The 25 Best Things to Do in the Adirondacks

The Adirondacks, NY are my favorite mountains in the east. Now, I might be a little bias, as I grew up in upstate New York, where the Adirondack Mountains are located. However, I have done A LOT of hiking along the east coast, and I can genuinely say, they are one of my absolute favorite mountain ranges. The White Mountains are the only other peaks in the east that I would say compare to the Adks.

The Adirondacks (Adks) are truly the most rugged mountain range along the east coast and more so than some of the mountain ranges out west. They are honestly in their own class, ranging from 1 mile to 20 mile plus hikes that you will find in one of the largest public parks in the US.

Okay, before we start off this article, here is what you will learn after reading this post, the best things to do in the Adirondacks in the fall, the summer, winter, in June, May, October, and more.

This post is all about the best things to do in the Adirondacks.

The Best Things to Do in the Adirondacks:

Now, the mountains out west are obviously taller than the mountains in New York and along all the east coast, but in terms of spacial area that they make up, the Adks are one of the largest parks. No mountain on the east is taller than 6,000ft, and the tallest peaks in New York are just over 5,000ft. Thus, the Adks are VERY different from the mountains out west. For one, they are all GREEN. Seriously, everywhere you hike, you are SURROUND by BEAUTIFUL GREEN forests and peaks. I think that’s one of my favorite parts of the Adks, is how green everything is, it’s so striking, peaceful and alive.

Also, in this article, all the things to do in the Adirondacks in the summer will be listed first, then everything in the winter will be farther down. Thus, if you just want winter things to do, keep scrolling down.

1. Adirondack Hiking

Adirondack hiking is like no other, seriously, ESPECIALLY if you hike all the 46 high peaks. I would recommend hiking the Adks to anyone who is able to, they are truly like no other mountains. Now, if you wish to hike the 46ers, they are very remote hikes (except for Cascade and Porter) most of the hikes do NOT have any trail makers, so PLEASE do your research before you tackle on these hikes and bring/prepare the proper gear. These articles, How to Hike the Adirondack 46ers, How to Train for Hiking, and Hiking Essentials, will help you in what you should bring and how to get in shape for hiking.

Okay, that being said, if you don’t want to do the intense High Peaks, that is totally okay. There are PLENTY of other hikes and hiking challenges available if you are interested. I recommend the Fire Tower Challenge if you want something more moderate. The Fire Tower Challenge has a good mix of beginner to intermediate to advanced hikes throughout all of the Adks. Thus, it’s a good way to build yourself up to tougher hikes.

Hiking any of these trails are great things to do in the Adirondacks during the fall, summer, and even winter time. Specifically, the fall, hiking is one of the best things to do in the Adirondacks in October. However, I don’t recommend spring hiking or hiking between late April to early May because the snow is usually melting during that time.

And hiking while the snow melts really messes up the hiking trails and also, due to the snow melting, the water levels are MUCH higher than normal. Which means most water crossings are too high to cross anyways. Thus, you won’t be able to hike regardless.

In addition, here are different articles that will tell you the BEST hikes throughout all of the Adks:

{Related Post : Hiking Essentials That Every Hiker Needs + Quiz}

2. Rent a Boat And or House on Lake George

If you are a lake person, then Lake George, or any lake on the Adirondacks will be perfect for you. Personally, in my opinion, the best way to see the lake is by boat. I love boating, and any of the Adirondack lakes are perfect to do so. However, you do want to be careful because some of the smaller lakes you cannot bring a motorized boat on, so I would read the rules and regulations of the different lakes before you bring or rent a boat.

In the state of New York, you need to complete a safety course before you rent a boat, if you don’t have a boating license. This article will provide you with more information, if you have any other questions about renting a boat in New York. Also, you can find some great boat rental places here. In addition, Brodie’s Lakeside Marina Boat Rentals and Lodging, Yankee Marina and Boat Rentals, Little Harbor Boat Rentals, are all great places for renting.

Now, I also recommend renting a house right on the lake. I know in Lake George they are pretty expensive, however, if you rent far enough in advance or rent a house on Saratoga Lake instead it’s not horrible. You could always get a big group of people/families and split the costs as well. I recommend this because the village and the hotels in Lake George (unless they are on the lake) are NOT a fun way to see Lake George.

The village is really cheesy, as well as, the million dollar beach. You won’t have a good time if you rent a place in the village. Most people in Lake George have houses on the lake and that’s why they go, NOT for the village.

Here are the Adirondack lakes that I recommend the most to go boating or renting a house on:

Lake George
Saratoga Lake (about 40 minutes outside of Adirondack park, great alternative to the crowd on Lake George)
Saranac Lake
Sacandaga Lake
Lake Placid/Mirror Lake (smaller)
Indian Lake (here are some other great smaller lakes near Indian Lake)

{Related Posts : Best Hikes in or Near Indian Lake & The Best Lakes on the East Coast}

3. Swim at one of the Smaller Adk Lakes

Okay, now that we’ve covered more of the popular and larger lakes, here are some great smaller lakes/ponds/rivers to swim in after a long hike or on a really hot day (you cannot have a motorized boat on any of these lakes).

Avalanche Lake (you do have to hike to)
Ausable River (scroll down on the website to read more about where the Ausable River swimming area is)
Chapel Pond
Ampersand Pond
Round Pond (again you do have to hike to this lake, about half a mile, about a mile round trip)
Lake Arnold (again, you have to hike here from the Adk Lodge)
Siamese Pond Wilderness

4. Ride Your Boat to a Private Island and Camp

Yes, Lake George offers campsites on private islands along the lake. However, make sure, if you want to do this, you rent in ADVANCE like a year or at least 6 months in advance, because there is limited space available on these islands and spots fill up QUICKLY. Also, to get to these islands you will have to use a boat. This website will give you plenty of different places to camp.

5. Go Cliff Jumping

Cliff jumping is also a popular activity to do within the Adirondacks. Specifically, on Lake George, if you are boating around, two great places to go are, Calves Pen and Agnes Island.

{Related Posts : The Best Adirondack Towns}

6. White Water Rafting

Okay, another really fun thing to do in the Adks is white water rafting! I have only gone once but I had so much fun when I went. I went in late April/beginning of May, which the guides told us was actually the best time to go, contrary to when most people do go. During this time all the snow is melting, so the water levels are at their highest and the water is moving at it’s fastest, hence, why this is the best time to go.

White water rafting is one of the best things to do in the Adirondacks in May. Because also, during this time, hiking is off limits to anything above 3,500ft (all the high peaks). Again, this is due to the melting of snow and high water crossings, it also helps prevent erosion on the trails to have no hikers. That being said, here are some of the best places to raft, while you can’t hike:

Wild Waters Outdoor Center (the company I went through, I highly recommend)
North Creek Rafting Company
Adirondack Rafting Company
Adirondack River Outfitters

7. Kayaking/Canoeing

Instead of boating, you could always kayak or canoe as well. I really enjoy kayaking, I think it is a super peaceful thing to do on a nice day, unless it’s really windy out. Another very popular trip to take is to backpack but with a canoe instead. Much like in this video and in the boundary waters, there are plenty of places like this in the Adirondacks where you could do a thru canoeing trip, much like backpacking/thru hiking. This article will give you great canoeing trips within the Adirondacks. This is one of the best things to do in the Adirondacks in June or anytime in the summer.

8. Backpacking/Thru Hiking

Along with multiple day canoeing trips, if you really like the outdoors, then I highly suggest you do some multiple day backpacking trips. Again, there are many different backpacking trips/routes you can choose from in the Adks. There are multiple places you can backpack within the Adk Lodge and the John Brook Lodges. You can also stay at these lodges, however, the John Brook Lodge you will have to hike in to get to and it’s much like hostel living. These are great places to go if you are out of town and want to hike multiple high peaks in a weekend. Some great places to try out are:

Pharaoh Lake Wilderness (this is a great place to go for beginner backpackers)
Tirrel Pond (great for beginners to intermediates)
Cranberry Lake (great for intermediates)
Northville-Lake Placid Trail (great for expert backpackers)

In addition, this article gives you a great introduction to the different rules and regulations to follow while backpacking in the Adirondacks, in addition, no camping above 3,500ft is allowed. Lastly, this article will give you awesome other backpacking trips from beginner to expert levels as well.

{Related Post : Lake Placid New York}

9. Hip Camping/Renting a Small Van

Another popular trend that you could do if you want slightly more glamorized camping, is renting a van to park at the trailheads. This way, you could sleep in your van for the night, then go hiking early the next morning. I would ONLY advice regular sized vans (something like this size), because the big RVs will not make it through some of the very small and narrow roads in the Adks. Also, I’m not sure they are permitted on some of the narrow roads in the Adks.

However, if you don’t like the idea of sleeping in a car, HipCamps have become the new cheap thing that AirBnB once was. HipCamps offer a couple different housing options, some are actual campsites, some are farms where you can park your van at for the night, and others are small little cottages (much like tiny homes). They are a little step up from camping.

10. Lake George Railroad

The Lake George Railroad Company is a great thing to do in the fall because it’s a great way to see all the leaves changing colors. However, if you miss the fall time in the Adirondacks, the summer is also a great time to go to the railroad company. You can either pick from a 2 person ride or a 4 person ride, and you ride along the old railroads in the Adirondacks. It is a little pricey, as a 2 person ride goes for about $90 and a 4 person ride goes for $160, and you only travel from 6-8 miles. However, the views do look really nice and there are a couple different routes to choose from.

11. Mountain Biking

Mountain biking is an extremely popular sport within the Adirondacks. A lot of ski mountains offer great mountain biking trails, such as, Gore and Whiteface. Some other great mountain biking areas you can go to, you will find from this article. If mountain biking isn’t your thing then you could always road bike as well. The Adirondacks has a lot of different low traffic, beautiful roads to bike on, that you can find here.

12. Disco Golf

Another new phenomenon that is super fun is disco golf. Gore Ski Mountain does have a disco golf course that they maintain throughout the summer, that typically starts running in July. In disco golf, you have a frisbee that you throw into different baskets, that act like the “hole” in golf. Thus, it’s a mix of golf and ultimate frisbee. Many parks have disco golf courses set up in them now as well. Some other popular places to disco golf within the Adks are Ausable Chasm and Whiteface Mountain.

13. High Ropes Adventure Courses

Another fun activity to do in the summer are high rope courses. If you don’t know what high rope courses are, they are obstacles courses suspended in the air. Every course is different but typically, you will get a harness and some sort of carabiners to hook on and off of the different obstacles. The most popular course in the Adks is Adirondack Extreme.

{Related Post : The Best Adirondack Resorts to Stay At}

14. See Fireworks On Top of Prospect Mountain

Every Thursday in the the summer, the village of Lake George has a firework show. A great place to watch the fireworks is from boat. You can ride your boat to the docks at the village and watch the fireworks from your boat.

15. Ausable Chasm & the Natural Lazy River

Ausable Chasm claims, they are, “the Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks.” The Chasm is like the Grand Canyon, as it has these huge cliffs and gorges. They also offer a lot of different activities, like hiking, and rafting, however, the most popular thing to do is, tubing on the natural lazy river. I did this with my cousins and we had a lot of fun. It is a bit of a drive, from Lake George, it is about an hour and a half away, so I would just plan ahead and pick the day you want to go.

16. Skiing at Gore, Whiteface, or Belleayre Mountains

Alright, now moving on to the best things to do in the Adirondacks in the winter, I HIGHLY suggest, skiing! Skiing is one of my favorite things to do, so I will always recommend it to people or if you want to snowboard, I suggest doing that too. I recommend going to Gore Mountain, but Whiteface is a nice mountain too.

Whiteface does get more crowded and gets skied off super quickly, but it has incredible views and the biggest vertical drop in the east. I also suggest Belleayre Mountain, however, it’s not in the Adirondack park, it is in the Catskill Mountains. It is a smaller mountain, but I think they keep their snow better and I always have a great time when I go there.

17. Backcountry Skiing at the Adk Lodge

Another great way to enjoy the winter time and to avoid paying ridiculously high lift tickets, is to backcountry ski. The Adk Lodge has a lot of different routes and mountains to backpack ski on. Now, before you backcountry ski, MAKE SURE you know what you’re doing. This is NOT a sport that you can just walk into, you NEED the proper gear and know what to do in the chance of an avalanche (yes, even the Adirondacks gets avalanches).

I would definitely take an avalanche safety course and a beginner backcountry skiing/snowboarding course before you plan your trip. These courses will also tell you the proper equipment you need when you backcountry ski/snowboard. At Whiteface Mountain they do offer an intro into backcountry skiing, the Uphill Program.

{Related Post : The Best Ski Resorts in New York & Vermont}

18. Sunrise Service at Gore Mountain

If you want to see a pretty cool sunrise at the top of Gore Mountain, they always hold a sunrise mass service on Easter Sunday. When there is still enough snow, they do let you ski down. It’s actually pretty cool because the service is not terribly long and you get to see the sunrise. The only bummer is you have to get up pretty early. But you could see a sunrise on any hiking mountain!

19. Cross-Country/Nordic Skiing

Another great activity to do in the winter is cross-country/nordic skiing. There are SO many places in the Adirondacks where you can nordic skiing. The Lake Road at the AMR (Adirondack Mountain Club) is a GREAT spot to nordic ski at. You could always ski Lake Road then hike one of the high peaks at the AMR. A lot of people do this to save time while hiking if they are trying to complete their winter 46ers.

20. Winter Hiking

Another great winter activity in the Adirondacks is winter hiking. I have fallen in love with winter hiking, truly, I think the views are better in the winter than the summer. I just love seeing the snow capped mountains, it’s so peaceful to me, I love it. Now, I haven’t done any super long winter hikes, because daylight is slim in the winter months, but I have seen some amazing views. And people do complete their 46 in the winter as well as the summer. Just make sure you have the proper gear and you know how to keep your water from freezing when you go. And MOST trails are open in the winter as well as the summer, but some are not. Thus, again, do your research on a trail before you go.

21. Snowmobiling

Snowmobiling is also a great thing to do in the winter in the Adirondacks. Here are some great places to go, where you can go on different tours, or rent a snowmobile on your own. Also, if you have your own snowmobile, here are some trails you can ride on in the Adirondacks.

22. Eating at the Ausable Inn

The Ausable Inn is a GREAT place to eat in the Adirondacks. It is located in the heart of the High Peaks region in Keene Valley, New York and has awesome food. It is also a great place to stay if you want to do some serious hiking. Here are some other great places to stay at in the Adirondacks NY when you’re visiting the Adirondacks.

23. Bar Hop in the Adirondacks

Okay, on a rainy day a great way to spend the time is to bar hop. The village of Lake Placid has a lot of great breweries/bars to bar hop at. Lake George also has great bars/restaurants to eat at as well. Some great breweries in Lake Placid are the Big Slide Brewery & Public House, the Lake Placid Pub & Brewery, and the Great Adirondack Brewing Company.

There aren’t great wineries in the Adirondacks, there is the Adirondack Winery in the village of Lake George, but I would NOT recommend it. It’s very small and you can only buy wine there, you can’t sit down and eat. However, the Saratoga Winery is an awesome place, but it is about 40 minutes from Lake George (and is not in the Adirondacks), but I think it’s worth it. Some other great places to eat in Lake George are Cool Beans (Queensbury), Beans Country Store, and Kelly’s Roots (Glens Falls).

24. Martha’s Ice Cream

Ice cream is always a great treat to get in the summer time or anytime really. A great and the most popular place to go to in the Adirondacks is Martha’s. It was also featured on the Today Show. Now, Martha’s is a great place, but it gets SUPER crowded, so if you want great ice cream without the crowd, I also suggest, Sprinkles or Rob and Deb’s.

25. Lavender Fields & Apple Picking

Okay, the last things I suggest doing in the Adirondacks is going to the Lavender Fields in the summer or to go Apple picking in the fall time. A great Lavender Field in the Adks is located in Whitehall, NY, which is about an hour away from Lake George (depending on where you are). Some great orchards are Rogers Family Orchard, Apple Hill Orchards, Saratoga Apple Inc, and Hicks Orchard.

Things to do in the Adirondacks When it Rains

Now, when it rains in the Adirondacks, I will say, there’s not much to do. Some things to do in the Adirondacks when it rains are going to wineries, breweries, farmers markets, the Lake George Outlets, bowling, and mini golf. The Adks are really geared for the outdoors, thus, if you are not an outdoorsy person, I would not recommend them to you. But if you are an outdoor lover, like myself, then you WILL love them!

And that wraps up our article of the best things to do in the Adirondacks. I hope this article was helpful for you if you need something to do in the Adirondacks. Thank you so much for reading and take care!