Managing Expectations
Let’s be real. Lake Placid is a small village (population 2,245) in a rural area. It’s not the big city; it’s not even a small city. Here are some tips and basic outdoor advice, so you know what to expect and can plan accordingly.
AROUND TOWN
Cash is king. There are quite a few cash-only shops, and not a ton of ATMs around. Donnelly’s ice cream is a prime example of a cash-only business and there’s no nearby ATM. Lots of other small mom-and-pop businesses are cash-only too.
Be prepared for the “mountain tax.” Things like food, groceries, gasoline — they all cost more in the Adirondacks due to the remoteness of the region.
There aren’t a ton of great restaurants for foodies (at least by city standards). There’s definitely good food and good restaurants. But honestly, most of our favorite restaurants are microbreweries, pubs and sandwich shops. There are lots of excellent hamburgers and fish & chips. Pizza is easy to find (although nothing spectacular), and there’s take-out Chinese. Avoid the sushi. Avoid most Mexican food restaurants (avocados don’t make it this far north). Skip the “fine dining.” For a nice dinner, there are a few good farm-to-table restaurants.
Lake Placid is a beer town. There aren’t any wineries or wine bars nearby, and when someone orders wine at a restaurant, it’s often served in a can. We have award-winning microbreweries all over, plus hard cider, mead, and some local distilleries that produce decent bourbon, vodka and gin. Just not a lot of wine.
Lake Placid is very casual. Leave the cute dress and heels at home. Most people live in hiking pants, shorts, jeans at night, and athletic shoes. One year I packed a pair of wedges, and even those seemed ridiculous around town.
Many shops and restaurants close during mud season. The spring and fall are still great times to visit, but be aware that a lot of businesses close for a few weeks or have a reduced schedule. Especially in April. Even during peak summer season, a number of restaurants are closed on Monday or Tuesday nights.
There aren’t any big box stores. There’s no Walmart, Target, HomeDepot, BestBuy or REI. You pretty much have to go to Albany or up to Plattsburgh for that stuff. And there’s no next-day delivery from Amazon. There are good grocery stores, a hardware store, an Eastern Mountain Sports and smaller outfitters. There’s actually one McDonald’s and one Starbucks in Lake Placid, but those are the only two national chains that I can think of … and the local burgers and coffee houses are much better!
Services are still understaffed. The region has been slow to recover since COVID. Shops and restaurants continue to be understaffed.
There’s not a lot of AC. That’s right. Many of the old homes and businesses were built before air-conditioning and never felt the need to add it. People are generally outdoors during the day, and temperatures cool down most summer nights. Our house doesn’t have AC. Occasionally we’ll get a week or so of unseasonably hot temperatures that might cause a couple uncomfortable nights. In most cases, opening the windows (which all have screens to keep the bugs out) and running the ceiling fan or floor fans will do the trick.
GETTING OUTDOORS
You will likely need a car, or stay with someone who has a car. You can easily walk around town and get to restaurants, shops and a grocery by foot. There’s some public transportation via bus. But a lot of outdoor activities are beyond Lake Placid. And unfortunately, Uber and Lyft haven’t really taken off.
You may end up driving a fair amount. Towns are spread out. Mountains and lakes are spread out. On top of that, roads are windy with lots of twists and turns, and it can take a while to get from Lake Placid to Wilmington, for example, even though it’s only 12 miles. However, it’s all beautiful scenery, so enjoy the drive!
There is always road construction in the summer. That’s because the weather is tough on roads, and winter is too harsh for road repair projects. So, in alternating years, they re-pave the highway between Keene and Lake Placid, between Lake Placid and Wilmington, or between Lake Placid and Saranac Lake. Or maybe it will be between Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake. Somewhere there will be a significant road construction project that will cause delays or re-routing.
Cell service isn’t everywhere. There are certain stretches of highway, and lots of hiking trails and paddling routes where you will be out of cell service. It doesn’t matter your carrier, there’s just no service in some areas. If you’re using maps on your phone, be sure to download the map or navigation instructions before you leave.
Drones are generally not allowed. The rules are a little more complicated than that, but drones are not allowed in the Adirondack Park in areas deemed wilderness, primitive, primitive bicycle corridors, or canoe areas. There are a few exceptions where you can fly a drone, so check the regulations for specifics.
There are bugs outside. Some years — and some months (May and June) — are worse than others. Be aware you might encounter black flies, ticks, spiders and other creepy crawlies in the yard and most definitely in the forest. Luckily, the village of Lake Placid does a pretty good job of black fly control in town, but they don’t spray in the mountains. Bug spray and possibly a bug net for hiking might be worthwhile.
Rain showers are common. If there’s not a morning shower, there might be an afternoon shower … but don’t let a little rain stop you. That’s why the trees are so green and there are tons of gorgeous lakes everywhere. Take a rain jacket and get outdoors.
Mountain trails are often steep and rocky. I mention this because certain areas of the country (West Coast, cough, cough) have a lot of well-maintained switchback trails with an incline graded for horses and mules. The Adirondacks don’t have switchback trails. And they’re rocky. And lots of tree roots. It’s not a cake walk. Be sure your shoes have a good tread for hiking. (Rocky trails also gets slick and muddy from the passing rain showers.)
It’s generally about 10 degrees colder at the top of a mountain than the forecast temperature for town. Sometimes, it’s more like 20 degrees colder at the top. Pack layers for your hike.
When paddling, the wind is always blowing against you. Larger lakes can get windy in the afternoon, like Lake Placid, the Saranac Lakes, Upper St. Regis, Tupper Lake and others. When paddling larger lakes, check a weather app for wind speed and direction, and try to get out in the morning. Or pick small ponds, rivers and creeks to paddle in the afternoon.
It gets really dark in the woods once the sun goes down. Take a headlamp or flashlight just in case. Even if you aren’t planning a sunset hike, the hike might take longer than you planned. And remember, don’t rely on having cell coverage. Just sayin’.
