Hotels in Lake Placid, New York

A little about Lake Placid...

Lake Placid is a village of 2,638 in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 2,638. Lake Placid is named after an adjacent lake.

The Village of Lake Placid is near the center of the Town of North Elba and is southwest of Plattsburgh.

Lake Placid is well-known among winter sports enthusiasts for its skiing, both Alpine and Crosscountry, one of only three actual bobsled rides in the North and South American continents, the open skating on the Olympic Oval where Eric Heiden won his five Olympic Gold Medals, and one of the few places in the contiguous United States which offers dogsled and sleigh rides.

Whiteface Mountain
Located on Route 86 in Wilmington, NY, it is about 13 miles from Lake Placid.

Whiteface Mountain's summit is at 4,867 feet, with lift-serviced terrain from 4,386 ft. and hike-to terrain from 4,650 feet. With a base elevation of 1,220 feet, Whiteface boasts the greatest vertical drop in the east at 3,430 feet. Its neighbor, Little Whiteface, tops in altitude at 3,676 ft. Whiteface has a total of 18 miles of ski terrain spread out over 76 trails. 220 acres of skiing area include the "The Slides", 35 acres of true expert extreme adventure terrain. A new 13 acre terrain park was added in 2000-1 with ramps, rails, and pipes.

Whiteface features some of the most difficult skiing and snowboarding terrain in the United States, made even more enjoyable by the lovely weather that the mountain usually experiences for most of the winter. Subtle breezes often blows snow onto the trails and ice is never a problem. As a result, the mountain is commonly known as "the Rockies of the East". There is a also a separate area for beginners known as Kids Kampus.

In summer, Whiteface Mountain also features gondola rides, mountain biking, and the Veteran's Memorial Highway, which allows vehicle access almost to the top of the mountain, for a panoramic view as far as thirty miles. An elevator can take even those with mobility challenges to the very top. Franklin Delano Roosevelt guided this WPA project from his personal experience dealing with polio.

Since 1998 it has been a site for the annual Ironman Triathlon, one of only 6 official Ironman Triathlons to be held in the continental US.
2006 Ironman - Lake Placid, NYESPN's Great Outdoor Games were inaugurated there in July of 2000.
The Lake Placid and I Love New York Horse Shows have been held at the North Elba Showgrounds for the past 37 years.
It is also the location of sports training facilities, especially those for winter events.
Each year, (in nearby Saranac Lake, New York) there will be the Annual Winter Carnival, one of the oldest Winter Carnivals in the country complete with an Ice Palace.