Lake Placid – With each passing week in Upstate New York, winter drifts further from view as spring temps rise and introduce a new set of activities in the Lake Placid region. It’s the unique combination of indoor and outdoor undertakings that makes this time of year so appealing.
Of course, a Lake Placid hiking vacation is always available with 46 High Peaks at your immediate disposal. Hiking is the number one activity in the Adirondack Mountains. However, due to the transition from winter to spring, some local trail research is needed. In general, lower level trails tend to dry out quicker, while pathways at higher elevations will lose snow later and remain wet and possibly muddy. Please consider this when hiking here in April and May. Bring appropriate clothing and footwear.
Movie buffs will be happy to know that the iconic Palace Theater, on Main Street, contains four cinemas and is open nightly showing first run movies. Also, look for afternoon matinees on weekends, as well as when there’s inclement weather. Our Lake Placid movie theater is a locally owned, vintage movie house that is approaching its 97th birthday. It’s just a five-minute stroll from the Mirror Lake Inn’s front door.
Another recommended indoor attraction is one that plays into the Olympic legacy of our community. Just take a leisurely 10-minute walk from the Mirror Lake Inn down Main Street to the Lake Placid Olympic Museum. Now completely renovated, reimagined and relocated inside the Olympic Center, the museum, which reopened on Dec. 8, 2022, brings the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics to life. Both hosted by Lake Placid, people of all ages will enjoy reliving the highlights of those Games and immersing themselves in interactive exhibits and innovative displays from the Lake Placid Games and others. The museum is open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM.
With spring comes the onset of the swimming and boating seasons; albeit we are at the mercy of the weather gods as to when we can actually enter Mirror Lake and Lake Placid lake. In the meantime, our world-class spa features a 60-foot indoor pool that is popular whether the outside temps are cold or warm.
As we approach mid-to-late May, attention turns to our outdoor heated swimming pool. With the water temperature set at 82 degrees, this will suffice until Mirror Lake is safe to enter. That’s when our private beach will open for the season. As we await that time, our staff will have chairs and recliners in place along the shoreline so you can soak in some radiant spring sunshine while you keep the water at arms length.
Based on your dates of travel, there might be more to put on your to-do list: biking, fishing, golf just to mention a few. And if you’re really lucky, you might be able to experience opposite season activities on the same day, such as skiing and fishing, or skiing and golf. These have been done before, and undoubtedly will be done again.
And, as always, bring your four-legged family friends as dogs are welcomed and thoroughly enjoy Lake Placid and the Mirror Lake Inn.
Please keep an eye on our social media pages (@mirrorlakeinn) and we will update you on our weather and recommended things to do.
(Olympic Museum image courtesy Lake Placid Legacy Sites)
(Palace Theater image courtesy Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa)