How to spend a weekend in Lake Placid

Lake Placid is a small city inside the Adirondack Mountain region in Upstate New York and has quite the history. Former host to two Winter Olympics (1932 and 1980), they know how to host visitors.

While I was only lucky enough to spend a night in the area, it was enough to confirm a trip back is necessary. As someone who grew up skiing, I can only imagine how amazing this little city gets in the winter. I’m sure the summers are a great time to visit as well because there are so many hiking trails and bodies of water to enjoy while you’re there.

The area is fairly easy to navigate as it’s so small but you definitely will need a car. If you plan on visiting during the winter just be careful. It is a mountain after all so the road conditions I’m sure can get rather rough, always check ahead to make sure you’re okay to travel.

Getting there:

There are a few regional airports near Lake Placid that you can fly into and then rent a car for a shorter trip. However, North Americans love a good road trip don’t they?

The drive is pretty manageable from the major cities listed below. Look, if I can make the trip in 2 days from Toronto (the furthest of all these cities) than you can too.

Toronto: 6 hour drive
Ottawa: 3.5 hour drive
Montreal: 2 hour drive
Niagara: 6 hour drive
New York: 5 hour drive
Boston: 5 hour drive

If you are travelling from Canada, we found the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge to be the fastest. On the way back we waited for less than 15 minutes. I thought that would have been unheard of on a Sunday. Then again, we were travelling off-season so I guess there was no real

What to do:

Lake Placid is a destination for all seasons. I’m not sure what I expected before my trip but I really didn’t realize how busy the place would be in the fall. Let me tell you, Lake Placid was pumping!

There seemed to be so many people milling about town I was surprised. I was told that it was hunting season in Lake Placid so I’m sure that had something to do with it as well.

Hiking

This one might seem obvious but there was no shortage of hiking trails in and around Lake Placid and Whiteface Mountain. Unfortunately, because the weather was very cold, damp and rainy we didn’t really have the chance to trek through any of these trails (hence why I need a trip back).

Either way, as you make your way along the roads surrounding Whiteface Mountain there are plenty of designated spots to stop and park your car. The trails are marked along the way so you can easily spot them. I really wish we had had the chance to do some hiking because the views from the top of the mountain, especially in the fall would have been unbelievable!

Olympic stadiums

There are quite a number of different sites you can visit that were apart of the Lake Placid Olympics. Most of these sites were built in time for the 1980 Olympics so they are fairly modern.

It would probably be worth your money to purchase the Olympic passport so that you can get access to all of the different sites in the area. You’ll even get access to the Whiteface Mountain gondola for a ride to the top, which is basically worth half of the passport cost in itself.

Shopping and Dining

The main strip in town has some pretty amazing shops and restaurants. We cruised along and couldn’t help but notice how quaint everything was. Most of the storefronts and restaurants were independently owned, which is really quite refreshing.

The whole street looked like one of those little towns you put up at Christmas. It was all so picture perfect. My personal favourite? The candy shops of course!

We had a quick bite to eat at the Lake Placid pub & brewery before heading back to the hotel. The food was decent enough for what we were looking for but the beer is really where they shone (obviously).

Relaxing

If you’re lucky enough to find yourself in a cozy cabin-like hotel or inn than the perfect way to spend a fall weekend is really just relaxing. Everywhere you look you are surrounded by absolutely gorgeous fall colours, and in many cases breathtaking views.

There is nothing better than curling up by the fireplace, grabbing a good glass of red wine and enjoying the company you are with. If you’re looking for a quiet weekend away from the city in the fall, Lake Placid is definitely a good place to start.

I can’t say the same thing about the winter months though because I can only imagine how busy it can get once the skiers and snowboarders descend on the area. I really hope to go back and visit in the winter sometime!

Where to stay

We stayed at the stunning Whiteface Lodge for our visit. I’ve stayed in a fair few places during my travels but seriously this place definitely is near the top of the list. It was everything you could imagine of a hotel in the mountains.

The decor was cozy with its log cabin feel and warm, inviting colours. It made you want to sit inside the whole weekend and curl up with a good book. The property is spacious and perfect for families because the rooms are all suites.

| Click here to book the Whiteface Lodge |