11 of the Best Adirondack Towns that Nobody Knows About
Visiting or traveling to somewhere new or old, is super fun, especially if it involves the outdoors. I, myself, really enjoy being outside and seeing nature, which if you’re reading this post, I’m sure you do too. The Adirondacks are FILLED with beautiful places to see and explore. So, here are some of the best Adirondack towns, that I have personally been to and would recommend to visit/stay at.
After reading this post, you will be much more familiar with the Adirondack region in general, such as where Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Lake George and other towns are located in New York State. You will also have a better idea of the fun activities that you can do with your family/friends, and great places to eat/stay at.
Here you will read about the best Adirondack towns, best Adirondack towns to visit, best Adirondack towns to live in, largest towns in the Adirondacks, list of towns in the Adirondacks, best places to visit in the Adirondacks, popular Adirondack destinations, and more.
This post is about the best Adirondack towns.
Best Adirondack Towns:
1. Saranac Lake, New York
Saranac Lake is the farthest north Adirondack town on our list. Saranac Lake is about five hours away from Boston and New York City (depending on where you are coming from) without traffic. It is about two hours from Burlington, Vermont, again without traffic. It is a great lake to kayak on and much more.
Saranac Lake is a great smaller Adirondack lake town. It is about 15 minutes from Lake Placid, NY. However, it DOES NOT have the downtown area that Lake Placid does. If you want more of a night-life area, with things to do, then I HIGHLY suggest staying in Lake Placid. However, if you want more of a quiet town (family town) then I recommend staying in Saranac Lake.
Saranac Lake is super close to A LOT of hikes like the Sewards Range (high peaks) (difficult/advanced), Ampersand (advanced), Scarface, Haystack & McKenzie (intermediate to advanced), Baker, and many more. You can also complete the Saranac 6ster, which are also great (beginner to intermediate) hikes. Also, you have Saranac Lake right there, if you want to kayak/canoe, sail, swim, or boat on.
Ampersand Mountain Summit
{Related Post : My Journey of Becoming a 46er}
2. Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid and our next town, Keene/Keene Valley are home to the STUNNING High Peaks. Seriously, if you are into 10-20 mile hikes, they are the peaks for you, with truly BREATHE TAKING views. I know everyone raves about the Rockies (rightfully so), however, the Adirondacks are in a different class, in my opinion. Personally, I love the Adirondacks for the ENDLESS amount of green (instead of brown/dirt) and jaggedness of these peaks. I have hiked all the 46ers, and I HIGHLY recommend to anyone who is interested and able in doing so, to hike them.
Lake Placid is probably one of if not the best Adirondack mountain towns to live in. I would say Keene/Keene Valley are the best Adirondack towns however, they are MUCH more remote compared to Lake Placid. Lake Placid really is the perfect mountain town in New York, in my opinion, if you want to live near the mountains but still have other fun things to do. There is A LOT to do but it still has that small town feel, because it is.
Best Things to do in Lake Placid
While in Lake Placid the best things to do in the summer are hiking, camping, and mountain biking (High Peaks Cyclery). Also, I recommend rock climbing, Adk flying lessons, Zipline & Aerial Adventure Park, kayaking/canoeing on Mirror Lake, boating, boat rentals, horseback riding, biking/cycling, golf (Craig Wood Golf Course), the Olympic Ski Jump, and swimming in the Ausable River (scroll down for directions to the Ausable River).
The best high peaks to hike in Lake Placid are Whiteface & Ester, Phelps & Tabletop (or just Phelps), Mount Colden, Cascade & Porter (ALWAYS crowded), Wright, Algonquin, & Iroquois, and Mount Marcy Gray & Skylight. Every hike mentioned except Whiteface & Ester and Cascade & Porter, you will have to pay $15 to park at the ADK Lodge and are DIFFICULT and ADVANCED hikes.
In addition, some great SMALLER hikes (LESS mileage and elevation gains, beginner to intermediate) near Lake Placid are Mount Van Hoevenberg, Mount Jo & Heart Lake ($15 to park for a 2 mile hike, if you don’t include Heart Lake), Cobble Hill, Avalanche Lake & Pass (have to pay $15 to park), Bear Den, and Balance Rock & Pitchoff.
During the winter in Lake Placid the best things to do are skiing (Alpine & backcountry), cross-country skiing, and snowboarding (ski & snowboard rentals). Also, sledding on the Toboggan Chute, dog sledding on mirror lake, sleigh rides, snowmobiling, ice skating around the Olympic Oval, and ice climbing. Here are some of the best restaurants in Lake Placid, during anytime of the year.
Clearly, you can see there is SO much to do in Lake Placid, New York. Thus, in my opinion if you want to live in the Adirondacks, Lake Placid is the best place to live.
{Related Posts : Easy Hikes in Upstate NY & Complete Guide to Lake Placid}
3. Keene/Keene Valley, New York
If you want to stay in Keene/Keene Valley, these towns TRULY have the best views of the Adirondacks. These towns are the prettiest parts of the Adirondacks in my opinion, along with the ADK Lodge hikes. The hikes that I recommend hiking in the summer (High Peaks) are Gothics, Lower Great Range,Big Slide, Colvin & Blake (only do Blake if completing 46ers, you’ll thank me later), Dial & Nippletop, Haystack, Basin & Saddleback (all of these are DIFFICULT and ADVANCED hikes).
A lot of people think that Lake Placid is where the High Peak Wilderness is located, but actually it’s spread throughout Keene and Keene Valley. Some more moderate hikes I recommend (and hiking in the winter) are Rooster Comb & Snow Peaks (can do separately or together), Noonmark & Round Mountains, Hurricane Fire Tower, and Hopkins.
Some beautiful places to swim at are Chapel Pond (scroll down to get directions, great spot for after hiking, close to many of the trails), also people LOVE to rock climb the rocks across from Chapel Pond, called, the Chapel Pond Slab. Also, Round Pond (you’ll have to hike about half of a mile to get to) and John’s Brook (scroll down for directions) are great places to swim at.
Some great places to eat at are The Old Mountain Coffee Co, and the Ausable Inn. A GREAT place for all your outdoor equipment and activities is the Mountaineer. Seriously, I HIGHLY recommend checking out this store, it’s a local GEM! Some great places to stay at are the Rooster Comb Inn, Trails End Inn, Keene Valley Lodge, and the ADK Trail Inn.
{Related Post : Where to find the Best Hiking in New York}
4. Schroon Lake, New York
Schroon Lake offers GREAT camping, specifically, at Eagle Point Campgrounds or the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness. I HIGHLY recommend staying at Pharaoh Lake, if you are a more experienced camper. Or if you enjoy backpacking or want an introduction to backpacking, this place will be AWESOME for you.
Some great hiking nearby is Pharaoh Mountain, Mount Adams Fire Tower, Allen Mountain and the Santanoni Range (or just Panther Peak, all these peaks are DIFFICULT and ADVANCED). Another fun activity to do on Schroon Lake is kayaking or canoeing. You can find great places to eat in the area, here. Also, below are links to other places to stay at in Schroon Lake.
{Related Post : A Guide to Pharaoh Lake Wilderness}
5. Tupper Lake, New York
Tupper Lake has some of the best beginner hikes in the Adirondacks. The Tupper Lake Triad is a great beginner and introduction hikes to the Adirondacks. It doesn’t have the STUNNING views that the High Peaks have, but it is a great place to start. Also, Tupper Lake DOES NOT get the crowds that Keene/Keene Valley and Lake Placid get. So, if you’re struggling on your first ever hike, not many people will see you.
Tupper Lake is kind of positioned in a horseshoe shape with Saranac Lake, Long Lake, Blue Mountain, Indian Lake, and North Creek. Tupper Lake if you will, is the middle of the horseshoe, connecting North Creek, Indian Lake, Blue Mountain Lake, Long Lake, Tupper Lake, and Saranac Lake all together (via route 28 & 30). All of these are SMALL mountain towns that are located pretty close to North Creek, New York. Thus, I recommend staying in North Creek, if you can’t find places in the towns listed in this horseshoe.
Some other fun things to do in Tupper Lake, New York are visiting the Wild Center, kayaking/canoeing or fishing on the Raquette River, and visiting the Raquette River Brewing Company.
{Related Post : Different Hiking Challenges in New York State}
6. Indian Lake, New York
Indian Lake is also a great place for beginner hikers to stay. The 4321 challenge, is another great start into hiking. I recommend hiking this after the Tupper Lake Triad. The 4321 Challenge, allows you to hike 4 easy hikes, then 3 moderate, then 2 more advanced, and then 1 advanced/hard trail. Thus, it allows you to increase your difficulty every time, which is a great way to get in shape/prepare for the High Peaks.
For more moderate hikes I HIGHLY recommend Peaked Mountain and 13th Lake, Wakely Mountain Fire Tower, John Pond & Clear Pond Loops. Also, all these trails would be great to hike in the winter. Again, I recommend staying in North Creek (Indian Lake is about 30 minutes from North Creek), if you can’t find any places in Indian Lake. However, below are some great places to stay in Indian Lake, New York.
{Related Post:4321 Challenge & Winter Hiking Tips}
7. Blue Mountain Lake, New York
Want to walk in this winter wonderland? Well, you can if you hike the Blue Mountain Fire Tower in the winter. I HIGHLY recommend hiking this trail in the winter. It’s great in the summertime too, but I really liked it with the snow.
Also, you can hike the rest of the 4321 challenge, with some of the trails being in the Blue Mountain Lake area. Another great Adirondack hike is Castle Rock. This is a smaller hike, being about 3 miles. However, I think it has a great view, and again, is a great beginner hike. Also, I would stay in North Creek, because there isn’t much else in Blue Mountain Lake. Also, North Creek is only 35 minutes from Blue Mountain Lake.
8. Long Lake, New York
This is yet another amazing hike within the Saranac, Tupper Lake horseshoe, Chimney Mountain! Now, if you want to hike this trail, I recommend hiking it in the Fall, because the leaves are SO pretty then. Also, when I hiked this trail, my dad and I found a different summit than the official one. And I MUCH prefer the summit my dad and I found compared to the actual summit.
I wish I could give you exact directions on how we got to “our” summit, but I really don’t know how. We did follow what looked like another foot path, and it lead us to this huge rock ledge type thing. This is where I took the above picture and got this incredible view. I hope that somewhat helps! Some other great hikes in this area again are, the 4321 challenge, Owl’s Head Fire Tower, and Lake Lila. Again, I would suggest staying in North Creek, because Long Lake, might not have a lot of places to stay at or much around it.
9. North Creek/Chestertown/Warrensburg, New York
North Creek, Chestertown, and Warrensburg, New York are all pretty close to one another, which is why I paired them all together. They are all about 20 minutes from one another, give or take. These Adirondack towns are the three towns you pass by when going to Gore Mountain. Now, if you are a skier or snowboarder, like myself, Gore Mountain should ring a bell. However, if you are not, you probably don’t know what I’m talking about, which is okay.
Gore Mountain is (in my opinion) the best ski resort in New York State. I would say Whiteface is, however, there’s a reason why Whiteface gets the nickname Iceface. Whiteface is almost ALWAYS icy. Now, it’s not the mountains fault, it’s the way the mountain is positioned, that makes it extremely vulnerable to getting wind swept and skied off. Which is why I prefer Gore Mountain over Whiteface. Gore may not get the views that Whiteface does, but it DOES maintain its powder SO much better than Whiteface. And Gore Mountain is actually New York’s LARGEST ski resort not Whiteface.
More Fun Activities at Gore Mountain
Now, these areas have A LOT more have fun activities to do, located near them. Which again is why I keep recommending to stay here in the Adirondacks compared to the smaller towns (Tupper Lake, Indian Lake, etc). Gore Mountain also has a ski bowl, where you can tube, cross-country ski, snow-shoe, and twilight skiing/snowboarding.
And in the summer Gore Mountain offers hiking and mountain biking. North Creek and its surrounding areas, offer the Revolution Rail, White Water Rafting, and much more. In addition, the last time I stayed in North Creek, New York, I stayed at the North Creek Maisonette. This is an AWESOME AirBnB. It is located right next to a wine bar, and many different local eateries. This is a big AirBnB (can host up to 7 guests), so I suggest having your family or friends stay with you. I HIGHLY recommend staying here if it is available, because it’s truly a great place to be!
10. Lake George, New York
Lake George! Now, I’m sure you’ve heard of Lake George, or at least seen pictures of it. It is named the US’s Queen of Lakes and I think this lake truly deserves it. However, this lake does get CROWDED. Thus, if you don’t like crowds, I suggest going to Lake Luzerne or Saratoga Lake.
For places to stay I HIGHLY recommend staying somewhere ON the Lake. Trust me you will NOT enjoy yourself if you stay in the village or not on the lake. The highlight of Lake George is Lake George, all the other things, like the village and it’s public beaches are VERY corny and not well preserved in my opinion. Thus, if you can I HIGHLY recommend spending the extra money to get a house with your friends/family right ON the lake, and bringing/renting a boat. This is HONESTLY the best way (only way) to spend your time at one of the best Adirondack lake towns.
That being said, there are a TON of things to do in Lake George. For example, you can hike the Tongue Mountain Range (watch out for rattle snakes, here are some other great hikes too), shop at the Lake George Outlets, mini golf at Around the World or US, golf at the Top of the World golf course, go to the drive-ins, and/or get milkshakes at A&W (SO many flavors). Also, you could get ice cream at Martha’s, parasail, go to an amusment park, the Great Escape, go to the best happy hour at the Boat House, and/or see an 80’s cover band at Neptune’s. Or you could eat at more great restaurants, The Algonquin, Blue Water Manor, and breakfast at the Sagamore Resort. Or in the winter, hit the Ice bars or ski/snowboard at Gore or Whiteface Mountains.
11. Saratoga Springs, New York
Do you want somewhere to party and gamble? Well, Saratoga Springs is the town for you. Saratoga is last on our list, and is the farthest from the Adirondacks (about an hour to two, depending on where you are going). But is probably the closet from where you are coming from. It is about three to three and a half hours from NYC and Boston.
Saratoga is also very popular for its Race Track and Casino, it’s downtown area, and for Saratoga Lake. Some great things to do in Saratoga Springs are, going to Travers (horse race, usually at the end of August), get a sandwich at Putman Market, or a donut at Darling Donuts or some wine at the Saratoga Winery. Also, for more nightlife, I recommend checking out these bars in downtown Saratoga: Saratoga City Tavern, Gaffney’s, the Bourbon Room, and many more.
In addition, if you like sushi, I highly recommend going to Wasabi or if you like bar food I HIGHLY recommend Druther’s or 550 Waterfront (on Saratoga Lake). Some other great restaurants are listed here. Some noteworthy famous people that have also been spotted in Saratoga are Pete Davidson, Dj Pauly D, Owen Wilson, and Steve Kornacki. Here are even more things to do in Saratoga.
And that concludes all of the best Adirondack towns. As well as, the best Adirondack mountain and lake towns to stay at. I hope you have a better understanding of where things are located in the Adirondacks. Also, all the fun things to do and where to stay in the Adirondacks.
Here you will read about the best Adirondack towns, best Adirondack towns to visit, best Adirondack towns to live in, largest towns in the Adirondacks, list of towns in the Adirondacks, best places to visit in the Adirondacks, popular Adirondack destinations, and more.
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