History

The Adirondack Park is the largest state park in the U.S. - bigger than Yellowstone and Yosemite put together. At 6.1 million acres, it is America's largest state park outside of Alaska.

Oneida Indians, who called the lake "Fish Lake", ceded most of the land in and around Brantingham to the state of New York by formal treaty on February 22, 1788. In 1793, Alexander Macomb made an application to purchase more than 3,500,000 acres (14,000 km2) of land at six cents an acre, including all of Lewis County. On April 4, 1794, the land was sold to Thomas Hopper Brantingham of Philadelphia for $23,073, (forty-six cents an acre), however soon after, he executed three mortgages on the land, neglecting to make good on his debts, eventually it was sold again. John Greig became the next to acquire the land on which Brantingham sits. The town name eventually was changed to Greig, due to the past negative perception of Thomas Hooper Brantingham. Even with this change, the lake and surrounding hamlet kept the name Brantingham.

Geography

Brantingham Lake covers 341 acres (1.38 km2) with eleven miles (18 km) of shoreline. The lake has a maximum depth of 70 feet, and an average depth of 30 feet in accordance with fluctuating yearly water levels. There are two islands present, Grant, or Round Island, and Dark Island, in the north, northwest region. Two distinct sand bars, each one marked by buoys and one visibly submerged sand bar stemming off of Dark Island are visible. Depending on yearly water levels, these shallow sand bars may only be covered by a few feet of water, requiring caution from boaters. The lake bottom yields little vegetation, but rather is covered by organic matter and sand, making the lake favorable for recreational use during the summer months.

Snow Capitol of the East

Receiving an average snow fall of 200 inches, skiers, snowmobiling, skaters, cross-country skiers and others will find plenty of frozen lakes, trails, mountains, and ski resorts Snow Ridge, Big Tupper, Gore Mountain, Titus Mountain, Whiteface Mountain to find winter activities at there best. Eighty-six miles of marked trails and over 500 miles of trails wind trough dense forest and wide open spaces through this scenic Forest Preserve. The rugged mountain scenery, heavy winter snows, and a pleasant summer climate combine to make this a popular year-round resort area. The lake is close to all activities all year round.