Top Things to do in Adirondacks
Top Hotels in Adirondacks
- 1. Hampton Inn & Suites Lake Placid
- 2. The Alpine Lodge
- 3. Crowne Plaza Lake Placid, an IHG Hotel
- 4. Hotel Saranac, Curio Collection by Hilton
- 5. Placid Bay Hotel
- 6. Saranac Waterfront Lodge
- 7. Town House Lodge
- 8. Best Western Saranac Lake
- 9. Best Western Adirondack Inn
- 10. Courtyard by Marriott Lake Placid
10 Things to do in Adirondacks That You Shouldn't Miss
Discover the best top things to do in Adirondacks, United States including Mirror Lake, Bald Mountain, North Creek Mosaic Project, Olympic Ski Jump Complex, Bobsled and Luge Complex, Gore Mountain, Enchanted Forest Water Safari, The Wild Center, Mount Jo, Adirondack Carousel.
Restaurants in Adirondacks
1. Mirror Lake
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,026 reviews
Reviewed By luvtotravel6768 - Simcoe, Canada
Mirror Lake has it all - wonderful views; calm lake water; a 2.7 mile interlocking brick pathway all the way around, including part of the downtown street; a small sandy beach; a toboggan run in winter right onto the frozen lake!; kayaks to rent; flowers and flowering shrubs in May/June; and I must have forgotten something! We walked the loop 3 times during our week's stay, and saw walkers, joggers, families, mom's with strollers! Mirror Lake is well worth the stay in Lake Placid!
2. Bald Mountain
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 161 reviews
Reviewed By sydney920
Excellent time hiking with my wife and two grown boys and future daughter in-law. Easy hike, beautiful trail with several great views along the way. Great views at top also. Went earlier in the morning, were the only ones on top for at least 30 minutes. Trail was very busy on way down. Many people hiking up.
3. North Creek Mosaic Project
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 22 reviews
Reviewed By adrianna24sings - Traverse City, United States
North Creek is full of creative people and you can see that on Main Street with the mosaic project. Talented artists painting away and displaying their works of art.
4. Olympic Ski Jump Complex
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,147 reviews
Visitors to this year-round training and competition site can watch daring ski-divers, or take an elevator to a platform to see how high Olympic skiers jump.
Reviewed By jimkC1474NO - Howell, United States
We spent a little over an hour at the Olympic Ski Jump Complex. We took the gondola ride to the top of the mountain, which takes only a few minutes. From there you transition to a glass elevator ride to the top of the largest ski jump which provides scenic views of the surrounding mountains. The ski jumps are so much higher than they appear on television and show just how daring (or crazy) ski jumpers are. New respect for ski jumpers! The venue is clean, masks are required and there is a little shop for souvenirs.
5. Bobsled and Luge Complex
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 837 reviews
Mt. Van Hoevenberg combines outdoor recreations with Lake Placid’s Olympic Legacy. On the sliding center side, we have a state-of-the-art combined skeleton & bobsled track and we have created North America’s longest mountain coaster, The Cliffside Coaster. On the Nordic center side, we have added 4km of World Championship rate trails, joining our existing 50km of cross country skiing trails. Our new lodge, The Mountain Pass Lodge, is the Hub of Mt. Van Hoevenberg, and is the place to go for a drink, hang out with friends, or just spending a full day enjoying all the activities Mt. Van Hoevenberg has to offer.
Reviewed By Anitafuel - Water Mill, United States
Drove 7hrs after work with my 2 girls just to ride this coaster!!!! Purchased our tickets online 2 weeks in advance and prayed the weather would cooperate. Tickets are pricey! ($55pp) BUT....here are the bonus points.... 1. Longest mountain coaster in the country! 2. Speakers in sleds give you the history of the bobsled run next to it! 3. You CANNOT crash into the sled in front of you due to high tech sensors! 4. Once you descend, you ARE an olympic bobsled driver! 5. The views are absolutely breathtaking! We went for lunch afterward and back to motel for a power nap before driving 7hrs back home. What a fun Day of the Dead treat! Great for any age!
6. Gore Mountain
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 244 reviews
A premier winter recreation destination with the most skiable terrain in New York State and a towering 2537' vertical drop. Enjoy a welcoming family-oriented atmosphere, an immense variety of terrain, and high-speed lifts including an eight-passenger gondola. Conveniently located 25 scenic minutes off I-87. Open for off-season activities including scenic gondola rides, mountain biking, and base area attractions during the warmer months.
Reviewed By N8041FDheathera
I personally dub Gore Mtn THEE best ski area in New York State! So many trails to ski, so many safe, and easy rides...prices are very agreeable and the unbelievably beautiful winter vistas from the top!! Truly a winter wonderland! Staff is very friendly and helpful! I drive 2 1/2 hours to ski here...its worth every minute and dime! There is something for Everyone there! TRY GORE AND YOU’LL LOVE IT!! GUARANTEED
7. Enchanted Forest Water Safari
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 429 reviews
New York's Largest Water Theme Park! Enchanted Forest Water Safari, where the fun never stops, is New York’s Largest Water Theme Park with more than 50 rides and attractions including 32 heated outdoor water rides! Water Safari is located in Old Forge, NY in the Adirondack Mountains. In this combination of amusement park and water park, guests never run out of fun things to do because there’s something for all ages, from toddlers, kids, teens through seniors. Water rides, kiddie rides, classic amusement rides, fun food, cool shops, exciting games, storybook themed characters, a family circus show, barnyard and much more! Kids birthday parties are more fun here! Enchanted Forest Water Safari is an award-winning park that has been serving guests safe, clean family fun for more than 60 years!
Reviewed By butterflysolo
Wonderful water park with a wide variety of activities to choose from, such as the petting zoo, old school feeling amusement rides, to the multiple fun water slides to enjoy. A true hidden gem in a small town. Would highly recommend spending the day here and riding the small gondola lift which you loops you around the park for an aerial view or catching the train to the back of the park to enjoy more water rides. Or walking through the story book land for kids.
8. The Wild Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 948 reviews
The Wild Center's outdoor-only experience is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The Wild Center is an 115-acre hands-on place to get all kinds of new perspectives on the wild world of the Adirondacks. It will include Wild Walk, a brand new trail across the treetops starting in the summer of 2015. The Wall Street Journal called The Wild Center "Glorious" in its review, and The New York Times called it "stunning". The Center has live animals, a wide screen theater, canoes, its own river, guides walks, tons of cutting-edge green building systems, and the only treetop walk in the Adirondacks.
Reviewed By labanc2017 - Montgomery, United States
This place is great for those under 80! Filled with hands on learning exhibits, it is a cross between a zoo, a nature center, a playground and a museum. Roll that all together and you have a world of fun, and education. Inside you have a world of knowledge and information in the exhibits along with river otters, fish, ducks, snakes, frogs, toads, turtles and many more. The movie theater shows 6 short clips throughout the day. The cafe was a refreshing change offering healthier fresh cooked soups, sandwiches, Mac and cheese, cookies and other fare. Outside there are trails and the wild walk which takes you up above trees teaching to along the way as you observe and interact with how animals such as spiders, birds, bears, and deer life and interact with their environment. This place is especially good for families with young children. As an added bonus the admission is good for 2 days.
9. Mount Jo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 331 reviews
Reviewed By Bouley123 - New York City, United States
Amazing views at the top! Great hike all in all. Took us 2:15 hrs Total with 2 breaks (one at the top). Our 9YO and 6YO kids climbed up the short path (helped the 6YO a little). A few mosquitos but not too bad. Make sure to save time for Heart Lake at the end of the trail, bring bathing suites if weather permits!
10. Adirondack Carousel
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 154 reviews
A one of a kind Adirondack Attraction featuring hand carved Adirondack Animals, beautiful artwork, play center, gift shop and snacks. Old fashioned fun for all ages.
Reviewed By larryw172 - Rochester, United States
This locally-conceived and constructed carousel is truly a work of art. The idea for this lovely ride was the brainchild of Karen Loeffler, a local artist and woodcarver who wanted this for her own community. It features 24 animals that are indigenous to the Adirondacks, 18 of which are in use at any given time. The rides are open to the public for a nominal fee ($2.50/rider, with discounts given for multiple tickets). The carousel is fully-enclosed in a heated pavilion that also includes a shop and small amusement area. It is fun, and totally “Adirondacky.” It is truly worth the visit.
