3 Days in Lake Placid, New York

I have to admit that Lake Placid, New York had never really been on my radar as a travel destination. When I thought of Lake Placid, all I ever imagined were scenes from the Winter Games and a pretty cool movie about hockey. When Matt and I started planning a 3 day fall getaway in Upstate New York, Lake Placid jumped to the top of the Pinterest results. Below is the 3 day itinerary from our awesome first trip to the Adirondacks. You can also check out more detail for each hike we did by reading my post here.

Day 1

We arrived in Lake Placid (we drove from Ohio) right on time for check in at our AirBNB. Since this trip was for our 5 year anniversary, we splurged a bit on accommodations and REGRET NOTHING. If you are ever looking for the most perfect cottage experience you must check out Bear's Cottage on Mirror Lake Drive.

After spending some time in the car, a short, rewarding hike was just what we needed to stretch our legs and kick things off right. The Cobble Hill hike was within walking distance of our AirBNB and the perfect amount of effort to reward ratio. (Be sure to check out the latest trailhead news, as of March 2020 the public parking area was closed and re-routing hikers accordingly.) At the top of Cobble Hill you are rewarded with a beautiful overlook of the surrounding area shown below (right). Fall foliage literally jumps out at you every step of the way.

Post hike drinks and apps were in order and The Cottage was the perfect stop. With our hiking boots on we walked another 1/2 mile on Mirror Lake drive to our lake front destination. The drink menu consisted of everything from Moscow Mules and local brews to hot toddy's and martinis. We also munched on some mozzarella sticks before heading to dinner, one of my all time favorite apps.

We ate dinner at Lake Placid Pub & Brewery. I would say this fit the bill for our hunger and without making any prior reservations was one of our only options without a crazy wait. There was definitely better food around, which we found later on.

Day 2

Waking up to a drizzle meant a warm cup of coffee was needed pronto. The Coffee Bar was a great spot for a delicious breakfast sandwich, warm cup of coffee, and a great view of the morning on Mirror Lake.

As mid-day approached and the sky cleared up, we saw our shot and we took it. We set out for Mount Jo Loop Trail, a moderate hike roughly 15 mins south of Lake Placid. One thing to note, there is a fee to park, but rest assured because fees go directly to the Adirondack Mountain Club. This group does so much to protect this beautiful area, like keeping public service facilities and trailhead information updated, supporting backcountry stewardship programs, they help improve and maintain trails (the trails were in GREAT condition btw!), provide educational programs on backcountry use, and help conserve natural resources in the area.

We absolutely loved this hike for so many reasons; short and sweet (less than 2 miles round trip), AMAZING summit views, points of interest like rock formations and Heart Lake along the way.

Mount Jo Summit: 2,877′

On our drive back into town we spotted Big Slide Brewery & Public House, perfect for a post hike refreshment.

We enjoyed the brewery atmosphere along with the delicious beer. Also, the menu had so many interesting choices, not just your typical bar food. We shared a flight and pretzel bites and were completely satisfied.

After a few hours of relaxing at the cottage it was time for dinner. Our wonderful AirBNB hosts recommended The Black Bear so we decided to check it out after getting a last minute reservation. We did our typical walk 1 mile around Mirror Lake and when we arrived were greeted by the aroma of GOOD FOOD. A+ recommendation from our A+ hosts.

Day 3

Day 3 was a doozy, which might be putting it lightly. Our plan was to get to the Indian Head trailhead early for parking, hike our 11 miles and have a nice relaxing evening by the fire pit. We arrived at the trailhead at what we thought was an early time (7:30 am) and had to park about 1.5 miles away, on the side of the road. Cars lined the highway, some legally parking, other illegally, as people flocked to Indian Head for peak leaf peeping. We took Lake Road to the East River Trail to West River Trail to Rainbow Falls, then up to Indian Head. On the way back we took the Gill Brook trail to Gill Brook cutoff back to Lake Road. Depending on your skill level, there is an easy way to hike this trail, taking Lake Road basically the entire way up. Adding the extra mileage for parking and maybe a missed turn or two, we ended up clocking in at over 15 miles for the day. Sure it didn't go as planned, but this hike was spectacular and it was all I could do to not stop every 5 minutes to take "just one more picture". While the Indian Head overlook is beautiful (even on an overcast day), it was extremely crowded and seemed impersonal. I actually enjoyed the solitude of the other trails and we found a peaceful spot near a river where we took a break that was perfection.

Pictured bottom left to bottom right:

Indian Head Lookout, Rainbow Falls, Beaver Meadow Falls, Random Lunch River Rock

As you can imagine after a long day we had worked up quite an appetite and since it was our last night in Lake Placid, we didn't want to just sit at home. As a special anniversary dinner our hosts helped us make reservations and we ventured out to Purple Saige. Everything about our experience there was special; from the ambiance and intimate setting, delicious food, and the owner personally taking our orders, Purple Saige is a must visit in Lake Placid and a perfect way to end our trip.

Not all places make it on the "let's go there again" list, but this special slice of the Adirondack Mountains made the cut and I look forward to the next time we see Upstate New York and all her beauty.