There’s something special about XC skiing in the backcountry. Especially in the Adirondacks. The snow-covered forest is gorgeous. Quiet. Peaceful. Serene. Magical.

Here are all the places we’ve been around Lake Placid. Ranked in order of our personal favorites, but they’re all great.

We had a blast skiing Whiteface Mountain in Upstate New York this 2024/2025 season and wanted to share a few tips and tricks.

November and December are a wonderful time to visit Lake Placid. Festive and bright!

Even in the winter, the mountains are calling. You probably know that Lake Placid hosted past Olympics, but may not realize the vast variety of snow activities you can enjoy in this unique area. Check out these 15 suggestions for fun winter activities in the ADK.

We love watching winter sports in Lake Placid, but let’s be real … sometimes it’s freaking cold standing out in the snow as a spectator. Right? I’d argue that you can achieve the best of both worlds — comfort and the thrill of being there in person — when you watch winter sports in the summer or fall. There are plenty of opportunities. Everything from Hockey, Speed Skating and Figure Skating competitions to Nordic Combined, XC Skiing, Ski Jumping and Freestyle Jumping.

Whether you’re interested in trying a new activity or don’t want to haul all your sports equipment on vacay, there are plenty of great outfitters and rental shops to meet your needs. We recently did an overnight camping trip and rented gear, which worked out great. Here are our favorite outfitters and the sports gear they rent.