Why It’s Awesome: Situated in New York’s Adirondack Mountains, Lake Placid offers downhill and cross-country skiing, ice skating and more snow sports in the winter and picturesque hiking in the spring, summer and fall. Home to the 1980 Winter Olympics, the village is teeming with history from the games, amazing local food and drink and lots of shopping in its charming downtown.
Where to Stay: High Peaks Resort is located in the heart of downtown Lake Placid on the shores of Mirror Lake. The pet-friendly resort (dogs are welcome both at the resort and throughout the pet-friendly mountain village) offers tons to do no matter what season you visit. In the winter, guests get free snowshoe rentals with a list of nearby trails for snowshoes and cross-country skiing. In the summer, paddle boarding and kayaking are included with your stay. There are three pools, one of which is indoors, and the kids can play pool and games in the resort lodge year-round. The resort’s location makes it easy to walk to all the village’s restaurants and shops.
What to Do: In the winter, you and your crew can go ice skating on the Olympic Oval, zoom down the Lake Placid Toboggan Chute, try skeleton sledding and bobsledding on the Olympic track and ride a gondola up the Olympic Jumping Complex. In the summer, there is no shortage of spectacular hikes in the Adirondack Mountains. High Falls Gorge is a must-see nature park that offers beautiful views of its waterfalls as you walk through its suspension bridges. Whiteface Mountain is the fifth highest peak in New York. Drive to the summit and then ride an elevator to the top and take in views as far away as Canada. A visit to the Lake Placid Olympic Museum is another must-do.
What Else to Explore: Save a day to visit Ausable Chasm, a sandstone gorge also known as the Grand Canyon of the East Coast. Choose from rafting, rappelling, rock climbing, riverwalking, tubing float tours and more. Plan your meals with stops at some of the village’s best eateries. The Cottage at Mirror Lake Inn features spectacular views with fresh, local fare. Head to 46 Sandwiches for amazing breakfast and lunch sandwiches (it’s worth the wait), Smoke Signals for BBQ and the Great Adirondack Brewing Company for steak, brews and beautiful lake views.
Details: High Peaks Resort rates start at $230 per night.
