Revolutionary Road Trip: Ticonderoga
- Timothy Dusablon
- Jun 7
- 6 min read
In honor of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, I have created several “Revolutionary Road Trips” in the Champlain Valley and the surrounding areas. These road trips are designed to be done in one day, and to give you time to explore and enjoy the sites. This road trip focuses in and around Ticonderoga, NY.
You may think you need to go to Boston, New York City, New Jersey or Philadelphia to experience the important sites of the Revolutionary War. With all due respect to those locations, if you live or visit in the Champlain Valley, there are PLENTY of sites to keep you on the road and entertained walking in the pathway of one of the most critical theaters in the Revolutionary War.
In the words of Rene Descartes: “Traveling is almost like talking with men of other centuries." With this in mind, these Revolutionary Road Trips are the perfect excuse to get out and experience the places that greatly influenced our country’s founding 250 years ago. See for yourself where our history took place!
Stop 1: Fort Ticonderoga - Ticonderoga, NY
Fort Ticonderoga is the crown jewel of historical sites in the Champlain Valley. This awe-inspiring fortress witnessed some of the most historic events of not only the Revolutionary War, but also the French and Indian War. There is so much to see and do here, hence why this day trip is centered around Ticonderoga, New York. As you approach the impressive fort, in the gates you see a plaque with the names of people who have stepped where you are standing. It’s enough to give you chills. Re-enactors and interpreters are incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, providing demonstrations and giving tours. The fort was built in 1755 by the French who named it Fort Carillon.
In 1758, the bloodiest battle on American soil prior to the Civil War took place just outside the fort, the Battle of Carillon. A mere 3,500 French forces defeated nearly 17,000 British in an event that sent ripple waves across the Atlantic. In 1759, the British took control and renamed the fortress Fort Ticonderoga. In the following years, the fort fell into disrepair and was manned by a skeleton crew.
In 1775, a joint command of Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen captured Fort Ticonderoga in America’s first large-scale victory. The fort was semi-repaired, and a new fortification across the lake at Mount Independence combined with Ticonderoga to house a force of 12,000. This force, along with Arnold’s performance at the Battle of Valcour Island, caused the British to retreat back into Canada. The following year, John Burgoyne retraced Carleton’s path, but this time he captured Fort Ticonderoga, exploiting nearby Mount Defiance which was left unfortified by the Americans. They retreated south, eventually regrouping and defeating Burgoyne’s force at Saratoga.
Be sure to visit the gardens, and if time allows, the boat tour aboard the MV Carillon is wonderful, although you should book the boat tour in advance. The bookstore and giftshop are amazing, and there's even a cafe with some great food.
Fort Ticonderoga was kind enough to issue the following statement regarding the 250th Anniversary celebrations:
“If your America 250 road trip has one non-negotiable stop, make it Fort Ticonderoga — recognized by USA Today and Smithsonian Magazine as a premier Semiquincentennial destination and, quite simply, the place where America's fight for independence was won and lost in ways most of us never learned in school. Open Tuesday through Sunday, May 2 through October 25, 2026, the site spreads across 2,000 acres of Adirondack landscape on the shores of Lake Champlain, and this year it's doing something no other historic site in the country is attempting: its signature REAL TIME REVOLUTION® is walking visitors through the critical year of 1776 day by day, drawing from primary sources to reveal the unglamorous, uncertain struggle of the Continental Army as it retreated to Ticonderoga even as the Declaration of Independence was being signed in Philadelphia. Beyond the immersive living history, there's genuinely a lot to do — narrated boat cruises on the Carillon with sweeping views of the Green Mountains and Adirondacks, world-class museum exhibitions including the new A Revolutionary Anthology: Revolutionary Possibilities exhibit, lush historic gardens, heritage animals, family programs, a six-acre Heroic Corn Maze, and the breathtaking summit of Mount Defiance — plus a calendar of major reenactment events, including the dramatic July 3–5 "Return of an Army" and the October 24–25 "Hold the Line for Liberty" finale that recreates one of the Continental Army's greatest, least-told victories of 1776. Your general admission ticket is good for two consecutive days, so budget accordingly: you'll want both of them.”
Stop 2: The “French Lines” - Ticonderoga, NY
As you are departing Fort Ticonderoga, you will pass the site of the “Old French Lines”. It was here that the Marquis de Montcalm and his force of only 3,500 defeated almost 17,000 British in perhaps the biggest upset in North American military history. Over 2,000 casualties took place to the west of the lines, giving this spot a haunting vibe. There is also a trail you can follow for a more in-depth look at the Carillon Battlefield. The American forces rebuilt the French Lines and the spot was stationed by troops from Pennsylvania.
Stop 3: La Chute Falls - Ticonderoga, NY
Along the riverside, the impressive La Chute River lower falls are a must see. In 1609, Samuel de Champlain explored these falls after his battle with Haudenosaunee Warriors on the Ticonderoga peninsula. He was alongside First Nations Warriors from Canada allied with Champlain and the French. A sawmill here was also captured by the American forces, and was critical to rebuilding the fort and building naval vessels.
Stop 4: Mount Hope - Ticonderoga, NY
Here was a blockhouse as part of the outer defenses of Fort Ticonderoga. At one time, the blockhouse was rebuilt in the 1950’s, but no longer exists. It was part of the extensive outer works of Fort Ticonderoga that spread all the way to Lake George.
Stop 5: Mount Defiance - Ticonderoga, NY
Your admission to Fort Ticonderoga includes a coin that allows you to go up the Mount Defiance road to the top of the mount. The views are incredible. There are few breathtaking views with as much American history as there from the top of the mount. It is a steep and curvy road, but is paved and easily accessible by two wheel drive vehicles. American forces did not fortify the top of the mount, assuming there was no way a force could climb this steep position. They were proven wrong in 1777, when highlanders under Simon Fraser scaled the mount and brought two cannon to the top. Both Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence were well within range of fire. General St. Clair had no choice but to evacuate and save his army.
Stop 6: Mossy Point - Ticonderoga, NY
It was here at Mossy Point where Henry Knox and his Noble Train of Artillery departed the area aboard a sailing barge down to the head of Lake George. Knox’s incredible journey through here with 60 tons of artillery is the stuff of legend. He transported the 59 pieces of artillery from Fort Ticonderoga and Crown Point in the dead of winter to the outskirts of Boston. Now armed with badly needed heavy artillery, General George Washington forced the evacuation of the British from Boston, liberating the city from General William Howe.. Also at this point was where General Amherst's force in 1759 landed to capture Fort Ticonderoga. In 1758, Abercrombie’s disastrous campaign departed Lake George from the opposite shore in one of many of his poor decisions. The second in command Lord George Augustus Viscount Howe, brother of General William Howe, lost his life nearby.
Stop 7: Black Point Beach - Ticonderoga, NY
After the Revolutionary War, an African American veteran of the American forces bought the land here at the northern end of Lake George. His name was Prince Taylor. He owned a thriving farm in the area, and even employed white sharecroppers. During Thomas Jefferson and James Madison’s visit to the area in the 1790’s, the two southern slaveholders were shocked to see an African American employing white sharecroppers. Madison spoke about the encounter in great detail in his journal. To this day, the area is known as Black Point. Across Lake George, you can see an impressive cliff-face of granite known as Rogers’ Rock. According to legend, Robert Rogers slid down this cliff-face onto the icy surface of Lake George to prevent capture from French and First Nations forces after the second Battle of Snowshoes in 1758.
