From Albany to the cabins
About 188 road miles, about three and a half hours. The route, the alternatives, the arrival and which cabin fits.
Downtown Albany is 188 road miles from the cabins, about three and a half hours by car. The usual way is the Northway to exit 30, NY 73 through Keene Valley and Keene and past the Cascade Lakes, then NY 86 through Saranac Lake to Paul Smiths and NY 30 north past Meacham Lake. When snow is falling, staying on the interstate to Plattsburgh is the steadier choice. Seven reviewers have given Albany as home, more than any city except New York and Watertown, and they write about the hot tub in the snow, the quiet and the stars.
The route from Albany
More than half of the distance is the Northway, the toll-free part of I-87 that runs from Albany to the Canadian border. The rest is state road through the High Peaks and the northern Adirondacks. This route comes at the cabins from the south, so it never passes through Malone. The times below are for a clear road with no stops.
| Stretch | Roads | On the way | About |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown to the Saratoga exits | US 9 or I-90 to the Northway, then I-87 north | Loudonville, Latham, Halfmoon, Clifton Park, Malta | 35 minutes |
| On to Lake George | The Northway to exit 22 | Wilton, Moreau, Queensbury, Glens Falls | 25 minutes |
| Lake George to exit 30 | The Northway, exits 23 to 30 | Bolton, Warrensburg, Chester, Schroon, North Hudson | 45 minutes |
| Exit 30 to Keene | US 9 north, then NY 73 | Chapel Pond, St. Huberts, Keene Valley | 20 minutes |
| Keene to Saranac Lake | NY 73, then Old Military Road or Lake Placid's streets, then NY 86 | The Cascade Lakes, Mt Van Hoevenberg, Lake Placid | 30 minutes |
| Saranac Lake north | NY 86 to Paul Smiths, then NY 30 and the county roads | Gabriels, Paul Smiths, Meacham Lake | 1 hour |
Road miles from the cabins show the progress. Lake Placid is 52 and Saranac Lake 43, so by Saranac Lake you have covered about three-quarters of the trip. Paul Smiths is about 31 road miles out and Meacham Lake 20. For the county and town roads at the very end, follow the host's directions rather than your phone; getting to the cabins has the reasons.
Out of Albany on the Northway
From downtown, US 9 north through Loudonville and Latham joins the Northway at exit 7, and I-90 joins it at exit 1; either works. North of exit 7 the interstate crosses the Mohawk River into Halfmoon and Clifton Park, where exit 9 is signed for NY 146, then runs through Malta and past Round Lake to the three Saratoga Springs exits, 13N, 14 and 15.
This is the busy end of the drive, used by more than 100,000 travelers a day. In 2026 the state is repaving 113 lane miles of the Northway, from Western Avenue at its southern end to exit 11 at Round Lake, with the work due to wrap up by the end of the 2026 construction season. Most of the paving is done at night, so a late departure can meet lane closures and ramp detours. The two miles between the Mohawk River and exit 8 in Halfmoon wait on a bridge project and are due to be finished in summer 2027. Look at 511NY, the state's road information service, before you set out.
Past Saratoga, the Northway runs through Wilton and Moreau into Warren County, passes the Glens Falls exits, 18 and 19, and the Lake George exits, 21 and 22, and then climbs past the exits for Warrensburg, Chestertown, Pottersville and Schroon Lake to North Hudson. In the northbound lanes between exits 17 and 18, about 45 minutes from downtown, the state's Adirondacks Welcome Center makes a good first break, with nine vending machines of New York food, I LOVE NY kiosks, free Wi-Fi and phone charging. Its listed hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The state's other rest areas on the way north are at Clifton Park, between exits 9 and 10, and in North Hudson, the High Peaks rest area between exits 29 and 30; the Schroon Lake one, between exits 27 and 28, is listed as temporarily closed. That middle hour, exit by exit, is on the drive from Saratoga Springs.
Exit 30 and the climb past Chapel Pond
Exit 30 is signed for Keene and Keene Valley. Turn north on US 9, and a short way on NY 73 forks off to the northwest and starts to climb. The exit sits at about 1,050 feet above sea level, and after a steady climb the road passes Chapel Pond at a little over 1,600 feet, under cliffs that are popular with rock climbers. The pond's parking area is about 200 feet off the highway, and the pond has a sandy beach at its east end.
From the pond the road drops through St. Huberts into Keene Valley, at about 1,000 feet. Two rules matter on this stretch. No roadside parking is allowed on the unsafe sections of NY 73, so stop only in a marked lot. And from April 17 to October 31 in 2026, the Adirondack Mountain Reserve lot at St. Huberts, the way in to the reserve's 7,000 acres and to Noonmark and Round mountains, takes cars only with a free reservation, and walk-ins are turned away; check the dates each spring. If you want to hike on the way up, the Cascade Mountain guide sorts out the lots and the rules.
Keene Valley and Keene
Keene Valley is about half an hour short of Lake Placid. The hamlet has a small grocery on NY 73, an outdoor gear shop called The Mountaineer and the Noon Mark Diner, which opened in 1981 and is known for its homemade pies. Check the diner's hours before you plan a meal around it.
North of the hamlet, NY 73 runs down to Keene, the lowest point of this stretch at about 840 feet. In Keene, NY 9N comes in from Elizabethtown, shares the road with NY 73 through the hamlet and then leaves it again, heading north toward Jay. Keene is also the fuel stop to remember. The Stewart's at 10857 NY 73, right on the route, sells gas, diesel and 91-octane premium without ethanol, and it has EV chargers, an ATM, restrooms, coffee and food to go. There is no more gas on NY 73 before Lake Placid, and there the stations on Main Street and Saranac Avenue are about a mile off the quick line on Old Military Road; the North Lake Placid Stewart's on Saranac Avenue has diesel. NY 86 then passes a station at Ray Brook and two more in Saranac Lake, where the Stewart's on Bloomingdale Avenue does not list diesel. North of Saranac Lake there is none on NY 86 or NY 30 before the cabins, so leave Saranac Lake with the tank well up.
The Cascade Lakes and Lake Placid
West of Keene, NY 73 climbs about 1,350 feet to the Cascade Lakes and the highest point of the whole drive, about 2,200 feet, just west of Upper Cascade Lake by the Cascade Mountain trailhead. That is roughly 2,000 feet above downtown Albany. The two lakes sit under the cliffs of Pitchoff Mountain. On the strip of land between them there is parking for about a dozen cars and a few picnic tables, which makes a fine stop in daylight, and a waterfall comes down from Cascade Mountain nearby.
Past the lakes, the road runs by the Olympic bobsled and cross-country complex at Mt Van Hoevenberg, about 60 road miles from the cabins, and drops toward Lake Placid. The quickest line turns off on Old Military Road, which skirts the village and meets NY 86 on the far side; staying on NY 73 into Lake Placid adds little distance and puts the village's stores and restaurants on your way. The Olympic sites guide covers what is there if you want to stop.
Saranac Lake and the last hour
From Lake Placid, NY 86 runs west to Saranac Lake, the last village with supermarkets on this route. Shop there or in Lake Placid, because north of Saranac Lake the route reaches the cabins before it reaches another supermarket; the drive from Lake Placid lists the stores and the stops on this last hour.
From Saranac Lake there are two ways north. NY 86 to Paul Smiths and then NY 30 past Meacham Lake is the main road and the one in the table above. NY 3 north-east through Bloomingdale and Vermontville, then County Route 26 past Loon Lake, is a back way of about the same length, about 20 minutes slower on its county roads. In snow or in the dark, stay on the main road.
Where to stop between Albany and the cabins
| Stop | Where | Good for | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adirondacks Welcome Center | Northway northbound, between exits 17 and 18 | A break, New York food from vending machines, Wi-Fi | Listed hours 9 to 5 daily; closed on four holidays |
| Chapel Pond | NY 73, south of Keene Valley | A short stop at the water, a sandy beach | Parking area off the highway; no roadside parking |
| Keene Valley | NY 73 | A small grocery, outdoor gear, the Noon Mark Diner | Check the diner's hours |
| Stewart's, Keene | 10857 NY 73 | Gas, diesel, EV chargers, coffee, restrooms | The last pumps on NY 73 before Lake Placid |
| The Cascade Lakes | NY 73 between Keene and Lake Placid | Picnic tables between the lakes | Room for about a dozen cars |
| Lake Placid and Saranac Lake | NY 73 and NY 86 | Groceries, gas, a meal | The last supermarkets and gas before the cabins |
The Plattsburgh way in snow
When a storm is due, a second route keeps you on the interstate longer and stays much lower. Stay on the Northway past exit 30 to exit 37 in Plattsburgh, take NY 3 west for about a mile to NY 190, the Military Turnpike, and follow the turnpike to US 11. Then take US 11 west through Chateaugay to the east end of Malone, where Andrus Street and River Road lead south to County Route 25. It is about 27 miles longer and adds about 20 minutes on a clear road. Its highest ground, a few miles west of the turnpike on US 11, is about 1,340 feet, some 850 feet lower than NY 73 at the Cascade Lakes. The drive from Plattsburgh covers its last hour, from the turnpike to the cabins.
The drive by season
Winter
The weather changes a lot over 188 miles. Albany's airport averages about 59 inches of snow a year, while the weather station at Lake Placid averages about 104. Two National Weather Service offices split the route. The Albany office forecasts for Albany, Saratoga and Warren counties, which covers most of the Northway part of the drive; from Schroon Lake north, Essex County and the cabins' corner of Franklin County are forecast by the office in Burlington, Vermont. Read both the day before you leave. If a winter storm warning is out for the Western Essex zone, which takes in NY 73 from exit 30 to Lake Placid, take the Plattsburgh way; if the warnings cover the whole route, leave a day later. The winter driving guide covers tires, plows and what to keep in the car, and the same guide has the advice on deer, which are most often hit from October through December at dawn and dusk.
Fall color and the October weekend
Color peaks in the mountains first. In the state's foliage report for the week of October 7 to 13, 2026, Troy, Schenectady and Lake George were all at about 35 percent change, while in Essex County Wilmington was at peak at 95 percent and Newcomb at or just past peak. Columbus Day falls on Monday, October 12, in 2026 and on October 11 in 2027, and that weekend is one of the busiest of the year at the trailheads along NY 73. On its Saturday in 2024, summit stewards spoke with 729 hikers on Cascade Mountain, the most on any summit in a single day in their program's history. Expect full trailhead lots between Keene and Lake Placid that weekend. The fall foliage guide explains how the color moves through the area.
Amtrak, the bus and Albany's airport
The Adirondack
Amtrak's Adirondack makes one trip a day in each direction. The northbound train leaves Albany-Rensselaer station, across the Hudson at 525 East Street in Rensselaer, at 11:45 in the morning and is due in Plattsburgh at 4:02; the southbound one pulls out of Plattsburgh at 2:45 and is due back in Rensselaer at 7:40 that evening. Those are the times in Amtrak's timetable as of October 2026. From the Plattsburgh station it is still 61 road miles to the cabins, and the rental counters are out at the airport south of downtown, so reserve a car, and a ride to the counter, before you go; airports near the cabins lists them.
The Ethan Allen Express
The other Amtrak train north is no help for this trip. The Ethan Allen Express leaves Albany-Rensselaer at 5:04 p.m., turns east into Vermont after Fort Edward and reaches Burlington at 9:26 p.m., and Burlington is still 115 road miles from the cabins, on the far side of Lake Champlain.
The bus
Five Greyhound buses a day run from the bus terminal at 34 Hamilton Street in downtown Albany to Plattsburgh, the fastest in about two hours and 20 minutes, stopping at a gas station at 485 Route 3. The first leaves before 2 a.m. and the last near midnight, so match the times to the rental counter's hours before you buy a ticket.
Flying into Albany
No airline flies from Albany to Plattsburgh or to Lake Clear, so for anyone who lives here the drive is the way to come. For friends flying in to meet you, Albany International and Burlington are the two big airports with no border on the drive to the cabins. Allegiant, American, Avelo, Breeze, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest and United fly to Albany. The rental counters are in baggage claim, the cars are in the airport's parking garage, and every counter stays open until at least 12:30 a.m. The airport is signed from exit 3 of the Northway, so the drive is this one from the start.
A Friday evening from Albany
The cabins open for check-in after 4 p.m. The real question for a Friday is how much of NY 73 and NY 30 you want to see in daylight. Door to door, with a grocery stop in Saranac Lake, the trip takes about four hours, so count back four hours from sunset at the cabins:
| Friday | Sunset at the cabins, p.m. | Leave Albany by, p.m. |
|---|---|---|
| October 30, 2026 | 5:48 | 1:45 |
| November 13, 2026 | 4:30 | 12:30 |
| January 22, 2027 | 4:51 | 12:50 |
| February 19, 2027 | 5:31 | 1:30 |
| April 23, 2027 | 7:52 | 3:50 |
| June 11, 2027 | 8:42 | 4:40 |
| July 30, 2027 | 8:25 | 4:25 |
A plan for a 3 p.m. start: the Saratoga exits by about 3:35, Lake George by 4, exit 30 by 4:45, Keene and the Stewart's by about 5:05, Saranac Lake by 5:35, twenty minutes for groceries, and the cabin at about 6:55. From November on, that plan puts the High Peaks after dark, and from mid-October until the clocks change in March a 5 p.m. start puts all of NY 73 after dusk, one more reason to take the Plattsburgh way in winter. The Aviator and The Modern Tiny Home keep quiet hours from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., so leaving Albany at 5:30 still puts you at the door around 9:30. Send the host your arrival time from Saranac Lake, before the gaps in coverage farther north.
What Albany guests come for
Albany guests have come in every season. In March 2022 three friends from Albany had the Tiny Home in the snow:
We LOVED the hot tub in the snow and are looking to come back for another visit in the warmer months to enjoy the fire pit and area down near the pond.
The pond is on the Tiny Home's property, where a short trail leads to an observation deck over it, and an Albany couple who stayed there in May 2023 wrote, "We enjoyed watching birds and deer from the living room windows and observation deck." The wildlife guide covers what lives in these woods. At The Modern Pine in August 2023, another Albany guest counted the night sky among the high points: "Star gazing from the hot tub at night was certainly a highlight of the trip for us." The stargazing post explains why the sky is so dark here.
Guests from around the Capital Region write in the same vein. A Troy couple came to The Modern Pine in February 2026 to celebrate an anniversary and wrote, "It was perfect for what we wanted to do!" For a winter weekend, Titus Mountain's lifts are only a few minutes up the road, about 3.5 road miles, and the Titus guide has the trails and the night skiing. Every one of the three cabins sleeps four and comes with its own hot tub, fire pit and full kitchen, which suits couples and small groups of friends; the cabins are not suitable for children under 10.
Heading home to Albany
Checkout is before 11 a.m., which gets you back to Albany by mid-afternoon. On a clear day, an hour in Lake Placid breaks up the trip; see the Lake Placid and Whiteface day trip. In winter, give yourself the NY 73 climb and descent in daylight.
One Sunday in July needs a different plan. For Ironman Lake Placid on July 19, 2026, NY 73 was shut to traffic heading south and east from Lake Placid to Keene between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m., and the race is set to stay in Lake Placid through 2027. If you check out on race day, go home the Plattsburgh way, by County Route 25 and US 11 east to NY 190 and the Northway, or wait for the road to reopen; check that year's closures before you leave the cabin.
Questions
How long is the drive from Albany to the cabins?
188 road miles and about three and a half hours on a clear road, by the Northway to exit 30, NY 73 through Keene, NY 86 through Saranac Lake and NY 30 north. With a stop for groceries, plan on four hours. The Plattsburgh way, by exit 37, NY 190 and US 11, is longer in miles and adds about 20 minutes.
Which way should we take from Albany in winter?
In a storm, the Plattsburgh way: the Northway to exit 37, then NY 190 and US 11 west. It keeps you on the interstate longer and tops out at about 1,340 feet, while NY 73 climbs to about 2,200 feet at the Cascade Lakes. Check the Burlington weather office's Western Essex forecast and see winter driving.
Where should we buy gas and groceries on the way?
Gas in Keene, at the Stewart's at 10857 NY 73, which also has diesel and EV chargers; after that around Lake Placid, at Ray Brook and in Saranac Lake. There is no gas on NY 86 or NY 30 north of Saranac Lake before the cabins, and no supermarket either, so buy groceries in Lake Placid or Saranac Lake. Malone's stores are about ten road miles north of the cabins; see groceries and supplies.
Can we get from Albany to the cabins by train?
Partly. Amtrak's Adirondack leaves Albany-Rensselaer at 11:45 a.m. daily and reaches Plattsburgh at 4:02 p.m.; from there you need a rental car for the last 61 road miles, and the counters are at the Plattsburgh airport, not the station. The southbound train leaves Plattsburgh at 2:45 p.m. and reaches Albany-Rensselaer at 7:40 p.m.
Is there a rest stop on the Northway on the way up?
Yes. The state's Adirondacks Welcome Center is in the northbound lanes between exits 17 and 18, about 45 minutes from downtown Albany, with vending machines of New York food, Wi-Fi and phone charging; its listed hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except four holidays. The state also has rest areas at Clifton Park and in North Hudson, between exits 29 and 30; the Schroon Lake one is listed as temporarily closed.
When should we leave Albany on a Friday to arrive in daylight?
About four hours before sunset at the cabins: about 1:45 p.m. on October 30, 2026, about 12:50 p.m. on January 22, 2027, and about 4:40 p.m. on June 11, 2027. Check-in is after 4 p.m., and The Aviator and The Modern Tiny Home keep quiet hours from 10 p.m., so an after-work start still works if you are happy to drive the mountain roads in the dark.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources in October 2026. Hours, fees and schedules change; confirm before you go.
- router.project-osrm.org router.project-osrm.org/route/v1/driving/-73.756200,42.652600;-74.1920
- router.project-osrm.org router.project-osrm.org/route/v1/driving/-73.756200,42.652600;-73.8090
- router.project-osrm.org router.project-osrm.org/route/v1/driving/-73.756200,42.652600;-74.0665
- OpenStreetMap (road distances) openstreetmap.org/
- OpenStreetMap (road distances) nominatim.openstreetmap.org/
- geocoding.geo.census.gov geocoding.geo.census.gov/geocoder/
- epqs.nationalmap.gov epqs.nationalmap.gov/v1/json
- fhwa.dot.gov fhwa.dot.gov/byday/fhbd0830.htm
- cliftonparkny.gov cliftonparkny.gov/a-message-from-nys-dot-adirondack-northway-renewal-p
- aashtojournal.transportation.org aashtojournal.transportation.org/nysdot-begins-40m-adirondack-northway
- 511NY 511ny.org/
- taste.ny.gov taste.ny.gov/location/adirondacks-welcome-center
- New York State Department of Transportation dot.ny.gov/regional-offices/statewide-rest-areas/statewide-rest-areas-
- New York State Department of Transportation dot.ny.gov/regional-offices/statewide-rest-areas/schroon-lake-north
- Lake Placid tourism (ROOST) lakeplacid.com/rock-climbing/chapel-pond
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation dec.ny.gov/news/press-releases/2026/5/dec-announces-suite-of-actions-t
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation dec.ny.gov/news/press-releases/2026/4/dec-announces-adirondack-mountai
- northeastexplorer.com northeastexplorer.com/adirondack-mountain-reserve-parking-0426/
- newyorkalmanack.com newyorkalmanack.com/2026/04/adirondack-mountain-reserve-2026/
- Lake Placid tourism (ROOST) lakeplacid.com/keene-valley
- I LOVE NY iloveny.com/listing/noon-mark-diner/30974/
- ADK Taste adktaste.com/blog/keene-valley-fodors-top-places-usa-2026
- data.ny.gov data.ny.gov/resource/9a8c-vfzj.json
- data.ny.gov data.ny.gov/resource/pteg-c78n.json
- locations.stewartsshops.com locations.stewartsshops.com/ny/keene/303
- locations.stewartsshops.com locations.stewartsshops.com/ny/lake-placid/359
- locations.stewartsshops.com locations.stewartsshops.com/ny/saranac-lake/242
- Lake Placid tourism (ROOST) lakeplacid.com/paddling/upper-cascade-lake
- Lake Placid tourism (ROOST) cdn.lakeplacid.com/f/c3/c3a6abf07bf6bac25eba84d42847cd60/ironman-traff
- I LOVE NY iloveny.com/thebeat/post/ironman-event-to-continue-in-lake-placid-thro
- National Weather Service api.weather.gov/points/43.8384,-73.7613
- NOAA ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-annualseasonal-1
- I LOVE NY iloveny.com/things-to-do/fall/foliage-report/
- opm.gov opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/
- Amtrak content.amtrak.com/content/timetable/Adirondack.pdf
- Amtrak content.amtrak.com/content/timetable/Ethan%20Allen%20Express.pdf
- Amtrak amtrak.com/stations/alb
- greyhound.com greyhound.com/bus-routes/albany-ny-plattsburgh-ny
- flyplattsburgh.com flyplattsburgh.com/
- albanyairport.com albanyairport.com/flights/airlines
- albanyairport.com albanyairport.com/parking-and-transport/ground-transportation/car-rent
- aa.usno.navy.mil aa.usno.navy.mil/api/rstt/oneday?date=2027-01-22&coords=44.769,-74.192
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