Valcour Island (Bluff Point) Lighthouse
Plattsburgh, NY

History:
Situated high on a promontory on the western side of Valcour Island is the Bluff Point Lighthouse. A visit to this beautiful structure, currently maintained by the Clinton County Historical Association, should be a highlight of anyone's trip to Lake Champlain.

Placed in service in 1874, the Bluff Point Light was one of the last lighthouses to be manned on the lake. It guided ships through the narrow passageway between the island and the New York shore for almost 60 years. Its fifth-order Fresnel lens was seen each evening from 1874 until 1930 when a steel tower was erected just south of the structure.

The base of the lighthouse is constructed of blue limestone, a popular construction material found in many historic buildings on Lake Champlain. The attractive design features an octagonal tower atop a red-shingled mansard roof.

In recent years the U.S. Coast Guard has been negotiating with lighthouse owners to return the lights to the structures. This exciting event has actually taken place at several other Lake Champlain lighthouses, among them Cumberland Head and Windmill Point. Bluff Point is slated to have its light returned soon also.

Source: America's Historic Lakes

Hours:
For information on tours go to the Clinton County Historical Association at http://www.clintoncountyhistorical.org/lighthouse.html

Latitude/Longitude: 44.622854,-73.431247

Nearest Address: 3935 New York State Bicycle Route 9 Plattsburgh, NY

• From Interstate 87 north take exit 36. At the end of the ramp take a left onto SR22.
• In 1.5 miles take a left onto S. Junction Rd.
• Follow S. Junction Rd. 2 miles to the end. Take a right onto US 9.
• About 0.3 miles or so you'll see a sign on the left for the Peru boat dock. Turn in there and go to the edge of the lake where you'll see the lighthouse about 0.7 miles away on Valcour Island.

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