Things to Do 2–3 Hours from Albany with Kids
48 kid-friendly adventures about 2 to 3 hours from Albany, nearest first.
- Under 1 hour (16)
- 1-2 hours (43)
- 2-3 hours (48)
- 3-4 hours (18)
About these times. Each estimate is a straight-line measurement from downtown Albany, padded by 17% for winding roads and divided by a 55 mph average — so “about 2 to 3 hours” means roughly that, not a routed time. Traffic, where in Albany you start, and the last few miles of park road can all move it by half an hour. Check a map before you load the car.
about 2 hr drive
Cascade Lake Trail
Eagle Bay, NY
HikingEasy loop trail around a scenic Adirondack lake with lean-tos and swimming spots. Free. Best from …
about 2 hr drive
Delta Lake State Park
Rome, NY
Swimming900-foot sandy swimming beach on Delta Lake in central New York. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. …
about 2 hr drive
Moss Lake Trail
Eagle Bay, NY
HikingEasy loop trail around a pristine Adirondack lake perfect for young hikers. Free. Best from about …
about 2 hr drive
Nicks Lake Campground
Old Forge, NY
CampingSandy beach and a flat lakeshore loop trail on a quiet lake three minutes from Old Forge and the …
about 2 hr drive
Buttermilk Falls
Long Lake, NY
HikingOne of the tallest Adirondack waterfalls with easy staircase access. Free. Best from about age 3. …
about 2 hr drive
Forked Lake Campground
Long Lake, NY
CampingMostly paddle-in shoreline campsites on a quiet Adirondack lake, a real step up from car camping for …
about 2 hr drive
Lake Eaton Campground
Long Lake, NY
CampingSandy beach and calm shallow water on a quiet lake near Long Lake village, with Owls Head Mountain …
about 2 hr drive
Pixley Falls State Park
Boonville, NY
HikingQuick roadside walk to a beautiful 50-foot waterfall near Boonville. Free. Best from about age 3. …
about 2 hr drive
Harriman State Park
Stony Point, NY
HikingMassive park with 200+ miles of trails, swimming lakes, and mountain views. Paid entry. Best from …
about 2 hr 15 min drive
Verona Beach State Park
Verona Beach, NY
Swimming1,000-foot sandy beach on Oneida Lake with campground and nature trails. Paid entry. Works from …
about 2 hr 15 min drive
Beaver Meadow Falls Trail
Keene Valley, NY
HikingScenic river trail to a beautiful 30-foot waterfall in the High Peaks. Free. Best from about age 5. …
about 2 hr 15 min drive
Indian Head and Rainbow Falls Trail
Keene Valley, NY
HikingEpic hike past a 150-foot waterfall to the iconic Ausable Lakes cliff-top view. Free. Better for …
about 2 hr 15 min drive
Chittenango Falls State Park
Cazenovia, NY
HikingDramatic 167-foot single-plunge waterfall with easy overlook access. Free. Works from toddler age. …
about 2 hr 15 min drive
Baxter Mountain
Keene, NY
HikingModerate short hike near Keene with excellent High Peaks views. Free. Best from about age 5. About …
about 2 hr 15 min drive
Cascade Mountain
Keene, NY
HikingThe most popular Adirondack High Peak with stunning 360-degree summit views. Free. Better for ages 7 …
about 2 hr 30 min drive
Adirondak Loj and Wilderness Campground
Lake Placid, NY
LodgingBunkrooms, cabins, lean-tos and tent sites at the High Peaks trailhead on Heart Lake, run by the …
about 2 hr 30 min drive
Cobble Hill Trail
Lake Placid, NY
HikingQuick family hike with a big High Peaks view just outside Lake Placid village. Free. Best from about …
about 2 hr 30 min drive
Heart Lake
Lake Placid, NY
SwimmingSandy mountain lake beach with High Peaks backdrop and canoe rentals. Paid entry. Works from toddler …
about 2 hr 30 min drive
Lake Placid Public Beach
Lake Placid, NY
SwimmingFree sandy village beach on Mirror Lake in Lake Placid NY with summer lifeguards, a roped …
about 2 hr 30 min drive
Mirror Lake Paddle
Lake Placid, NY
KayakingPaddle a kayak or canoe on the calm motor-free waters of Mirror Lake. Paid entry. Best from about …
about 2 hr 30 min drive
Mount Jo Trail
Lake Placid, NY
HikingShort family hike with a spectacular High Peaks panorama above Heart Lake. Paid entry. Best from …
about 2 hr 30 min drive
The Wild Center
Tupper Lake, NY
NatureNatural history museum with a treetop Wild Walk and live animal exhibits. Paid entry. Works from …
about 2 hr 30 min drive
Green Lakes State Park
Fayetteville, NY
SwimmingSwim in Caribbean-blue glacial lakes at Green Lakes State Park near Syracuse NY - sandy lifeguarded …
about 2 hr 30 min drive
Ampersand Mountain
Saranac Lake, NY
HikingChallenging hike to a bald summit with 360-degree Adirondack panorama. Free. Better for ages 8 and …
about 2 hr 30 min drive
Fish Creek Pond Campground
Saranac Lake, NY
CampingMassive waterfront campground with beach and access to a chain of Adirondack ponds. Paid entry. …
about 2 hr 30 min drive
Floodwood Pond
Saranac Lake, NY
KayakingMotor-free interconnected ponds perfect for family kayaking and canoe adventures. Free. Best from …
about 2 hr 30 min drive
Rollins Pond Campground
Saranac Lake, NY
CampingMotor-free Adirondack pond camping next door to Fish Creek, with glassy water, loons at dawn and …
about 2 hr 30 min drive
Saranac Lake Islands Camping
Saranac Lake, NY
CampingPaddle-in island camping on the Saranac Lakes with 87 primitive sites. Paid entry. Best from about …
about 2 hr 30 min drive
High Falls Gorge
Wilmington, NY
NatureWalkway-accessible waterfalls through an ancient Ausable River gorge. Paid entry. Works from toddler …
about 2 hr 30 min drive
Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway
Wilmington, NY
HikingDrive to the summit of the fifth highest peak in New York for breathtaking views. Paid entry. Works …
about 2 hr 30 min drive
Wilmington Notch Campground
Wilmington, NY
CampingRiverside state campground in the notch between Lake Placid and Wilmington, minutes from High Falls …
about 2 hr 30 min drive
Cranberry Lake Campground
Cranberry Lake, NY
CampingRemote lakefront campground on one of the largest and wildest Adirondack lakes. Paid entry. Best …
about 2 hr 30 min drive
Clark Reservation State Park
Jamesville, NY
HikingGlacial plunge basin with cliff-rimmed lake and unique geology near Syracuse. Paid entry. Best from …
about 2 hr 45 min drive
Museum of Science & Technology (MOST)
Syracuse, NY
ScienceSyracuse science museum with four floors of hands-on exhibits, a simulated cave crawl, a toddler …
about 2 hr 45 min drive
WonderWorks Syracuse
Syracuse, NY
Indoor-PlayIndoor science-and-illusion attraction at Destiny USA in Syracuse with a hurricane simulator, ropes …
about 2 hr 45 min drive
Ausable Chasm
Keeseville, NY
NatureWalk through a 500-million-year-old sandstone gorge with optional rafting. Paid entry. Best from …
about 2 hr 45 min drive
Poke-O-Moonshine Fire Tower Trail
Keeseville, NY
HikingShort steep hike to a fire tower with views of Lake Champlain and the High Peaks. Free. Better for …
about 2 hr 45 min drive
New York Hall of Science
Corona, NY
ScienceQueens hands-on science museum with a build-and-test design lab, a room-size interactive ecosystem, …
about 2 hr 45 min drive
Cradle of Aviation Museum
Garden City, NY
MuseumLong Island aviation and space museum with seventy-plus aircraft, a real Apollo Lunar Module, flight …
about 2 hr 45 min drive
Long Island Children's Museum
Garden City, NY
Indoor-PlayFourteen hands-on galleries in Garden City with bubbles, a climbing structure, a sound studio, and a …
about 2 hr 45 min drive
Azure Mountain Fire Tower
Santa Clara, NY
HikingFamily-friendly fire tower hike with northern Adirondack wilderness views. Free. Best from about age …
about 3 hr drive
Fillmore Glen State Park
Moravia, NY
HikingQuiet gorge with five waterfalls, a walk-behind cascade, and swimming pool. Paid entry. Best from …
about 3 hr drive
Selkirk Shores State Park
Pulaski, NY
CampingBluff-top campground on Lake Ontario with beach and Salmon River access. Paid entry. Works from …
about 3 hr drive
Buttermilk Falls State Park
Ithaca, NY
SwimmingNatural swimming pool at the base of a cascading waterfall near Ithaca. Paid entry. Best from about …
about 3 hr drive
Museum of the Earth
Ithaca, NY
MuseumIthaca fossil museum walking kids forward through geologic time past a hanging whale skeleton and a …
about 3 hr drive
Robert H. Treman State Park
Ithaca, NY
SwimmingGorge trails, multiple waterfalls, and a stunning natural swimming hole near Ithaca. Paid entry. …
about 3 hr drive
Robert H. Treman State Park Camping and Cabins
Ithaca, NY
CampingCampsites and simple cabins beside the stone-walled waterfall swimming hole at Treman, the best swim …
about 3 hr drive
Sciencenter
Ithaca, NY
ScienceIthaca hands-on science museum with a walk-in kaleidoscope, a two-story ball machine, live animals …
Towns in this drive-time band
- Lake Placid, NY (6)
- Ithaca, NY (5)
- Saranac Lake, NY (5)
- Long Lake, NY (3)
- Wilmington, NY (3)
- Eagle Bay, NY (2)
- Garden City, NY (2)
- Keene Valley, NY (2)
- Keene, NY (2)
- Keeseville, NY (2)
- Syracuse, NY (2)
- Boonville, NY (1)
- Cazenovia, NY (1)
- Corona, NY (1)
- Cranberry Lake, NY (1)
- Fayetteville, NY (1)
- Jamesville, NY (1)
- Moravia, NY (1)
- Old Forge, NY (1)
- Pulaski, NY (1)
- Rome, NY (1)
- Santa Clara, NY (1)
- Stony Point, NY (1)
- Tupper Lake, NY (1)
- Verona Beach, NY (1)