Easily accessible from the north and south ends, Saratoga Lake has long been a destination for rest and relaxation as well as for water-recreation enthusiasts. Designated by the state as a “Class A” body of water, lake populations include largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye.

On a nice summer day, boats pulling water skiers as well as jet skis, pontoon boats, fishing craft, sailboats, kayaks, canoes, paddle boats, inboards and outboards can be seen using the lake at the same time. Wildlife sighting range from geese and ducks to red-winged blackbirds and turkey vultures. If you spend enough time on the lake, you may even spot a great blue heron or a belted kingfisher. The flora and fawna are equally abundant and diverse -- kids of all ages especially love seeing water lilies floating on the surface!

Lined with both year-round and seasonal dwellings, the lake’s perimeter includes such distinctive landmarks as Stony Point and Snake Hill. Some locals say the latter was so named because it resembles a snake when viewed from on high; others have heard it was once heavily inhabited by snakes. Either way, it is impossible to miss; it’s the only hill of note rising from the shores of Saratoga Lake. Point of interest: if you venture close enough to the Snake Hill shoreline, you’ll see names and dates painted or otherwise inscribed on rocks that date back many decades! Also unmistakable is a settlement old-timers dubbed Chinatown -- not because those of Asian descent settled there, but because the summer houses were built so close together. Just north of Chinatown are Riley’s Cove and Manning’s Cove.

Few have spent as many summers on Saratoga Lake as award-winning “Seasons of Saratoga” composer/pianist Cole Broderick, who took some of his very first baby steps along its shores in the late 1940s and has been there for most of every July and August ever since. His late parents, Mildred (Mim) and Edward Broderick, began coming to the lake for rest and relaxation as far back as the 1920s. The patriarch subsequently constructed a rustic log cabin on Silver Beach where his son now creates songs -- many of them inspired by the natural lakeside setting that surrounds him.

“When I look across the lake from the deck of the cabin my dad built with his own hands in the 1930s, an overwhelming feeling of peace, comfort and joy comes over me. Saratoga Lake is my spiritual oasis; a place of healing and harmony. That’s why I ultimately decided to winterize the camp and make it my year-round home,” notes Broderick, whose primary boyhood residence was in Albany.

For decades, the camp’s knotty pine interior was furnished exclusively with items crafted by the senior Broderick -- from the dining room set and living room chairs right down to the bedroom dressers and bunks. A regular guest in the summer home was Cole’s paternal grandmother, Mary Broderick, whom everyone in the then scarcely populated summer vacation neighborhood affectionately called Nana.

But it was the lake within steps of the cabin’s threshold where the youngest of the four Broderick children spent virtually every waking hour. “I lived in my bathing suit and never wore shoes. At a young age, I was deemed responsible enough to have a small boat with a motor. I knew the lake like the back of my hand and my dad told me about all the sand bars that were great for fishing. Things were simple back then and I have many fond memories,” notes Broderick, whose camp ranks among the oldest on the Silver Beach strip.

One who also enjoys gazing out on the spectacular horizon from the west side of the lake is Nancy Reynolds Rooney, sister of “60 Minutes” commentator, Andy Rooney. “I remember Mother used to say that Saratoga Lake was very pretty, and there are pictures of her and members of the Reynolds side of the family in her old photo albums,” recalls Nancy. The images in question appear to have been taken at Riley’s Cove in the early 1900s and clearly show Snake Hill in the background.

Another who heard stories from her late mother, about how Saratoga Lake looked in a bygone era is Betty Furman Place. “My mother, Bertha May Ferris, who was born in 1897, used to tell me about a huge lake boat -- almost like river boat with big steamers -- that cruised on the late in the 1800s. It was before her time, but she’d seen pictures of it. I found that fascinating,” says Mrs. Place, who now resides in a senior citizen’s residence in Ballston Spa, but spent much of her own youth in close proximity to the lake.

Mrs. Place’s early memories include riding her bike through Chinatown and along Route 9P to enjoy a day of swimming on a sandy strip of the waterway at the south end of the lake that everyone called Kelly’s Beach, now the site of the South Shore Marina. “There was a lot for young people to do along the waterfront in those days,” she explains. She giggles as she recalls how the people with homes along the beach had an unofficial Neighborhood Watch program. “The grown-ups would watch out for one another’s children which “was good because if a storm came up suddenly, they’d take you in. It was also good if you were behaving yourself, but bad if you’d been misbehaving. It always got back to the child’s parents somehow.”

Happy memories include times spent exploring Chinatown -- which had its own general store where customers could buy refreshments and live bait for fishing. “I remember we had to wear some kind of shoes to protect our feet when we swam in that part of the lake, though, because there was shale under the water that could cut your feet if you weren’t careful.”

Other fond summer memories involve a popular establishment called Proper’s Lakehouse -- now the site of Mangino’s Ristorante. “Betty Proper’s father would throw a big party each year on the Fourth of July complete with musical entertainment and all kinds of games and pie-eating contents,” recalls Mrs. Place, adding that the Propers also had a motorboat and would give guests rides -- a thrill at a time when most of the vessels on the lake moved only with the aid of sails, oars or paddles.

Another highlight of every summer on the lake was going to Kaydeross Park and riding on the carousel that has since been restored and moved to Congress Park, just off Broadway in Saratoga Springs. When she got older, she liked to attend Saturday night dances that were held in the park.

Although the Kaydeross amusement park (which also has a Ferris wheel and tilt-a-whirl) is no more, children of all ages still seem to find plenty to do along the shores of Saratoga Lake. Nowadays, of course, so much of the shoreline is privately owned that public access to the waterway is secured via a state-run boat launch and a variety of top notch marinas which offer day use launch and/or rent space for the season. Some -- like the South Shore Marina run by the DiDonna family -- have served generations of Saratoga Lake lovers while fishermen have long been lured to places like the Lake Lonely Boat Livery which rent boats and canoes as well as selling bait and tackle.

While small picnic and swimming areas are found at some of the marinas, but the biggest stretch of sand accessible by either boat or automobile along the shores of Saratoga Lake is Brown’s Beach, just off Route 9P. Those who want to sunbathe, swim or build sand castles can enter the beach daily during the summer months in exchange for a nominal fee.

Owned by Larry and Geraldine Abrams, the enormously popular recreational destination boasts a shallow water marina with 180 slips as well as petroleum service, a boat service garage, a food and beverage concession stand, a first class restaurant and small lodging facility. (A $25-million resort hotel-conference center has been proposed for Brown's Beach, but had not been approved as of press time.)

The marina prides itself on “working hard to create a community of boaters” as well as being sensitive and responsive to individuals with special needs, according to customer service representative Rebecca (Becky) Alexander, a mother of three whose 15-year-old daughter, Katelin, can often be found on the lake practicing her oaring skills with members of the Saratoga Rowing Association (SRA).

In addition to having a handicapped parking lot near the dock entrance to make it easier for those with physical limitations to unload, the marina has had some special safety railings installed along docks for those who require extra support.

Working parents with young children are also flocking to the docking area at Brown’s Beach, says Alexander. “We’re finding that couples with young children and first time boaters with smaller 18-foot and 20-foot crafts especially like the convenience of docking at Brown’s Beach,” adds Alexander. “ They can pack the kids in the car and drive here after work. It’s still light enough out that the children can use the beach and squeeze in a boat ride before sunset.”

Those to whom the marina has rented slips for the 2005 season include boaters from the tri-cities (Albany, Schenectady and Troy) as well as such neighboring communities as Ballston Spa, Clifton Park, Malta, Saratoga Springs, Schuylerville, Stillwater, and Wilton.

Not adventurous enough for you? There are businesses galore ashore that satisfy your desire to make waves in a variety of additional ways that can help make a day, weekend or extended vacation on the lake even more memorable for those who are so inclined.

These range from Saratoga Streamworks, which offers a premier fly fishing guide service, to Saratoga Water Ski Co. Ltd. -- a family fun provider that serves clients of all ages with safe water sport recreation on the lake -- from beginner to barefoot. Whether you yearn to water ski, go boarding or tubing, take a rip at the slalom course, or spend time with a private instructor, .Saratoga Water Ski Co. Ltd. has the stuff -- and the staff -- needed to make it happen.

Last, but far from least, there’s The Kayaderosseras Creek Canoe and Kayak Trail -- named, of course, for that body of water that was so revered by Native Americans long before the coming of white settlers. This beautiful 6.5 mile paddle through a diverse semi-rural setting offers a relatively mild paddling experience with two opportunities for whitewater when the river runs high. Five access points permit all levels of canoeists and kayakers to choose a paddle for their ability. Traveling east from Kelly Park in Ballston Spa, the Kayaderosseras winds its way into Saratoga Lake. The route provides easy access to Saratoga Lake, Fish Creek and Lake Lonely for extending paddling trips. Parking, launch and recovery sites are carefully placed and spaced, and the trail is near the major highways of Routes 87, 9 and 50.