How to Spend a Weekend in Lake Placid New York
Lake Placid is a great small town located in upstate New York. This is a great village for you and your family if you love the outdoors. The 1980 Olympics were held in Lake Placid and where the historic match between the U.S. and Russian hockey teams took place. You can still visit the arena, ski jumps, and skate the Olympic oval, all in the village.
Lake Placid, New York is about 5-6 hours north of NYC and Long Island, depending on where you are coming from. It is located in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains and Whiteface Ski Resort, the Adirondack Lodge, Mirror Lake, and much more! If you love the outdoors, Placid is the perfect place for you.
After reading this article, you will know more about about Lake Placid, NY in general, different Lake Placid hotels, Lake Placid directions, Lake Placid skiing, and much more.
This post is all about Lake Placid.
Lake Placid:
Lake Placid Hotels
Alright, so if you’re staying in Lake Placid, you’ll want a place to stay. Here is a list of AirBnBs to stay at. The prices are definitely the best on AirBnB, especially if you book a couple months in advance, particularly in advance to June through October, and if you book with a group of at least 4 people, the prices are pretty reasonable.
Also, here is a list of different hotels, and finally here is a list of very nice and pricey resorts to stay at. The Lake Placid Lodge, Whiteface Lodge, High Peaks Resort, Saranac Waterfront Lodge, and the Lake Placid Boutique Inn are all BEAUTIFUL resorts to stay at if you have the money.
Lastly, if you are more of a camper or backpacking type, there are plenty of campsites and backpacking trails that you can stay at. However, you will need a specific type of bear canister if staying in certain parts of the Adirondacks and the Adk Lodge. This is the type of bear canister you will need. Also, HipCamp is a GREAT site for cabins, campsites, and places to keep your van (if you live out of your van/car) for the night.
{Related Post : 9 Of the Best Adirondack Resorts}
Lake Placid Directions : How to Get Here
Lake Placid is located in upstate New York, in the Adirondack Mountains. It is literally just North of the capital, Albany. And if you’re coming from NYC or Long Island, you are going to get on 87 South (the Thruway) and literally take this for about 5-6 hours, depending on traffic. If you are coming from Montreal, it’s also very simply, you will cross customs, then get on Interstate 87 South, and stay on here for about 30 miles, then you will have to go on some backroads. From Montreal, Placid is a little over a two hour drive.
Things To Do
There are A LOT of things I recommend doing in Lake Placid. However, almost all the activities involve the outdoors, so if that’s not your thing, then I would advise going somewhere else. But if you love the outdoors, then this is the place for you! The list below will tell you all the activities I recommend and where to go.
1. Skiing
Okay, so the first thing I In the winter I recommend, is a winter time activity, skiing or snowboarding, at Whiteface Mountain. However, even though Whiteface is a great mountain, it gets skied off QUICKLY because of the number of people and the amount of wind it receives.
Because of this, I recommend taking a day to ski or snowboard at Gore Mountain. Gore is a little over an hour and a half away. I know this is a bit of a drive, especially if you want to see Lake Placid, but Gore IS worth the trip. It does not get the crowds that Whiteface does (expect on Martin Luther King and President’s day weeks), and the snow is kept MUCH better. Thus, Lake Placid skiing, resort wise is okay, however, backcountry skiing is amazing, specifically at the Adk Lodge! This article will tell you where to backcountry ski within the Adirondacks.
Titus Mountain is also a great family mountain about an hour from Placid, located in Malone, NY. It has around 40 different trails, with a good mix of terrain, from beginner to expert. It also offers night skiing on one of their peaks.
2. Toboggan Rides
Next, I HIGHLY recommend taking one or two, or ten rides on the toboggan chute on Mirror Lake. Mirror lake is located right next to the town of Lake Placid. Or you could go on a dog sled ride, also located on Mirror lake, they’re a lot of fun. Here is a link to the dog sleigh rides.
{Related Post : Best Backcountry Skiing in the U.S.}
3. Lake Placid Olympics
Next, I recommend seeing the historic Olympic sites (you can see them in the summer & winter). The Lake Placid Winter Olympic Museum is where you can see the ice rink where the U.S. beat Russia in the 1980s Olympics. Sometimes you can see figure skating competitions and different hockey games being played there as well.
You can also take a look at the Olympic Ski Jumping Complex, to see the famous ski jumps. Sometimes, you can see people practicing on these ski jumps as well. Lastly, you can also see the bobsled tract from the 1980 Olympics. Here is their website for more information on fun things to do at the bobsled arena.
4. Ice Skating on the Olympic Oval
Another fun thing to do at one of the Olympic sites is ice skating at the Olympic Oval. They offer ice skates here if you need to rent a pair. I am not the best ice skater, so skating on the the Olympic oval was very strenuous for me, but if you enjoy or are a good ice skater, you’ll love it.
5. Hiking & Swimming
Now, in the summer I recommend, doing some hikes and swimming. There are tons of swim spots around Lake Placid, you can choose from. Here are some great places, Mirror Lake, Lake Placid, Cascade Lake (located in Keene, NY), the Ausable River, Echo Bay, Chapel Pond (located in Keene, NY), Long Pond, Owen Pond, Copperas Pond, and Winch Ponds.
While you’re at these lakes, you could swim, paddle board, canoe, or kayak. Mirror Lake Boat Rentals (here is their website for pricing and hours), Captain Marney’s Boat Rentals (here is their website), and Placid Boatworks (here is their wesbite), are all great places to rent kayaks and paddle boards from.
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6. More Hiking in Keene Valley, NY
Next, I recommend more hiking if you are staying in the area for a good amount of time. There is FANTASTIC hiking located near Placid, specifically in Keene Valley, which is about fifteen minutes away from Placid. The 46er challenge is located mostly in Keene Valley, and offers SPECTACULAR hikes! Seriously, hiking here, takes you to another world, I love it and HIGLY recommend!
However, be careful, because hiking in Keene Valley and Placid (Adk Lodge) are no joke. All of the hikes (46ers) have at least a 4,000ft summit (only a couple have a 3,800ft summit), and are all at least 5.5 miles roundtrip (at least the 46er trails are). Thus, if you are not in shape, I do not recommend doing any of these trails, because they are all, STEEP and have no uphill rest, when going up. However, there are many other trails you can do with a much less uphill battle.
For example, you can drive all the way up to Whiteface’s summit and see the INCREDIBLE views for yourself. Once you park, you will have to walk .5-1 mile to the actual summit, or wait in line for the elevator to take you. Also, you could go to the Flume Fall to see some amazing falls!
However, if you are an avid hiker, some great trails that are apart of the 46ers, are, Cascade/Porter, Giant/Rocky Peak, Big Slide, Whiteface Mountain Summit Trail, Nippletop, Gothics, Colden, Upper and Lower Wolf Jaw, Phelps Mountain, Algonquin, Iroquois, Wright, and Armstrong Mountain. Also, some other trails not apart of the 46er challenge, that still have great views and a good workout are, Mount Jo, Pitchoff/Balanced Rock, Hurricane Mountain, Indian Head/Rainbow Falls (much longer and more difficult than other trails mentioned), Roostercomb/Snow Mountains, and Noonmark. Here is a list of all the 46ers!
{Related Post : The Best Adirondack Towns}
7. Lake Placid Backpacking Trail
Okay, now this is for experienced backpackers, the Northville-Placid Trail. This trail is no joke, it is a total of 135 miles, starting in Northville, NY and ending in Lake Placid. Some other great Lake Placid backpacking trails for experts are many places at the ADK Lodge, such as, hiking to Avalanche Lake/Camps, hiking to Mount Marcy, Gray, Skylight & Marcy, and many more peaks that you can find here. Here are some great backpacking trails for intermediates.
Final Thoughts about Lake Placid NY
Lake Placid is a great place to visit, especially if you like the outdoors. I have been to here many times and I really do love it, particularly for it’s hiking. This IS the best hiking in New York State, in my opinion. Almost ALL of the Adk 46ers have INCREDIBLE views and are located in Lake Placid.
And that wraps up our Lake Placid weekend trip in the winter or summer. I hope this gave you some ideas on where to go, and some fun activities to do, while there. Thank you for reading, and comment below your favorite place in Lake Placid, if you’ve already visited. Thanks!
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