Drives New York The Adirondacks and the North Country
Highway 22: Lake Champlain
NY 22, NY 9N, Essex Road · Port Henry → Willsboro
The drive
This drive follows the New York shore of Lake Champlain north from Port Henry, an old iron-mining village on the lake. Highways 9N and 22 run together close to the water, beside the railroad tracks, with the lake widening out toward Vermont, to the village of Westport, where 9N turns off west.
Past Westport, Highway 22 heads inland through an easy pass around Split Rock Mountain, then swings northwest to the hamlet of Wadhams and northeast through Whallonsburg in the Boquet River valley. At Boquet it turns sharply and runs about 3 miles due east back to the lake at Essex, a hamlet whose core of early 19th-century buildings, many of them Greek Revival, is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Charlotte to Essex ferry crosses to Vermont from here.
From Essex the road follows the shoreline again north to Willsboro, where the drive ends. The whole route is part of the Lakes to Locks Passage, New York's only All-American Road.
Along the way
- Port Henry
- Westport
- Wadhams
- Whallonsburg
- Essex
- Willsboro
Good to know
- The route turns at Boquet and again in Essex; follow the Highway 22 signs rather than the lake roads.
- The Charlotte to Essex ferry runs year-round as weather permits, but ice or strong north winds can stop it in winter; it takes no reservations.
- Deer and moose are most active from October through December and at dawn and dusk, New York's DMV and DEC warn.
Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check 511NY.
Questions about this drive
How long is the drive on Highway 22 from Port Henry to Willsboro?
Highways 9N and 22 from Port Henry along Lake Champlain through Westport and Essex to Willsboro are 28.7 miles and take about 45 minutes.
Does Highway 22 follow the Lake Champlain shore the whole way?
No. Highway 22 hugs the lake from Port Henry to Westport and from Essex to Willsboro, but between Westport and Essex it goes inland around Split Rock Mountain through Wadhams and Whallonsburg.
Is there a ferry to Vermont from Essex, New York?
Yes. The Charlotte to Essex ferry crosses Lake Champlain from Essex, on Highway 22, to Charlotte, Vermont, in about 25 minutes. It runs year-round when weather and ice allow.
Is Highway 22 along Lake Champlain a scenic byway?
Yes. This part of Highway 22 is on the Lakes to Locks Passage, New York's only All-American Road.
What you get in the app
Free on iPhone and Android. CarPlay and Android Auto come with Apex.
More drives near here
Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.