Adventure

The beauty of Saranac Lake is how easy it is to get deep into these wilds - on the water and in these mountains.

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The beauty of Saranac Lake is how easy it is to get deep into these wilds - on the water and in these mountains.

Summit a Saranac 6er…or All Six to Partake in a Saranac Lake Tradition

Forming a ring around Saranac Lake, these six major peaks (ranging in elevation from 2,400 to 3,800 feet) are the ultimate introduction to hiking in the Adirondacks. Not to mention, those that complete the task of hiking all six become a part of the elite club, “The 6ers.”

Meet the Mountains

Bag One of the 46 High Peaks

Welcome to High Peak country, where all but four of the 46 famous 4,000-foot peaks are located within an hour’s drive of Hotel Saranac. And while there really isn’t such thing as a beginner High Peak, there are a few that are better to cut your teeth on before tackling bigger beasts like Marcy or Allen.

Conquer a High Peak

Paddle through Time on the Historic “Seven Carries” Route

Not only is Saranac Lake home to this famous canoe route through eight bodies of water that folks have been paddling since the era of the Great Camps, but an abundance of other possibilities, from flat, winding rivers and large, open lakes with islands to backcountry pond-hopping and even a few whitewater options.

Paddling Points of Interest

Cycle a Stunning Segment of the Olympic Byway

What distinguishes Saranac Lake’s cycling scene is the downright beauty of its various road touring routes, which roll, wind, and climb past villages, mountains, and streams. And there’s no more jaw-dropping route than the segment of the state’s most beautiful scenic byway that runs right through Saranac Lake.

Hit the Road

Mountain Bike the Region's Only Machine-Built Flow Trail at Mount Pisgah

While the area is home to 60 miles (and growing) of traditional single-track trails between Wilmington, Lake Placid, and Saranac Lake, what is drawing mountain bikers from near and far is the opportunity to experience a new flow trail at Saranac Lake’s own Mount Pisgah. Called “The Cure,” this downhill-only trail, sculpted by a machine versus hand tools, is engineered so that riders of all levels can progress their skills over berms, jumps, and tabletops at their own pace.

Bobsled with the Best of Them at the Olympic Sports Complex

Want to know what it feels like to be an Olympic god for two minutes? At Lake Placid’s Olympic Sports Complex, originally built to house the bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track for the 1980 Winter Olympics, you can climb into a bobsled beside a pro driver and brakeman and ride walls of perpendicular ice as you zigzag through some 20 turns with nothing more than centrifugal force keeping you on this half-mile track.

Hook a Fish Any Which Way

There’s water for every kind of angler in the Saranac Lake region, including stocked ponds, brooks for fly-fishing, bodies of water with great shoreline fishing, large lakes with nooks and crannies for the crafty angler, and shallow bodies of water containing thick, large weed beds for sneaky species. As for the catch, expect trout, landlocked salmon, as well as warm-water species such as bass, pike, and panfish.

Ski a Mountain with Olympic Cred

While Hotel Saranac is within easy reach of two classic “small town” Adirondack skiing spots, Whiteface Mountain, a half-hour away, boasts the greatest vertical drop in the East – as well as having hosted the downhill alpine events during the 1980 Winter Olympics.

Summon Your Inner Olympian

Cross-Country Ski the Scandinavian-Style Jackrabbit Trail

Groomed cross-country trails for skiing and snowshoeing abound, including what you’ll find at Dewey Mountain, Pisgah, and Paul Smith College Visitors Interpretive Center, but there’s nothing quite like laying down parallel tracks in the great wilderness on a backcountry trail named for a legendary Nordic pioneer.

Blaze a Trail into the Wilds