Things To Do This Winter In The Adirondacks
If you ask us, the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York easily rank among the great winter playgrounds in the USA. And a perch along Lake Flower here at Saranac Waterfront Lodge provides the perfect launchpad for enjoying seasonal activities and events, which are many.
Indeed, wintertime’s by no means an “off-season” in the Adirondacks: It’s prime time for some of the region’s most popular pursuits, from skiing and snowboarding to snowmobiling and ice-fishing, and also host to some defining annual festivals. Here’s a run-through of some of the things you can do on a Saranac Waterfront Lodge getaway this winter!
Downhill Skiing, Snowboarding, and Snow Tubing
Our Lodge provides easy access to some of the most iconic skiing and riding available in the Northeast. Nearby Whiteface Mountain offers the most impressive vertical in the eastern U.S.—a whopping 3,430 feet—and more than 90 runs accounting for better than 24 miles. From the terrain parks to the trails, Whiteface appeals to all skill levels, with advanced Double Black Diamond backcountry skiing available in the legendary Slides.
The Village of Saranac Lake runs its very own ski hill at the Mount Pisgah Recreation Area, which besides fine skiing (including night skiing) and snowboarding also offers a popular tubing hill.
Cross-Country Skiing & Snowshoeing
The opportunities for Nordic skiing and snowshoeing, meanwhile, are just about limitless on a winter escape to the Adirondack High Peaks Region at Saranac Waterfront Lodge. One great destination is Dewey Mountain Recreation Center, which offers groomed and ungroomed cross-country trails—including lit routes for nighttime skiing—as well as some two miles of designated snowshoe circuits.
Other good options include Paul Smith’s VIC (which maintains more than 25 miles of winter trails) and Mount Van Hoevenberg near Lake Placid.
Other Winter Outdoor Activities
Besides its cross-country trails, Mount Van Hoevenberg—utilized for both the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympic Games—also offers the unique opportunity of trying your hand at bobsledding and skeleton.
You’re spoiled for choices for ice-fishing as well, not least among the Saranac Chain of Lakes. Many local rock-climbing pitches, meanwhile, become popular ice-climbing hubs this time of year. Snowmobiling, fat-biking, dogsled tours—there’s so much else on the winter-recreation front when you call Saranac Waterfront Lodge your Adirondack home-away-from-home this season!
The Saranac Lake Winter Carnival
One of America’s great winter festivals has been going down in our Village of Saranac Lake since way back in 1897. The Saranac Lake Winter Carnival really ought to be on your bucket list, and Saranac Waterfront Lodge accommodations give you front-row seats to all the fun—not least the famous Ice Palace, the carnival’s glorious centerpiece constructed within shouting distance of our Lodge on the shores of Lake Flower’s Pontiac Bay.
The next edition of the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival takes place February 2-11, 2024, so now’s the time to lock down your guest room or suite at our LEED-certified Lodge for the occasion!
