Lake Placid and Whiteface Mountain

Do you love scenic drives? Do you love 360 degree mountain summit views? Are you planning a trip to the Adirondacks? You answered yes to all of these questions? Then a trip to Lake Placid and Whiteface Mountain is for you. On our most recent trip to the Adirondacks we decided to camp in the High Peaks Region of the park. A visit to this historic town was a must since our campsite was located approximately 14 miles east of Lake Placid. You probably know that Lake Placid was home to the 1932 and 1980 Olympic winter games and was where the “miracle on ice” took place. Since we were on a mission to see Whiteface Mountain we didn’t take time on this trip to explore the Olympic Village.

Wilmington, New York is home to Whiteface Mountain and just four miles past Lake Placid. You can drive the Whiteface Memorial Highway, which is approximately five miles long from the toll booth to the parking lot. The cost for us was $39. I think Kris was initially shocked at the cost, but we’re happy we visited. Kids six and younger are free, but they didn’t ask for Hannah’s age. I’m realizing now that we paid for Hannah. Make sure they don’t overcharge you. If you’re familiar with the Mt. Washington Auto Road in New Hampshire, I would say this is similar but on a smaller scale. Mt. Washington is 6288 ‘ in elevation and Whiteface is 4867’.

The Whiteface Memorial Highway is open from June 2-October 9. There are nine different scenic overlooks along the way.

We were lucky as the visibility the day we visited was great. From the parking lot there are two options available to reach the summit. The first is a nature trail and the second is the elevator. To reach the summit with small children I would definitely recommend the elevator. There is a tunnel that takes you into the center of the mountain where the elevator is. The elevator takes you up 29 stories to the summit. An employee is inside to provide a brief history of the highway and reason the elevator was built. Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was using a wheelchair for mobility at the time, wanted a way for everyone to experience the summit.

Once to the summit there is a “rock walk” that allows you to explore the summit in greater detail. Take care to avoid stepping on plants. I would not recommend the rock walk for very small kids, especially if kids outnumber parents. Also, there are no railings and it’s possible to get a great view without doing it. There is a sign marking the elevation which would make for a good photo of the family.

The summit offers a 360 degree view of the area. On a clear day it offers a great view of Lake Placid. You may even be able to see Vermont and Canada if it’s clear enough. Apparently sometimes you can even see the skyscrapers in Montreal. The summit is large. However, it can still feel crowded depending on when you visit. There are lots of places to sit and soak in the view. It would be manageable to have a small picnic up there if you didn’t feel like eating at a restaurant in town.

We were told the nature trail would be okay for us with the ages of our kids (9, 9 and 5) as long as they had appropriate footwear. All five of us were wearing sneakers that day and after two steps on the nature trail I was wishing I had my hiking boots on. The trail is approximately 1/5 mile and very rocky. There are two railings, one on each side, and that’s about it.

Again, I would not recommend this trail to families with small children, especially if children outnumber adults in your group. I held Hannah’s hand firmly the entire time while Kris supervised the twins. I didn’t feel unsafe taking the kids on the trail. With that said, I don’t recommend this as a first hike to attempt with the family! There were a few times I thought to myself, “Holy &$%@ there’s not much of a railing here.”

As with anything, use your best parental judgement and remember safety first!

Before we started driving again we thought about having lunch at the Castle Cafe. Honestly, I was really looking forward to eating there. It wasn’t quite like I was expecting though. The restaurant is small, not a single person was dining there, and you couldn’t see well out of the windows. It just didn’t appear to be worth the price so we took off. I’m glad we did. After driving back down the mountain we stopped in Lake Placid for linner. That’s what we call a late lunch/early dinner. We stopped at Lisa G’s after reading some good reviews on TripAdvisor.  As a parent, any time all three of your kids eat their entire meal…that’s a win! The girls loved their food as well as Kris and myself. The kids’ menu has the basics like, pizza, pasta,and burgers.

Of course we stopped for souvenirs on our way out of town. I was impressed with the quality and selection of items sold in the gift shops. Each of the girls was able to find a sweatshirt or t-shirt to remind them of their trip. We will definitely be back to Lake Placid in the future because we’d like to check out the Olympics areas. Have you been? Any tips you can give us?

Things to Remember:

• The Whiteface Memorial Highway is only open from June 2-October 9.
• Reaching the summit is wheelchair accessible. However, my parents have visited when the elevator wasn’t working.
• During inclement weather the nature trail is closed.
• While it’s not necessary, I’d recommend wearing hiking shoes/boots for the nature trail.