Vacationing in the Adirondacks

[BarbWB]

We are from Texas, but for some reason, I just want to see the Adirondacks b/c my dear grandmother used to vacation there when she was a child and I have always wanted to go there. Any vacation tips? I read about doing the bobsled track and ski jump at Lake Placid. That's about as commercial as we would want to go. We like hiking and hanging out at the beach. What is the best town? We will probably rent a house or cabin through vrbo or a similar site since we will have 7 people. We will be going in early August. Thoughts appreciated!!!

 

[pigletto]

We LOVE Lake Placid. We go every Thanksgiving.
Lake George is gorgeous as well and not nearly as expensive I have found.

 

[lisa-upnorth]

come on up and maybe I can meet up with you
I am in Lake George area and it is very nice but very busy in the summer! Aug is busy for the adirondacks so I would book a place asap!!!!

 

[moongirl]

We go camping every summer in early August at Rollins Pond near Tupper Lake. The town of Saranac Lake is not too far and, I believe, has more people than Lake Placid. It is more quaint and less touristy than Lake Placid. Lake Placid is very nice also. Lake Placid is also within an hours(?) drive. We like to camp right on the lake so we can canoe and swim there. The Saranac Lake area is very nice.

We have also rented a "cabin" twice right on a lake in the Saranac Lake area. That was very nice also but pricey. Things there are a lot more "rustic". If you want access to the lake make sure the place you rent specifically says you have lake access. Some homes have lake views but do not have any actual access to the lake.

We usually spend 2 days on a long hike where we decide where we want to go, drive there and hike for the day.

Getting a place on the water would be most desirable but the best locations are probably hard to get this late I'm afraid. Lake George seems to be more expensive as it is easier to get to from the NYC area. There are literally hundreds of lakes in the area so it would be impossible for anyone to tell you about them all.

Finally, some words about the weather. The weather is unpredictable but rarely gets that warm. We feel blessed if we can make it through the week with less than 2 days of rain and highs that get into the 70's. With that said, we have been there many times and have mostly had highs in the 60's and at least 3 days of rain. This doesn't prevent us from canoeing and hiking or my kids from swimming. It does prevent ME from swimming! Being from Texas, this may seem very cold to you.

 

[Pigeon]

Last summer, we rented a house on Loon Lake, the one near Lake Placid (there are evidently two Loon Lakes). It was lovely. The lake was gorgeous, and it was about 45 minutes from the Olympic activities at Lake Placid. I agree with a pp, if you want a place with lake access, make sure you clarify that. This place had a canoe and a couple of kayaks. It is out in the boonies, so going to a grocery store or a restaurant is a good half hour drive.

Lake George is nice, but way more commercial and touristy. We live fairly close to Lake George.

 

[abmitch01]

We always rented a place on Friends' Lake every summer in the Chestertown/Warrensburg area. Loved it, so peaceful.

 

[nancycg56]

I grew up in the area and my parents have a place on Lake Pleasant which we go to every year. Personally, I like Saranac and when DH retires again, we'll be moving there. Lake Placid is fun, too.

Make sure you visit the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake ~ great museum.

We are heading up around the fourth of July this year and can't wait. You'll have a great time!