The American summer vacation was born not on the beach but in the mountains. In the late 19th century, elite families such as the Carnegies, Rockefellers, and Vanderbilts “vacated” their Manhattan homes in search of fresh air and cooler temperatures, establishing seasonal retreats called “Great Camps” in the Adirondack mountains, in northeastern New York. Today, the Adirondack Park—protected as “forever wild” by the New York State Constitution since 1892—is the largest public preserve in the Lower 48, covering 6 million acres. That’s more than the Everglades, Glacier, Grand Canyon, and Yellowstone National Parks combined.
Today, the most attractive gateway to this outdoor playground is Lake Placid, a village that has hosted two Olympic Winter Games (in 1932 and 1980) and is close to some of the best hiking in the area. Several hotels debuted last year, including the stylish Eastwind Lake Placid, a comfortable property located on the banks of the Chubb River. (Eastwind also has two locations downstate, in the Catskills region.) The 21 rooms and eight cabins reflect the brand’s Scandinavian-chic aesthetic, with vintage touches throughout, like wooden tennis rackets on the walls and old prints of Adirondack Life magazine. The grounds also include a sauna, pool, fire pit and barbecue area, private dining cabin, and bar and lounge.
Courtesy of the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (Lake Placid)
Many of the city’s historic sports facilities have had improvements, too. December saw the opening of the renovated Lake Placid Olympic Museum, including two renovated ice arenas and a speed-skating oval. The Olympic Jumping Complex and Mount Van Hoevenberg – where bobsled, skeleton, luge, biathlon, and cross-country-skiing events are held in the winter, along with indoor climbing and biking in the summer – have also been refreshed. In addition, the Cliffside Coaster, the tallest mountain roller coaster in North America, opens in 2022. All areas are accessible to the public, and this year, a Legacy Sites Passport bundles admission to all Olympic spaces.
Lawrence Braun/Courtesy of Eastwind Lake Placid
However, sometimes an old-fashioned hike is just the ticket. Ten minutes outside of town is Mount Marcy, the state’s highest peak, reached by a 16-mile thigh-burner. For something gentler, take the 5.8-mile trail to the summit of Hurricane Mountain. At the top, climb the fire tower and soak up the 360-degree view of the wilderness—one almost unchanged from the Great Camp era.
A version of this story first appeared in the July 2023 issue of Travel + Entertainment under the heading “Shaping Up.”
