Cliff Jumping in Lake George! Jumping the Calf Pen by Boat or Bushwack

Cliff Jumping On Lake George, The Calf Pen

Jim Pavoldi, 2014

The Calf Pen is one of the best cliff jumping spots in the Adirondacks and is although it's usually approached by boat it's fairly easy to hike into the calf pen without a boat and actually makes the jumps that much more rewarding!

The Extreme Video News crew was at the Calf Pen the week before 4th of July 2014 and got some great footage (below).


 A few notes on hiking to the Calf Pen - Although there seems to be a cowpath that follows fairly close to the water's edge, it's better to 'stay high' even as much as 150 or 200 yards east of the shoreline for 3 reasons -

1) There does seem to be 2 areas posted as private property

2) The waters edge does get dicey and steep right before you get to the calve's pen and fallen logs and small, slippery edges can make it a head-ache especially if you're travelling with a leashed dog.

3) There's a small (and beautiful) stream with a ravine that may be easier (when the water is high) to cross at an altitude of about 80 feet off the water rather than close to the water.

Cliff  Diving in the Adirondacks, The Calf Pen of Lake George

A word of warning - A lot of great divers congregate at the rocks and will often perform not only from the top of the cliff but from the top of the tree! Many of these jumpers have skills and an understanding of the risk that the average jamoke in a rented pontoon simply does not possess. If you are jumping for the first time, stay low and work your way up... You will undoubtedly make a few mistakes and it's better to learn from them on the low cliffs rather than from the top.

In the past few years, we've been a part of two rescues where the jumper has gone unconscious, we had a member of our crew break two ribs, met a pro diver who broke his tailbone, and have heard several tales of people falling off before the jump simply getting two close to the edge.

Jumping from the Tree Branch at the Top of the Calf Pen

In the video below, the Extreme Video News crew shot footage of a maniac doing a back-flip from the top of the tree above the highest jump spot about 6 years ago - DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS UNLESS YOU ARE AN EXPERT.



Although we've decided not to publish the actual coordinates or directions and trail names as we prefer to deter those less prone to exploration, the map to calf pen below will give you a basic idea of the general area (centered):

Hiking to Calf Pen Map