Day 2 - Bluff Point to BurlingtonAugust 17, 2026
Anchorage · Visited August 16, 2026
Bluff Point
Our impressions and services
- Overall impression
- Good
- Shore access
- Good
- Shelter at anchor
- Good
- Beauty of the place
- Excellent
Our experience
Unlike many boaters on Lake Champlain, Valcour Island is not one of our favorite anchorages.
The place is really beautiful, but even when the wind comes from the right direction, we are never perfectly sheltered. The winds are felt there more than in other places and we don’t feel completely protected.
Bluff Point is an area on the west shore of Valcour Island, surrounding the Bluff Point Lighthouse, the old lighthouse built in 1874 to guide vessels through the passage between the island and the New York shore. Valcour Island is part of the public lands managed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and offers trails, beaches, picnic areas, and primitive campsites.
Two anchorages are listed on either side of the lighthouse. Bluff Point South offers at least 8 feet of water and good protection from north winds that veer to the east. Bluff Point North offers at least 10 feet and is better protected from northeast through south winds. Both are popular anchorages and can fill up quickly on weekends.
The main attraction is obviously the scenery: you can reach the island by dinghy, land on the shore, and access the trails as well as the lighthouse. The Bluff Point Lighthouse is one of Valcour Island’s main points of interest.
For a sailing vessel, Bluff Point is especially appealing for its good shelter depending on wind direction, easy access to the island, and natural setting, while remaining in the Valcour Channel, close to Plattsburgh.
