Lake Placid Hiking Adventures

Lake Placid hiking trails are considered to be some of the absolute best in the Adirondacks. The High Peaks area of the Adirondacks surrounds Lake Placid itself, making the village an excellent place to use as your base of operations if you want the experience of hiking more than one of the nearby trails.

Since this site is about the Lake Placid area specifically, I'm going to confine my information here to only those hikes that are accessible from the village by driving an hour or two.

New feature! Do you have a favorite Adirondack hiking trail? Would you like to share it with visitors to this site? Click here to publish it on this website!

The most important thing to remember when hiking in the Adirondacks, or any mountains for that matter, is that you need to be prepared. Prepared for what, you ask? For basically anything!

One thing that visitors who aren't familiar with the Adirondacks often don't appreciate is how fast the weather can change, even in the summertime. Plus, if you're climbing a mountain that means a change in elevation - it might be a balmy 85 degrees in Lake Placid village, but on the top of Whiteface or Marcy there might be snow! So if you plan on waltzing to the top of a mountain in sandals and shorts, you might be in for a rude awakening, not to mention some goose bumps!

The lesson here is, even for a day hike, bring along an emergency aluminum foil shelter. They're light, so you won't even notice it amongst your stuff. It's also smart to carry a first-aid kit, a compass, a flashlight, and a map. A whistle isn't a bad idea, either. All of these supplies can be purchased at any camping supply store.

Now, this may come as a surprise to many folks, but one thing that probably won't do you any good in a mountain emergency is your cell phone. There are no cell phone towers in the woods, so I'm sure you know what that means - NO CONNECTION! I did see someone talking on a cell phone on the top of Whiteface Mountain, but that is a "tourist mountain." So don't depend on that trusty cell phone to get you out of hot water.

I'm not trying to come across like Miss Doom and Gloom here, but I've seen too many news reports from the Adirondacks of visitors who've been injured or lost on a "simple day trip." When you're hiking in the Adirondacks, there are no simple day trips. Just have your survival essentials on hand for if you need them, and then the majority of the time, probably every time, you never will.

• Mt. Marcy is the highest peak in New York State, rising 5,344 feet above sea level. It's a beautifully symmetrical mountain, with a wide pyramid shape. Hike the Van Hoevenberg trail!
• The Northville-Placid Trail is more than a simple day hike. This one is 122 miles long and is a major undertaking for those who are serious hikers and campers. Hike the Northville-Lake Placid trail!
• If you'd like to try an easier hike, or just go for a nature walk, check out these Lake Placid day hikes!

What Will I Find in Lake Placid?

Lake Placid is a resort town with a small town feel. You can find Olympic-caliber sports, competitions, world-class resorts and restaurants, incredible natural beauty, and peace and relaxation at every step, and at the same time feel like you've arrived in a good friend's hometown for a visit. It's a place like no other.

ADD TO YOUR SOCIAL BOOKMARKS: Blink Del.icio.us Digg
Furl Google Simpy Spurl Technorati Y! MyWeb

Newsflash!

What's Going On at Whiteface?

Get Published!

What's the Weather Like Today?