It climbs through rock cuts as it meanders north on the narrowing isthmus between Lakes Champlain and George. Near the northern end, it crosses the Essex County line. into the county, it reaches the first settlement along its length within the Adirondack Park, Ticonderoga. The highway skirts the northeastern edge of the village, the site of key battles in both the French and Indian and Revolutionary Wars, as NY 74 comes in from the ferry to the east, the first intersecting state route since Whitehall, ending the longest such break on NY 22 at . The two routes overlap for almost until NY 74 goes straight ahead at the intersection with NY 9N, while NY 22 turns right to join NY 9N, the longest suffixed route in the state, and return to its northbound orientation for the longest of its concurrencies, at .