Camping around the Lake Placid area in the Adirondack Mountain region is one of the best outdoor experiences that you can have in the States.
The entire Adirondack Park and especially the Lake Placid area are known for a long time for the attractiveness of the mountains with plenty of great surroundings and lakes, streams, hiking trails and lots of activities.
Located in northeastern New York, US and part of the New York’s Forest Preserve, the body of water called Lake Placid is on the northern side of the village with the same name and the towns of North Elba and St. Armand are also close by.
Being a nature and camping enthusiast, you’ll fall in love with Lake Placid and it’s surroundings. Nothing compares with waking up in the morning and admiring the mist on the lake next to a cup of coffee and then go and hike on the many trails that are around. The camping possibilities are endless, either way if you set on foot or go with the RV or rent a place. Careful to leave no trash behind because the area is know for the water and nature preservation. This guide on Lake Placid camping will answer to all your questions related to camping there and having the minimizing the risks of bad experiences. So let’s move on. 🙂
What’s So Special About Camping Near Lake Placid in Adirondack Park?
Being one of the earliest vacation destination in the US, the Adirondack Park was inhabited since the Paleo-Indian period from 15000 to 7000 BC after the last ice age and frequented by visitors since before the 19th century. The name of Adirondack comes from the Mohawk word ‘ha-de-ron-dah’ meaning “eaters of trees” because of the harsh winters when the local inhabitants had to eat tree bark to survive.
The Adirondack Park entire area is 6.1 millions acres with more than 30000 miles of rivers and streams, more than 10000 lakes, 200000 acres of old forests, wetlands so you’ll have plenty of things to do while you are camping there.
Did you knew that a movie was made about Lake Placid and the region is also well known for it’s winter sports events?
Things To Do and To See at Lake Placid
If you think about it, as a mountain region, Lake Placid has it all. From high peaks, primordial forests, miles of rivers and streams, lakes to nice winter sports events that are holding there in the winter, Lake Placid sound like a perfect camping getaway.
The popular things to do at Lake Placid, aside camping are:
- Hiking in the trails
- Taking the Cloudsplitter Gondola
- Mountain biking
- Water sports and activities
- Fishing
- Fun for kids and families
- Horseback riding
- Mountain climbing
- Visiting the Olimpic Stadium
- The museums
- High end resorts
- Dive-in to the local cuisine, culture and shops
Best Wild Lake Placid Camping Spots
If you are one of those people who prefer to give away all that luxury from the Lake Placid for a relaxed camping session in If you are one of those people who prefer to give away all that luxury from the Lake Placid for a relaxed camping session in the middle of the nature, then you’ll have plenty of options at Lake Placid and in Adirondack in general.
The area has lots of camping opportunities but in all of them, you got to be careful not to leave any trash behind and the fact that the High Peaks Wilderness Area is divided in two, the Eastern High Peaks and the Western High Peaks zones and in the Eastern half is forbidden to make campfires throughout the whole year. For more information on wild camping at Lake Placid or “backcountry camping” how is also called, and for purchasing local maps, you can go to the Adirondack Loj info center.
These are the best camping spots at the Lake Placid area:
Whiteface Landing
A nice place northeast from Lake Placid that is close to the water and accessible through a 2.9 mile hike on Route 86 or, for those with kayaks, through a 3 mile paddle across the lake. So if you decide to paddle there, you’ll have to follow the shoreline up until you arrive at the location on the northeastern part of the lake.
Hiking, on the other way should be done first through the Route 86 road, until the sign on the left side of the road with “Connery Pond/Whiteface Landing Trailhead” sign. From there, follow the almost 3 mile trail for about one hour to the location. One there, we highly recommend hiking around the trails from there to explore the Whiteface Brook lean to. The 2800 feet ascent in 2.4 miles (record-breaker) trail to the Whiteface has some beautiful views and rock-scrambling higher up.
Owen and Copperas Pond
Another popular camping spot near Lake Placid is the Owen and Copperas Pond situated 0.5 miles from the trailhead from Route 86. The fact that is so close to the road should not bother you because you will not feel or hear that. You will still feel in the wilderness. At Copperas Pond there is a lean to on the north side of the lake. It’s one of the few lakes that still have Lake Trout. The trailhead is on Route 86 is at 6.4 miles distance from Lake Placid.
Lost Pond and the Hurricane Mountain
The Lost Pond is a beautiful pond close to the Keene Valley. Going to Keene is a 20 minutes, 14.5 miles drive from Lake Placid on Route 73. From Keene, there is an intersection close to Keene Town Court with the Hurricane Road going left, follow that road. From there, after 2.3 miles, should be an intersection with the Otoole Road on the left. Follow Otoole Road for around one mile until you reach the northern Hurricane Mountain trailhead.
The trail is very beautiful and covered in Lilly pads and reeds. One you are there, definitely you should see the spectacular views from the Hurricane Mountain Fire Tower but be prepared and rested before, because this will be a pretty challenging hike and the top is colder and windy. Snowshoes are recommended if you do this in the winter.
Cooper Kiln Pond
Copper Klin Pond is situated in a valley between Wilmington Peak and Morgan Mountain at an elevation of 3,005 feet. This area is less crowded and more quiet then the other camping spots around Lake Placid. The hike to get there is fairly easy and can be done by anyone. There are two trails leading to this lake. First you have to get to Wilmington on Route 86. From the main intersection in Wilmington, also known as “four corners intersection” you have two options:
Option 1: from the main intersection in Wilmington, turn left and follow the Memorial Highway for 3.1 miles and keep right at the fork, continuing to Gillespie Dr up until Cobble Lookout trailhead on the right.
Option 2: the other option is to continue straight from the Wilmington main intersection on Bonnieview Road for 3.1 miles and you will see the trailhead on the left.
Wanika Falls
This is the most wild and remote spot out of all the camping spots listed. You’ll barely meet any human on the whole trail so it’s perfect if you are searching for a disconnection to the crowded life. The trail is a little muddy, overgrown and could be a challenge for the unexperienced hikers and would be nice if at least one person from the group had enough experience for a trail like this. Wanika Falls is a nice 150 feet ribbon waterfall divided like stairs into more sections and there are many threes around it.
The exact coordinates of this camping spot are 44.19914851838298, -74.05641788258622. To get there, starting from the southwestern part of Lake Placid, from Old Military Road intersected with Averyville Road. Make left to Averyville Road and go for 1.1 miles until you see the Northville-Placid trailhead on the left side of the road. The entire trip is close to seven miles so be prepared for that.
Best Paid Camping Spots and Cabins at Lake Placid
There are plenty of paid good camping options at Lake Placid for all budgets. There are with lots of amenities provided and plenty of activities to do around. Imagine that up to 10 million tourists are visiting the Adirondack Park annually which are renting the provided cabins, camping grounds, hunting lodges, RVs, inns, bungalows, villas and hotels, at Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Lake George, Schroon Lake, Old Forge, and St. Regis Lakes.
Here are some of the top rated and most appreciated paid camping spots and accommodations at the Lake Placid:
Adirondak Loj
Built in 1927, the Adirondak Loj is managed by the Adirondack Mountain Club and is offering tent sites, comfortable accommodation in cabins, lean-tos, and tasty home-cooked meals.
Draper’s Acres Campground
The Draper’s Acres Campground is a family owned campground located in a quiet place close to nature. Families will have a great time here and the renting options are with the normal tents, wooden tents, in an RV or in cabins. The staff is friendly and the place is spotless clean.
Lake Placid-Whiteface Mt KOA Campground
This is a popular and a great location with access to so many activities for adults and kids, delicious breakfast in the lodge, arcade, camp store, snack shack, and a heated pool. All this to only 20 minutes drive from Lake Placid. You can camp or lean-to close to the river, sometimes can be crowded in the high season but you can take advantage and visits one of the many trails that are around. There are options for glamping and for RV as well.
Fish Creek Pond Campground
Fish Creek Pond Campground can get booked out soon since it’s visited by a substantial amount of campers. It’s close to the shoreline of Square Pond, Fish Pond and Rollins Pond connexion. Great place to rent or launch boats. Almost all the camping spots are close to the water which makes this camping ground so beautiful. There are many amenities, events and activities to join like hikes, amphitheater, live entertainment, crafts and games.
The closest trails to the campground are Otter Hollow Loop and Floodwood Loop.
Rollins Pond Campground
At around 30 miles from the Lake Placid, the Rolling Stones Campground is a spot much appreciated by those who practise paddling or kayaking or just love to swim. You’ll find a volleyball court, boat rentals and wooded tents to rent. Almost all the campsites are close to the shoreline. Close to Rolling Stones Campground is the Whey Pond that has lots of trout.
Best Choices for RV Campers
At Lake Placid you can either rent an RV or bring your own. Plenty of options for RV in the paid campgrounds or while doing backcountry camping.
Here are some good spots to park your RV at Lake Placid:
Lake Placid-Whiteface Mt KOA Campground
Already mentioned before at campgrounds for tents. There are indeed lots of people at this campground but there are also lots of big trees around that are giving you some sort of privacy. Other then this, is a pretty expansive tent and RV camping resort.
North Pole Campground
Located on the banks of the Ausable River and at the base of Whiteface Mountain, in Wilmington, close to Lake Placid, North Pole Resorts is offering a quite big selection of accomodation. You can stay in a tent, log cabin, bring your RV, lodge, cottage or in cabins.
There are two pools with playgrounds, mini-golf, games, a general store and a gift shop.
Ausable Point Campground
Ausable Point Campground is located 41 miles from Lake Placid or one hour drive and is close to Plattsburgh town. With a nice sized camping ground for tents and RV and with water access and hiking trails close by, it’s a perfect place to escape city life and forget about all the worries.
Visiting Lake Placid for the Winter Sports
Lake Placid is also know for hosting the 1932 and 1980 the Olympic Winter Games. Now the Olympic facilities are used by athletes to train but can be used by the tourists as well. Winter is a pleasant season to visit Lake Placid and definitely one of the best winter vacation places in the US. If you are well equipped you can hike on the trails and the frozen lakes and admire the whiteness of the forests around. If it’s getting too chilly then you can go to the pub for a warm meal, drink, games and lots more.
These are the best winter activities to do at Lake Placid:
- Ice skating
- Cross-country skiing
- Ice fishing
- Snow bonfires
- Olympic bobsled rides
- Downhill skiing
- Oval ice skating
- Ski jumping complex
- Olympic gondola
- Olympic museum
