Lake Placid · New York
Lake Placid Is New York’s Best-Kept Winter Secret: Ski Whiteface, Then Cozy Up by the Fire at These Luxurious Lodges
Fresh snow falling on a two-time Olympic village, the biggest vertical drop in the Northeast, and timber lodges where the fire is always lit and the red wine is already poured.
When most travelers picture a winter escape in the Northeast, they think of Vermont’s crowded lift lines or a long flight west. Far fewer think of Lake Placid, and that is exactly what makes it special. Tucked deep in New York’s Adirondack Mountains, the little village that hosted the Winter Olympics twice, in 1932 and 1980, turns into something out of a snow globe once winter settles in. Main Street glows, Mirror Lake freezes over, the High Peaks turn white, and in the heart of the season it seems to snow a little almost every day: a soft, steady dusting that keeps everything looking freshly made.
It is a place built for two kinds of days. Mornings belong to the mountain. Evenings belong to the fireplace, a glass of red wine and the kind of rustic Adirondack lodge that feels like it was designed for exactly this.
In the heart of winter, it seems to snow a little almost every day.
Skiing Whiteface Mountain
Lake Placid’s mountain is Whiteface, about 20 minutes away in Wilmington, and it is no ordinary Northeast ski hill. It boasts the greatest vertical drop in the Northeast and hosted the alpine skiing events of the 1980 Olympics, which means you can carve down the same slopes as Olympic racers. There is serious terrain for experts, long cruisers for everyone else, and views across the High Peaks that make the cold entirely worth it.
Not a skier? Lake Placid is still a winter playground. Glide down the toboggan chute onto frozen Mirror Lake, skate on the oval where Olympic speed skaters raced, take a guided bobsled ride at Mt. Van Hoevenberg, or snowshoe quiet trails through the Adirondack forest. The Lake Placid Olympic Museum tells the story of the “Miracle on Ice,” which happened just down the street.
The art of the Adirondack lodge
What sets Lake Placid apart from other ski towns is its lodges. The Adirondacks gave America the Great Camps, the rustic wilderness retreats built by Gilded Age families out of timber, stone and twig furniture, and that style still defines the best places to stay here. Think vaulted beams, roaring stone hearths, leather armchairs, plaid blankets and windows framing snowy pines. After a day in the cold, there is no better reward than sinking into a chair by the fire with a glass of red wine as the snow keeps falling outside. Three lodges do it better than anywhere else.
1. Whiteface Lodge
Whiteface Lodge was built as a modern tribute to the Adirondack Great Camps, and it shows in every hand-hewn beam and stone wall. The all-suite resort sits on wooded grounds about a mile from the village, with Adirondack-style suites that feel like your own private cabin, complete with fireplaces for long, snowy evenings. It has been recognized by the MICHELIN Guide with a Key, and its grand, timber-framed spaces make it impossible not to linger by the fire.
The fine dining: Dinner means KANU, the lodge’s signature restaurant, where hand-hewn log beams and granite stone fireplaces frame mountain views and an Adirondack-inspired American menu built around North American game and fish. Next door, the KANU Lounge pours from a deep wine list, so a glass of red by the fire is never far away, and Peak 47 is the cozy bar for a bite straight off the trails.
Whiteface Lodge — At a Glance
- Where
- 7 Whiteface Inn Lane, about a mile from Lake Placid village
- Style
- All-suite lodge inspired by the Adirondack Great Camps
- Fine dining
- KANU and the KANU Lounge
- Also
- Peak 47 bar, indoor pool, skating rink, snowshoe and cross-country trails
- Recognition
- One MICHELIN Key
2. Lake Placid Lodge
For pure, old-fashioned Adirondack romance, Lake Placid Lodge is hard to beat. It sits on the shores of Lake Placid itself (the larger lake just outside the village, not Mirror Lake), wrapped in the woods with views across the water. The lodge was lovingly rebuilt and reopened in 2008, and its interiors are classic Adirondack: wood floors and rugs, twig furniture crafted in the regional style and stone fireplaces glowing in the front hall. In winter the lodge can arrange toboggan rides, dog-sled outings and ice fishing.
The fine dining: Artisans, the lodge’s restaurant, has earned its name with inventive, beautifully composed plates that burst with color and flavor, served in a dining room that looks out toward the lake. For something more relaxed, Maggie’s Pub is the lodge’s snug, wood-paneled hideaway, made for a nightcap by the fire.
Lake Placid Lodge — At a Glance
- Where
- On the shores of Lake Placid, just outside the village
- Style
- Classic Adirondack lodge, rebuilt and reopened in 2008
- Fine dining
- Artisans
- Also
- Maggie’s Pub; winter toboggan rides, dog sledding and ice fishing
- Best for
- Couples looking for lakeside romance
3. The Point
For the ultimate splurge, drive half an hour west to Upper Saranac Lake, where The Point occupies the former Great Camp of William Avery Rockefeller, built in the early 1930s as his family’s private wilderness escape. There are no signs to find it and only 11 rooms, spread across four original log buildings on a wooded peninsula, each with lake views and a wood-burning fireplace. It is all-inclusive, adults-only and a member of Relais & Châteaux, and staying here feels less like checking into a hotel than being a guest at a Rockefeller house party. In winter, guests snowshoe across the frozen lake and come back to a fire already lit.
The fine dining: Dinner at The Point is the event of the day. Guests gather at a communal table in the Great Hall, beneath soaring beams and a massive stone fireplace, for multi-course dinners paired with wines from the house cellar. On Wednesday and Saturday evenings the dress code is black tie, a Rockefeller tradition that turns a snowy night in the woods into something wonderfully grand.
The Point — At a Glance
- Where
- Upper Saranac Lake, about 30 minutes from Lake Placid
- Style
- Former Rockefeller Great Camp, built in the early 1930s
- Rooms
- 11, each with lake views and a wood-burning fireplace
- Fine dining
- Communal multi-course dinners in the Great Hall; black tie Wednesdays and Saturdays
- Good to know
- All-inclusive, adults-only; Relais & Châteaux
Why Lake Placid is the hidden gem of winter
Lake Placid has everything travelers fly across the country for: world-class skiing, real Olympic history, reliable snow and lodges full of character. Yet it remains wonderfully low-key, a small village rather than a resort strip, where you can walk Main Street in the snow, duck into a café and end every night in front of a fire. For a winter trip that feels both adventurous and deeply cozy, it is New York’s best-kept secret.
Lake Placid in Winter — At a Glance
- Where
- Adirondack Mountains, northern New York
- Skiing
- Whiteface Mountain, Wilmington: greatest vertical drop in the Northeast
- History
- Winter Olympics host in 1932 and 1980
- Stay
- Whiteface Lodge, Lake Placid Lodge, The Point
- Also
- Mirror Lake toboggan chute, Olympic skating oval, bobsled rides, snowshoeing
- From NYC
- About five hours by car
Plan Your Winter Escape
Book your lodge early for the snowiest months, then plan your days on Whiteface and your nights by the fire.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lake Placid worth visiting in winter?
Yes. Winter is when Lake Placid is at its most magical. The two-time Winter Olympic village sits in the Adirondack High Peaks, with skiing at Whiteface Mountain, Olympic venues to explore, frozen lakes, frequent fresh snow and rustic lodges built around crackling fireplaces.
How far is Whiteface Mountain from Lake Placid?
Whiteface Mountain is in nearby Wilmington, about a 20- to 25-minute drive from the village of Lake Placid. It has the greatest vertical drop in the Northeast and hosted the alpine skiing events of the 1980 Winter Olympics.
What are the best cozy lodges near Lake Placid for winter?
Three standouts for a fireside winter stay are Whiteface Lodge, a timber-and-stone resort inspired by the Adirondack Great Camps; Lake Placid Lodge, a classic Adirondack lodge on the shores of Lake Placid itself; and The Point, the former Rockefeller Great Camp on Upper Saranac Lake, now an intimate, all-inclusive Relais & Châteaux retreat with wood-burning fireplaces in every room.
Where is the best fine dining in and around Lake Placid?
Three of the best fine-dining experiences are inside the region’s top lodges: KANU at Whiteface Lodge, with Adirondack-inspired American cooking and stone fireplaces; Artisans at Lake Placid Lodge, known for inventive, colorful plates; and the communal multi-course dinners in the Great Hall at The Point, which are black tie on Wednesday and Saturday evenings.
Does it snow a lot in Lake Placid?
Lake Placid is one of the snowiest, most reliably wintry villages in the Northeast. In the heart of the season, light snow falls on many days, keeping the village and the surrounding High Peaks freshly dusted.
What is there to do in Lake Placid in winter besides skiing?
Visitors can skate on the Olympic oval, ride the toboggan chute onto frozen Mirror Lake, take a guided bobsled ride at Mt. Van Hoevenberg, go snowshoeing or cross-country skiing in the Adirondack forest, and visit the Lake Placid Olympic Museum.
When did Lake Placid host the Winter Olympics?
Lake Placid hosted the Winter Olympics twice, in 1932 and 1980. The 1980 Games included the famous “Miracle on Ice” hockey game, and many of the Olympic venues are still in use today.
How do you get to Lake Placid?
Lake Placid is in the Adirondacks of northern New York, roughly five hours’ drive from New York City and about two and a half hours from Montreal. The nearest commercial airports include Adirondack Regional Airport in Saranac Lake and Plattsburgh International Airport.
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