Essex County and Lake Placid. There are few places that offer as much in a winter vacation. The village is set in the six million-acre Adirondack Park, amid some of the tallest mountains in the Eastern U.S. Having hosted the Olympic Winter Games in 1932 and 1980, Lake Placid and Essex County have long been a mecca for those people with a hardy appetite for outdoor adventure in the winter as well as summer.
It's possible to have a perfect winter vacation here without ever stepping into a pair of downhill skis or locking into a snowboard. Over the years, winter recreation magazines have consistently rated Lake Placid as the top resort in the United States for off-hill activities.
At Whiteface Mountain, you'll find some of the best downhill skiing and snowboarding in North America. It has the greatest vertical drop this side of the Rockies and is the only ski area in the East to have hosted the Olympic Winter Games. There are 65 trails with varied terrain and snow-making coverage that exceeds 95 percent.
Whatever winter activity you have in mind, you'll be sure to find it here. There are hundreds of miles of cross country skiing trails easily accessible from the village, passing through park land so gorgeous that Lake Placid has been rated the #1 place to cross country ski in North America by Snow Country Magazine. Between the speed skating oval and the area's lakes, you'll find endless opportunities for ice skating here. There are also exciting dog sled trips across Mirror Lake and thrilling rides at the Lake Placid Toboggan Chute.
Nowhere is the Olympic spirit more alive than in Lake Placid. The Olympic facilities, used year-round for training and competitions, present visitors many opportunities for recreation. Take a ride on a bobsled or luge at Mt. Van Hoevenberg, see a competition at the Olympic Ski Jumps, cross country ski on the trails at the Olympic Sports Complex, or watch some of the world's finest skaters take to the ice at the Olympic Arena.