Lake Placid Travel Guide

Lake Placid, perhaps most famous as a popular skiing village and the home of the 1980 Winter Olympic Games, is a small hamlet high up in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. The town has a population of about 2,000 residents, with many more coming in the winter or summer months to ski or hike.

Things to Do in Lake Placid

Lake Placid is literally teeming with unique, family-friendly things to do. Check out the Lake Placid Winter Olympic Museum or the Lake Placid Olympic Ski Jumping Complex to recreate the 1980 games in front of your eyes. If you’re looking for a good trail, Cobble Hill, Owl’s Head, and the Cascade Mountains are the most popular trails. Try your bobsledding skills in the Lake Placid Bobsled Experience on the same tracks olympians once used.

Best Time to Visit Lake Placid

Lake Placid is great all year round. Enjoy the winter sports in the winter months, the changing colors in the Cascade Mountains in the fall, and the warm weather in the spring and summer.

A Local's Guide to Lake Placid

Lake Placid is any ski-enthusiast's dream, and has been really put on the map thanks to having hosted the 1980’s Winter Olympic Games. Set high up in the Adirondac Mountains in New York, visitors shouldn’t let the small size of the village put them off. What the village lacks in size, it certainly makes up for in things to do and see. On top of the mountains, winter feels timeless. Snow covers the mountain peaks and frost covers the windows of cozy bars and rental homes. Rentals in Lake Placid are extremely popular, so bookings should be made sooner rather than later.

With many Lake Placid vacation rentals, your vacation home can either be the main event on your trip, or simply a place to rest your head after a day full of adventure. From rustic cabins complete with cozy fires and the comforts of home, to full service luxury resorts, there will be something to suit the needs and budget of every traveler passing through. There are waterfront rental properties, group rental properties that sleep 12 or more, and many vacation rentals in Lake Placid that are within walking distance of Main Street shopping and dining.

The village of Lake Placid is a perfect vacation destination for any type of visitor. Families can enjoy putting on their skates and gliding over the ice, or jumping on a taboggan and taking to the hills. Couples or friends should head downtown, where there are art galleries, spas for the ultimate pampering session, and a wide range of dining options. There are also golf courses for those that want to perfect their swing in the mountains, before heading to Lake Placid club for some downtime. The popular destination of Saranac Lake is just a short drive away, where there is always a festive spirit in the air.

Mirror Lake boarders the village and always has something going on, whether a game of pickup hockey, cross-country skiing or dog sled rides. Plus, the surrounding region is home to literally hundreds of miles of trails, some of which should be handled only by more experienced cross-country skiers.

A Lake Placid vacation would not be complete without a visit to Whiteface mountain, New York’s fifth highest mountain and home to the very best skiing experiences east USA has to offer. In winter, take to the slopes with mile after mile of impeccably groomed cruising trails, or in summer take part in some great activities in the Adventure Zone, or take a scenic Cloudsplitter Gondola ride.

As host to the 1980 Winter Olympics, history really was made in Lake Placid. Visitors can further explore this history in the Olympic Museum, before ice skating at the Olympic Oval, see where the world-famous ‘Miracle on Ice’ hockey game took place. Witness the impressive ski jumps and even take a ride on a real bobsled at Mount Van Hoevenberg.

Set in the high peaks, Lake Placid offers some impressive real estate. Some rentals offer spectacular views over the mountains, which are an amazing sight to wake up to in the morning. No matter whether you want to take the Whiteface Mountain’s scenic Memorial Highway, hike one of the 46 High Peaks or explore the historic Great Camps of Saranac Lake, a Lake Placid vacation rental is sure to be your home-from-home after a long day.

Cabins in Lake Placid

Picture snuggly nights in a cabin in the woods, snow-capped mountains and twinkling lights filling the town -- welcome to Lake Placid, your perfect winter getaway!

Downtown is where the majority of the vacation rentals are, most coming with fully equipped kitchens and a living room. There are also a huge range of restaurants, art galleries, and spas here to pamper yourself.

Lake Placid cabin rentals are the ideal base for a family vacation, complete with all the comforts of home and more, perfect to enjoy with family and friends at any time of year. Mirror Lake borders the village, and in the winter there is dog sledding, ice hockey, cross country skiing, tobogganing, and lots more to take part in.

Most notably, the town was the site of the 1980 Winter Olympics, and so is packed with interesting history and memorabilia around the event. Whiteface Mountain is one of the highest peaks in the Adirondacks, and is one of the most popular ski areas in New York, so it's no surprise many people opt for a house rental in the area.