Lake-Placid

A walk-up livery on Main Street in Lake Placid village renting small sailboats by the hour on Mirror Lake, alongside kayaks, canoes, rowboats, paddle boats, hydro bikes and paddleboards. Mirror Lake bans gas motors, so the water is calm, small and hemmed in by the village, which makes it about as low-stakes a place as exists in the Adirondacks to take a sailboat out on your own. No reservations are needed and no instruction is offered, so this one is for families who already know how to sail. Open daily from ice-out until mid-October.

There is a version of the Adirondacks that is 46 High Peaks, pre-dawn alpine starts, and a car full of gear. This is not that trip. This is the one where a five-year-old gets a summit view after twenty minutes of climbing, you drive to the top of the fifth-highest mountain in New York, and every single day ends with somebody in a lake. Three days, one base town, about a hundred miles of driving total, and roughly half the stops cost nothing. ...

Run by the Adirondack Mountain Club at Heart Lake, this is the rare place where a family can pick their comfort level: bunkroom or private rooms inside the log Loj with meals included, or tent sites, lean-tos and small cabins in the Wilderness Campground next door. Everything sits at the base of the High Peaks with trailheads for Mount Jo, Marcy and Algonquin starting at the door, and the Heart Lake beach is a hundred yards away. Staying here also solves the notorious morning parking problem at the Loj lot.

A sandy public beach on the shore of Mirror Lake right in the heart of Lake Placid village. The shallow entry makes it great for toddlers and the roped swim area keeps everyone safe. Lifeguards are on duty during summer. After swimming, the village is a short walk away for ice cream or lunch. The beach has restrooms and changing facilities. Views of the surrounding mountains from the water are beautiful and the sunset here is hard to beat.

A quick 0.6-mile hike just outside Lake Placid village that packs a surprisingly big view into a tiny package. The trail is short and manageable for even very young hikers. At the top, an open rock ledge provides a front-row seat to the High Peaks skyline. This is the perfect after-lunch hike when you have an hour to kill and want to give kids a taste of mountain hiking without the commitment of a longer trail.

A crystal-clear mountain lake at the Adirondack Loj with a sandy beach, canoe rentals, and the High Peaks rising dramatically behind it. The beach is small but beautiful and the water is clean and refreshing. Kids can swim, build sandcastles, and paddle while looking up at some of the tallest mountains in New York. The Loj also offers programs for families and serves as the trailhead for numerous High Peaks hikes. Spending a morning at the beach before an afternoon hike on Mount Jo makes for a perfect Adirondack day.

Rent a kayak, canoe, or paddleboard and explore Mirror Lake right in the center of Lake Placid village. The lake is small enough to paddle around in a couple of hours and motorboats are not allowed, keeping the water calm and quiet. Kids love the independence of paddling their own kayak along the shoreline looking for fish and turtles. The backdrop of Whiteface Mountain reflected in the still water on a calm morning is iconic. Several outfitters on Main Street offer hourly rentals.