Published July 5, 2023
By Karen Gardiner
The vast Adirondack region’s forests, rivers, and mountains are synonymous with New Yorkers’ idea of leisure. It was the Adirondacks’ wide-open spaces and unsullied nature that led William Henry Harrison Murray, the father of the outdoor movement, to publish Murray’s Adventures in the Wilderness; or, Camp-Life in the Adirondacks in 1869. The book inspired thousands of New Yorkers to “vacate” their city apartments and flee to the Adirondacks, birthing a new term: “vacation.”
Elite families such as the Rockefellers built their own lakeside “great camps”—log mansions that embodied Gilded Age travel—and by the turn of the century, dozens of grand hotels had opened across the mountain range. After the Great Depression, many of these camps and hotels fell into disrepair, and the Adirondacks fell out of favor. Today, travelers from New York City and beyond are rediscovering the region and finding refreshed options alongside long-time favorites: Chic new hotels and restaurants are opening up and once-tired mountain downtowns, including those of Lake Placid and Saranac Lake, have noticeably spruced up.
While winter in the Adirondacks has its own appeal—and endless opportunities to explore the region’s unique snow sports culture and Winter Olympics heritage—the summer and fall months showcase the region’s natural splendor at its best. Here’s how to make the most of longtime favorites and newcomers shaking up the best things to do in Adirondacks—America’s first vacation frontier.
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Getting there and around
In April, after a service halt of nearly three years, Amtrak’s Adirondack line temporarily resumed full service to reconnect New York City with Montréal, and weary urbanites with the Adirondacks. However, after only a few months the much-celebrated reopening was once again put on pause without any clear reopening date. Amtrak trains continue to depart from New York City’s Penn Station each morning and travel north through the Hudson Valley, but, for the time being, they will terminate at Albany–Rensselaer. From there, you can either jump on the Trailways bus or rent a car—and Lake Placid, the heart of the region, is a 2.5-hour drive (or 3.5-hour bus ride) from Albany. Ultimately, you will likely want your own vehicle in order to reach the edges of the forever wild Adirondack Park.
Alternatively, you can fly directly to Saranac Lake’s Adirondack Regional Airport via Cape Air from New York or Boston, or make the five-hour drive from either city.
The best things to do in the Adirondacks: Outdoors and Indigenous experiences
Covering more than six million acres, the Adirondack Park is bigger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier, and the Great Smoky Mountain national parks combined—meaning there’s plenty of room to roam. Summiting all 46 of the park’s High Peaks (mountains around 4,000 feet and over, including New York’s tallest, Mount Marcy) earns maximum hikers’ bragging rights and membership in the Adirondack 46ers organization. On your first visit, tackle one or two of the easiest High Peaks, such as Cascade or Phelps, or one of the region’s less-intense multi-peak hiking challenges, which include the Lake George 12ster, Lake Placid 9er, and Saranac Lake 6er, any of which can be completed over a few days.
With over 3,000 lakes and ponds and 30,000 miles of rivers and streams, the Adirondacks are a paddler’s paradise. Taking to the water can unlock some truly unique Adirondack experiences, such as camping on your own private island on Saranac Lake or paddling a section of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, a 740-mile network of waterways that meander through Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and New York. If you’re not sure where to begin, head for St. Regis Canoe Outfitters in Saranac Lake or Raquette River Outfitters in Tupper Lake. Both offer canoe and kayak rentals, route planning, transportation, and instruction, as well as guided day and overnight trips.
Its reputation as a vacation destination belies the long human history of the Adirondacks, so take the time to learn about the region’s community and Indigenous roots. Straddling the U.S./Canada border, the Mohawk community of Akwesasne was named 2022 Tribal Destination of the Year by the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) and offers cultural experiences, including basket-weaving and traditional lacrosse-stick-making. In Onchiota, the Six Nations Iroquois Cultural Center highlights the culture of the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee through artifacts, arts and crafts. You can learn more about the human history of the region at the Adirondack Experience, whose new exhibition Artists & Inspiration in the Wild highlights the diverse artists and artisans who have found creative inspiration in the Adirondacks.
Where to eat and drink
There’s nothing like celebrating with a cold drink after a day on the trails. Luckily, many Adirondack breweries are strategically located close to trailheads, such as Raquette River Brewing—which is perfectly situated for a brew after completing the Tupper Lake Triad—or Paradox Brewery, close to Pharaoh Mountain. From breweries to wineries, cideries, and distilleries, including the newly opened War Cannon Spirits in Crowne Point, the craft beverage scene alone is worth a visit to the Adirondacks.
Eating in the Adirondacks is often about fueling up for adventure, but amid the all-day breakfast diners, delis, and pubs, several sit-down restaurants merit lingering. Just opened in Tupper Lake, the Woodshed on Park serves French-Canadian-influenced comfort dishes, such as Québec-style shepherd’s pie. Its intimate setting is all dark wood and low lighting, which invites whiling away the evening over craft cocktails. Lake Placid’s tiny Salt of the Earth Bistro has just nine tables in a century-old house and turns local produce into surprising internationally-inspired flavors such as Burmese coconut shrimp curry and wild boar stew. The Deer’s Head Inn in Elizabethtown claims to be the Adirondacks’ oldest tavern—the rustic spot was renovated in 2016—with a reinvigorated mission to champion local and sustainably sourced produce (plus you can sleep off dinner in one of the inn’s five rooms).
Where to stay
Just opened this summer, the newly renovated, 36-acre Lodge at Schroon Lake is a family-friendly resort that leans into the spirit of summer camp with a wide variety of activities, from pickle ball to outdoor movies. Accommodation options that include cabins, chalets, and glamping sites.
A handful of the Adirondack’s great camps of yesteryear still welcome guests, including the The Sagamore on Lake George and the Rockefeller-built The Point on Upper Saranac Lake. Historic properties including Lake Placid’s Grand Adirondack Hotel have also been recently refreshed and revived.
But the newest openings in the region are tuning into the travel needs of design-savvy young urbanites who want to escape the crowds of the city but not the style: less rustic, more refined. Wooden A-frame cabins dot the sprawling grounds of Eastwind, on the edge of Lake Placid, for the idea of camping with a lot more comfort and design: Cabins are thoughtfully decorated with vintage furniture, and patios look across the Chubb River toward the mountains. There’s also an outdoor sauna, cozy lobby bar, fire pit, and pool, and in the main building (a converted 1950s motor lodge) there’s a vintage library and guest rooms with big clawfoot bathtubs. You could easily spend a good chunk of your trip holed up here: the homey, cozy vibe feels like hanging out at a friend’s place.
Downtown, rooms at just-opened Bluebird Lake Placid lean into a cool minimalist aesthetic—think earth tones, blonde wood, and unfussy decor. Overlooking Mirror Lake, it’s the perfect jumping off point for outdoor adventure and a tranquil retreat where you can chill out in the evening. Later this year the hotel will open Après Only, a bar and a tasting room inspired by the Lake Placid’s 1970s-80s ski culture that will have you plotting a return trip in winter.
