” on a 12-person river raft or inner tube — a great option for visitors who want the scenic experience without a demanding whitewater commitment. The Chasm operates as a year-round attraction, adding camping, biking, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing to its warm-weather offerings.
The Ausable River and Local Character
Beyond the Chasm itself, the Ausable River running through Keeseville is well known for trout fishing, and the Port Douglas Boat Launch on Route 16 gives boaters and sailors direct access to Lake Champlain from the Keeseville area. Harmony Golf Club & Community, about 5 miles east of Keeseville, offers a golf course perched on cliffs overlooking Lake Champlain — a genuinely scenic round for golfers traveling through. Ausable Brewing Company has become a specific local gathering spot for craft beer, food trucks, and live music, giving the hamlet a low-key evening social scene that punches above what you’d expect from its small size.
Wildlife and Nature Beyond the Chasm
The Keeseville and Beekmantown area gives access to two significant wildlife management areas along Lake Champlain’s western shore: the Ausable Marsh State Wildlife Management Area and the Wickham Marsh State Wildlife Management Area, both open for recreational activities including birding, paddling, and general nature observation. For visitors interested in the region’s wildlife beyond the Chasm’s more developed attraction infrastructure, these marsh areas give a quieter, more naturalistic complement to the day.
Why This Corridor Works as a Home Base
The specific advantage of basing a trip in the Beekmantown-Keeseville corridor is the combination of genuinely varied attractions within a tight geographic radius. In a single day, without excessive driving, a visitor can experience Point au Roche’s lake and trail access, Ausable Chasm’s dramatic gorge and river adventure options, Keeseville’s historic hamlet character and riverside walk, and still have time for a Lake Champlain sunset back at a home base along the water. Few North Country corridors pack this much genuine variety into such a compact area.
The proximity to both Plattsburgh (fuller shopping, dining, and services) and to Burlington and Montreal as potential day-trip or extended-trip destinations gives this corridor a flexibility that more remote Adirondack basing points don’t offer — you get the small-town, uncrowded character of Beekmantown and Keeseville without sacrificing access to bigger-city amenities when you want them.
Beekmantown: ~5,500 residents, Lake Champlain to Adirondack foothills. ~1 hr NW of Burlington VT, ~1 hr south of Montreal. Home to Point au Roche State Park (boating, fishing, swimming, trails).
Keeseville: hamlet in Clinton/Essex Counties, ~13 mi south of Plattsburgh (~20 min). Established ~1812. National Register Historic District, 147 buildings/bridges. Birthplace of photographer William Henry Jackson.
Ausable Chasm: sandstone gorge attraction since 1873. Walkways, nature trails, waterfalls, rafting/tubing, 2-mile raft float. Year-round (camping, biking, XC skiing, snowshoeing in winter).
Local spots: Ausable Brewing Company, Port Douglas Boat Launch (Route 16), Harmony Golf Club (~5 mi east, Lake Champlain cliff views).
Wildlife: Ausable Marsh and Wickham Marsh State Wildlife Management Areas along the lake’s western shore.
For visitors planning a stay in this corridor, the RV park near Beekmantown, NY page covers the base-camp option closest to Point au Roche and the Beekmantown side of the corridor. The RV park near Keeseville, NY page covers the routing and access details for visitors approaching from the Ausable Chasm and Keeseville direction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to do near Beekmantown, NY?
Beekmantown is home to Point au Roche State Park, which offers boating, fishing, picnicking, swimming, and a network of trails through woods, meadows, and along the Lake Champlain shoreline. The town’s location — stretching from the lakeshore to the Adirondack foothills — gives visitors access to both lakeside recreation and mountain scenery within a compact area. Beekmantown’s proximity to Plattsburgh (for fuller shopping and dining options), Burlington, Vermont (about an hour away), and Montreal (also about an hour away) makes it a well-positioned base for day trips in multiple directions.
What is Ausable Chasm and how far is it from Keeseville?
Ausable Chasm is a sandstone gorge attraction just outside Keeseville, often called the “Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks,” that has drawn visitors since 1873, making it one of the oldest continuously operating natural attractions in North America. The Chasm offers walkway access into the box canyon, miles of nature trails with scenic vistas and waterfalls, and adventure activities including rafting, tubing, and a two-mile “float through nature” raft trip suitable for visitors who want a scenic rather than a demanding whitewater experience. It’s a year-round attraction, with camping, biking, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing offered depending on the season.
Is Keeseville, NY a historic town?
Yes. Keeseville was established around 1812 and developed into a significant 19th-century industrial community. The hamlet is now recognized as a National Register Historic District containing 147 historic buildings and bridges, a remarkable concentration of preserved architecture for its size. Keeseville is also the birthplace of William Henry Jackson, an American painter, Civil War veteran, and photographer who achieved international fame for his images of the American frontier. A walk through Keeseville’s center, along the Ausable River and past its historic bridges, gives visitors a genuine sense of this preserved 19th-century character.
How far is Keeseville from Plattsburgh?
Keeseville is located approximately 13 miles south of Plattsburgh, a drive of roughly 20 minutes. This proximity makes Keeseville an easy day-trip destination or a practical home base with access to Plattsburgh’s fuller range of shopping, dining, and services when needed, while still offering the quieter, more historic character of a small North Country hamlet as a home base itself. Keeseville is also about 50 minutes from Lake Placid and roughly 1.5 hours from Burlington, Vermont, giving it a well-connected position within the broader North Country and Adirondack region.
What wildlife areas are near the Beekmantown-Keeseville corridor?
The Ausable Marsh State Wildlife Management Area and the Wickham Marsh State Wildlife Management Area are both located along Lake Champlain’s western shore near the Keeseville and Beekmantown area, offering recreational access for birding, paddling, and general nature observation. These marsh areas give visitors interested in wildlife and quieter natural settings a complement to the more developed attraction infrastructure at Ausable Chasm and Point au Roche State Park.
Can you fish or boat near Keeseville and Beekmantown?
Yes. The Ausable River, which runs through Keeseville and flows into Lake Champlain, is well known for trout fishing. The Port Douglas Boat Launch on Route 16 in Keeseville gives boaters and sailors direct access to Lake Champlain. Point au Roche State Park in Beekmantown also offers boating and fishing access alongside its swimming and trail amenities. Together, these access points give visitors in the corridor multiple options for both river and lake-based fishing and boating without needing to travel far from a home base in either town.
