Thought I’d start a thread for all things Adirondacks. Looks like no thread on the topic exists, and a small amount of info is scattered around in other threads. There must be a fair number of people on here who spend time there or have done so in the past...and if not, then there definitely should be! The Adirondacks are an awesome place to do all sorts of outdoors activities. I spent a lot of time there as a kid, took about twenty five years off (which I regret) and have started going there at least a few days each summer for the past few years. The place is huge - nearly the size of Yellowstone, and you could spend an entire lifetime exploring it...so I’m definitely a newb. That said, if there’s interest, I’ll share what I know and hope others can do the same.
Going to start with a tip on something we didn’t discover until our third short trip to Lake Placid. Swimming in Chapel Pond is a great experience, and is the type of ‘secret adventure’ that makes the Adirondacks special. If you’re coming from NY, Boston or Albany towards Lake Placid (which is where we generally stay) you’ll be going North on Route 87 until you exit on Route 73. Chapel Pond is hard to miss - it’s the first of the spectacular lakes that you’ll see on the left side of the road with huge cliffs dropping straight down to the water. The "secret" part of it is that you can swim there, and you may find yourself completely alone if you go at the right time. There’s at least one parking area at the side of the road just past the pond and cars will sometimes be parked along the side of the road (although it’s not supposed to be allowed). Don’t be discouraged though...most of those parked are there for the nearby hiking trails or rock climbing.
If you follow the unmarked trails at the left (facing the pond) end of the pond, you should be able to find your way onto a beachy area less than 100 yards away. Parts of it are a bit muddy, but don’t let that stop you. There’s a small area that’s mostly kind of sandy...and the water gets deep FAST, so you won’t be standing a whole lot anyway. We spent an hour swimming there in mid-July, and only saw two other people (who left about halfway through) go near the lake. Other than that, we had the lake to ourselves, able to enjoy a swim with the amazing cliffs looming on either side of us.
Going to start with a tip on something we didn’t discover until our third short trip to Lake Placid. Swimming in Chapel Pond is a great experience, and is the type of ‘secret adventure’ that makes the Adirondacks special. If you’re coming from NY, Boston or Albany towards Lake Placid (which is where we generally stay) you’ll be going North on Route 87 until you exit on Route 73. Chapel Pond is hard to miss - it’s the first of the spectacular lakes that you’ll see on the left side of the road with huge cliffs dropping straight down to the water. The "secret" part of it is that you can swim there, and you may find yourself completely alone if you go at the right time. There’s at least one parking area at the side of the road just past the pond and cars will sometimes be parked along the side of the road (although it’s not supposed to be allowed). Don’t be discouraged though...most of those parked are there for the nearby hiking trails or rock climbing.
If you follow the unmarked trails at the left (facing the pond) end of the pond, you should be able to find your way onto a beachy area less than 100 yards away. Parts of it are a bit muddy, but don’t let that stop you. There’s a small area that’s mostly kind of sandy...and the water gets deep FAST, so you won’t be standing a whole lot anyway. We spent an hour swimming there in mid-July, and only saw two other people (who left about halfway through) go near the lake. Other than that, we had the lake to ourselves, able to enjoy a swim with the amazing cliffs looming on either side of us.
