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Living on the east coast or looking for something a little more laid back than New York City, Lake Placid is the perfect place to visit. Located in the Adirondacks region of upstate New York, the town of Lake Placid is full of things to get you outside and is a beautiful scenic drive.

There is no best time of year to visit Lake Placid, in my opinion, it all depends on the adventures you seek. In the summer, people flock to the trails and mountains of the Adirondacks and head to the campsites around the many lakes. But winter certainly has no shortage of things to do. Below are the top things to do in Lake Placid in Winter.

Visit the Olympic Center

Lake Placid has been lucky to host the winter Olympics not once, but twice. The first in 1932 and then again in 1980. The remnants of this is seen all around the town, from hockey rinks hosting tournaments and camps to the Olympic Jumping Complex with its ski jumps rising up towards the clouds.

Considered one of the best Lake Placid winter activities, you can visit all of these places for free, however, if you are looking to immerse yourself in the experience it’s going to cost you. Two of the biggest draws are the elevator to the top of the ski jumps to check out the views on the 360-degree viewing platform and having a bobsled experience at the luge site.

The elevator to the viewing platform costs $11 a person. Now used as a training site for Olympic hopefuls, from the viewing platform it is the perfect place to watch the jumping platform and see the high peaks region of the Adirondack mountains.

Led by a professional driver and brakeman, the bobsled experience gives you a chance to see what it’s like to be an Olympic slider. But it’s going to cost you. At $95 a person, this experience can be a little cost prohibitive for some. Not into something so adrenaline inducing? You can also go ice skating at their huge ice arena right in downtown Lake Placid.

There are also ways to make your Olympic experiences a little more cost effective, the Olympic Sites Passport. The passport includes one-time access to every Olympic venue in Lake Placid. So, if your goal is to see all things Winter Olympics, this might just be the pass for you.

Ausable Chasm

Called the “Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks” the Ausable Chasm is an impressive site to behold. Established in 1870, you can hike, climb, or float around the area. The viewing platform of Rainbow Falls is free to view but to access the rest of the area, there’s a fee.

This really upset me, because it was $17.95 per person to go for a 4-mile hike. Don’t get me wrong this is a beautiful area, but no one should be charged that kind of fee to visit a relatively small canyon just to go on a short hike. This is not a National Park, with a boatload of hiking options and other activities.

Owned by a private group of shareholders, descendants of the original owners of the land, it began with humble beginnings of water-powered energy, a nail producing factory, and logging. The falls, however, were definitely worth the drive as the spray created thick, dripping expanses of ice on the walls of the canyon. If you plan to spend time in the area, exploring the many attractions of the area, just be aware of the cost.

Whiteface Castle

Open from May to October, the Veterans Memorial Highway, winds its way up to the summit of Whiteface to a castle. You cannot see it from the slopes on the other side of the mountain, but it provides those who do not come for skiing the opportunity to see those magical Whiteface views.

Entirely funded by the state of New York and opened in a ceremony by Roosevelt in 1935, Whiteface Castle sits atop Whiteface Mountain in all its granite glory. The Castle and Highway predate the ski area by about 20 years.

With the purchase of the Olympic Sites Passport, you get one-time access to explore the castle on the mountain.

Visit the main street

The downtown area is a great place to hang out if you want to do a little shopping and eat great food or just spend a day relaxing. No trip would be complete without a craft beer and some great food after a long day of exploring. Lake Placid is full of great restaurants and several breweries. Some of the favorites being Smoke Signals, for its mouthwatering BBQ and Big Slide Brewing, a smaller outpost of the Lake Placid Brewing Company.

The larger Lake Placid Brewing Company boasts good beer but mediocre food. Big Slide, however, has oven fired pizza and allows its master brewers to get a little creative. Making small batches of unique beers, you will find flavors you never expected in a beer. If you love it, you can purchase a “Crowler” a large can of freshly poured beer.

Hike or snowshoe in the High Peaks Region

Everyone knows the Adirondacks is the place to go for hiking in New York State. There is something for everyone with 46 peaks, there is a plethora of day hikes, multi-days, and mountains to climb.

If you are new to hiking but still want to see some of those stunning summit views, there are a couple hikes to check out. One hike, Baker Mountain, with two summit options, an easier or harder choice has a distance of 1.8 miles or Cat Mountain for when you are ready to give yourself a little more of a challenge. At 6 miles in length, there are a few tough spots but worth the go. For more ideas check out these suggestions for best hikes for beginners in the Adirondacks.

For the more advanced hikers, challenge yourself to Mount Marcy. At 5,344-foot elevation and 14.8 miles, this hike is not for the newbie. The trail ranked the most difficult include ones like Mt. Haystack (4,960-foot; 17.8 miles) and Mt. Skylight (4,926-foot; 17.9 miles). If you are looking for a printable list of the 46 Adirondack Peaks check out the pocket guide. And if you are wondering why this is on a list of things to do in the winter, you can climb these mountains in the winter as well, adding a new challenge to an already pretty challenging area.

Go on a dog sled ride

When Mirror Lake, in downtown Lake Placid, freezes over mushers come out of the woodworks. Visitors can pay them for sleigh rides across the lake and one-hour tours through the woods.

Two of the main companies include Thunder Mountain Dog sled tours and Mike Arnold Dog Sled Rides. The lake usually freezes over around December. During my spring snowboard trip to Whiteface, the lake had already thawed, and I didn’t get a chance to visit with these incredible mushers.

Tobogganing and snow tubing

Another great winter activity is the toboggan chute on Mirror Lake. Grab your toboggan and make your way up to the top of the chute before barreling down and across the lake. Check out this video for a sneak peak into what it’s like to barrel down this chute.

Once again this is only open during the winter months when Mirror Lake is frozen, so try to make it out for the different seasons so you can experience it all.

Climbing

Just like the amazing number of hikes there are just as many options for climbing for all abilities. Considered the East’s Premier Wilderness cliff, check out Wallface. Other popular climbing routes include Henderson Cliff, Avalanche Pass and Rooster Comb.

If you are new to climbing you can book a trip with a licensed guide, who can show you the ropes. Though this may be more for the warmer months, there are opportunities for ice climbing in the winter season.

Go cross-country skiing

At Cascade Cross Country ski center, you can get everything you need to enjoy a day cross country skiing on 20km worth of groomed trails. Get your daily pass for $12 per adult and set out to explore a variety of easy, intermediate and experienced trails.

Or go off trail in the Adirondacks on the hundreds of hiking trails.

Go skiing and snowboarding at Whiteface Mountain

In my opinion, Whiteface Mountain is one of the best ski mountains in the eastern United States and the perfect cold weather activity. So, if you are not into cross country skiing but are more of a downhill skiing kind of adventurer (or snowboarder like me) this is by far one of the best things to do in Lake Placid in the winter.

And after spending a day on the slopes you can hang out at Whiteface Lodge for some fantastic après ski and make sure to check out my top picks for best east coast mountains.

Visit the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge

Last, but not least, this 501c non-profit has a 1-mile trail to see rescued hawks, owls, wolves, and a bobcat. With educational programs, presentations and working on donations from visitors this is one of the most well-respected rehabilitation and rescue center in the Adirondacks.

Working with local veterinarians their goal is to rescue, rehab and release these wonderful creatures. Some animals inevitably, however, sustain injuries that do not make them a very good candidate for release. Many of these animals become educational animals, teaching the next generation.

Concluding Thoughts

This is not a comprehensive list of all the things there are to do in this area. That would be one hell of a long post! The Adirondacks, specifically the Lake Placid area, with its spectacular views, has so much to offer everyone, from families to couples. It’s a beautiful place where you can get back to nature and explore and if the mountains are calling, you should go.