From Lake Placid to the cabins

Main Street in Lake Placid is 52 road miles from the cabins, about an hour and a quarter: NY 86 west through Ray Brook and Saranac Lake to Paul Smiths, then NY 30 north past Meacham Lake to the county roads south of Malone. Nearly all of it runs through the Adirondack Park, and the cabins sit about 500 feet lower than Main Street. Lake Placid and Saranac Lake guests have written about a relaxing getaway and a hot tub at the end of a day outdoors.

The route from Lake Placid

This is a simple drive: two state roads, then the county roads. Saranac Lake is about 9 road miles from Main Street, Paul Smiths about 21 and Meacham Lake about 32, which leaves about 20 road miles from Meacham Lake to the cabins. Unlike most routes in, this one reaches the cabins before Malone, so Saranac Lake is the last town with supermarkets and gas on the way.

The guides to Lake Placid and Whiteface and to the Olympic sites cover the village end as day trips from the cabins. This page is the drive itself, from the village to the cabin door.

Out of Lake Placid

Saranac Avenue is NY 86 on its way out of the village. It passes the Price Chopper at 1930 Saranac Avenue, open every day from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., with beer on the shelves, and the North Lake Placid Stewart's at 2090 Saranac Avenue, which opened in October 2023 and sells gas, diesel and 91-octane premium without ethanol and has an ATM. Phone maps may send you out on Old Military Road instead, a back way that meets NY 86 beyond both stores.

Ray Brook, between the two villages, is where the Adirondack Park Agency and the Region 5 office of the state's Department of Environmental Conservation have their headquarters, both on NY 86. Main Street sits at about 1,800 feet, and the road dips to about 1,530 feet by the time it reaches Saranac Lake.

Through Saranac Lake

NY 86 enters Saranac Lake on Lake Flower Avenue and follows River Street along Lake Flower, then turns up Church Street, Bloomingdale Avenue and Broadway to leave the village to the north. Treat the village as your supply stop. ALDI is on Lake Flower Avenue, and the Grand Union supermarket at 156 Church Street, right on the route, is open every day from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Stewart's at 27 Bloomingdale Avenue sells gas and 91-octane premium without ethanol and has an ATM.

The gas stations on this route are all in its first ten miles, in Lake Placid, Ray Brook and Saranac Lake, so leave the village with a full tank. On the way out, NY 86 passes Adirondack Medical Center, the hospital at 2233 State Route 86, whose emergency department is open around the clock. The Saranac Lake guide has the village itself, from the cure cottages to the carousel.

Gabriels and Paul Smiths

North of the village, NY 86 climbs back to about 1,750 feet around Gabriels and runs through the towns of Harrietstown and Brighton to Paul Smiths. Just before the junction, St. John's in the Wilderness stands beside the road at 59 Route 86. Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau founded the church in 1876 with help from Paul Smith and the owners of the camps on the St. Regis lakes. The first log church burned in 1928, and the present building, designed by William G. Distin, dates from 1930. It holds services in July and August, and its churchyard has the graves of Trudeau, of Paul Smith and of Charles Minot Dole, who founded the National Ski Patrol.

At Paul Smith's College, NY 86 ends at NY 30. Turn right, to the north; Paul Smiths is about 31 road miles from the cabins. Less than a mile up NY 30, at 8023 NY 30, is the college's Visitor Interpretive Center, the VIC. Its 25 miles of trails stay open daily, dawn to dusk, and the lodge keeps 9-to-5 hours Thursday through Monday. Keese Mills Road, which leaves NY 30 at Paul Smiths, runs about 2.6 miles west to the trailhead for St. Regis Mountain and its fire tower.

North on NY 30

North of Paul Smiths, NY 30 is the Adirondack Trail, the scenic byway that begins in Malone and runs south through the park to Fonda on the Erie Canal; this drive covers its northern end in reverse. The road crosses the towns of Brighton and Duane, past the hamlet of McColloms, and enters the town of Malone before the turn off, and it stays between about 1,450 and 1,700 feet almost to the end.

Meacham Lake, about 20 road miles from the cabins, is the landmark. The state campground on its north and west shores has a beach and a day-use area in summer, and NY 30 crosses the lake's outlet near the junction with NY 458, the road west toward Azure Mountain. The lake sits in the Debar Mountain Wild Forest, state land that also takes in Debar Mountain and Debar Pond; the Meacham Lake guide covers the lake and the campground's season, and the Debar guide the trails.

About seven road miles short of the cabins, the route leaves NY 30 for Fayette Road, County Route 41, and the host's directions take over for the last turns; getting to the cabins covers that stretch.

Fuel, food and a stretch

• Gas. Lake Placid, Ray Brook or Saranac Lake. The North Lake Placid Stewart's has diesel, and the Saranac Lake Stewart's is on the route at 27 Bloomingdale Avenue.
• Groceries. The Price Chopper on Saranac Avenue in Lake Placid, open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., or ALDI and the Grand Union in Saranac Lake. Malone's supermarkets are about ten road miles north of the cabins, past them on this route, so buy what you need before you leave Saranac Lake.
• A meal. Eat in Lake Placid or Saranac Lake before you head north. The Saranac Lake guide names places on Main Street and Broadway, and the student-run lunch at Paul Smith's College, which keeps a school-year schedule.
• A stretch. The VIC's trails are open from dawn to dusk and cost nothing from spring through fall; from December 1 to April 1 they are groomed for skiing and snowshoeing, and a day pass, $20 for an adult, is sold at the lodge. In summer the Meacham Lake beach has a day-use area, and the churchyard at St. John's in the Wilderness is a quiet stop beside NY 86.

The back way by Loon Lake

There is one real alternative. From Saranac Lake, NY 3 runs east through Bloomingdale, and County Route 26 turns north past Loon Lake and the trailhead for Loon Lake Mountain, about 20 road miles from the cabins, before it joins the county roads near the cabins. It is about the same distance as the NY 86 and NY 30 route and slower, and in winter snowmobiles have used County Route 26 as a link between trails. In summer daylight it makes a change of scene; after a snowfall, stay on NY 86 and NY 30. The Loon Lake Mountain guide has the hike and the hamlet, and the road also passes the turn for Debar Pond.

Flying in to Lake Clear

Adirondack Regional Airport, at Lake Clear, sits between Saranac Lake, Lake Placid and Tupper Lake, about 40 road miles from the cabins, so it is closer to them than Lake Placid is. Cape Air flies there every day, with two round trips to Boston and one to New York's JFK on the posted schedule. From the terminal, NY 186 leads to NY 30, and NY 30 north meets this route at Paul Smiths.

Adirondack Rental Cars has the rental desk on the field, runs a fleet of four-wheel-drive vehicles and will deliver a car anywhere in the northeastern United States, train stations included. Airports near the cabins has the counter hours, the bag limits on the small planes and the other ways to get a car.

The train to Westport

Amtrak's Adirondack, between New York and Montreal, stops at Westport on Lake Champlain, the station people use for Lake Placid. Amtrak's October 2026 timetable has the train out of New York at 8:15 a.m. and into Westport at 2:37 p.m.; going south, it pulls out of Westport at 3:46 p.m. The station is an 1876 Delaware and Hudson depot at 6705 Main Street that also houses the Depot Theater.

The timetable shows no connecting bus at Westport, and the old Amtrak shuttle to Lake Placid no longer runs, so book a car service or a rental that delivers to the station before you travel. From Westport, NY 9N runs to Keene, NY 73 continues to Lake Placid, and this route takes over from there.

The drive by season

Winter

Most of this drive runs between about 1,450 and 1,850 feet, 700 to 1,100 feet higher than downtown Malone, so it is a mountain drive all winter. Lake Placid is in the National Weather Service's Western Essex forecast zone. From Saranac Lake north, Paul Smiths and the cabins included, the zone is Southern Franklin, and that is the forecast to read before you leave. Winter driving covers tires and what to carry.

The Winter Carnival

The Saranac Lake Winter Carnival runs from February 5 to 14, 2027. Its Ice Palace is built on Lake Flower beside the state boat launch, and it is lit every night from the lighting ceremony to the close, so you drive right past it on River Street. Parade day is Saturday, February 13, 2027, the Saturday of Presidents' Day weekend. The Gala Parade fills Broadway, the street NY 86 follows out of the village; in 2026 it stepped off at 1 p.m. and ran from the firehouse to LaPan Highway, with the line-up at noon on Upper Broadway. That day, leave Lake Placid in the morning, or stay for the parade and head north once Broadway reopens. The carnival guide has the rest of the ten days.

Ironman Sunday

Ironman Lake Placid takes over a Sunday each summer; in 2026 it was July 19. On race day, traffic changes, road closures and delays start shortly after 5 a.m. along the bike and run courses, which pass through Lake Placid, Keene, Au Sable Forks, Jay, Upper Jay and Wilmington, and runners stay out until midnight. Saranac Lake is off the course, but getting out of Lake Placid that day takes planning, so check the race's date and road closure list before you set a departure time.

Fall

Color usually reaches the higher country around Saranac Lake and Lake Placid first, around the start of October, and the lower country around Malone later. The state's weekly foliage report for October 7 to 13, 2026, had Saranac Lake at 95 percent and at peak while Malone sat at about half, so a drive north that week ran from peak color toward hills still turning. The fall foliage guide has the timing by town.

A Friday evening from Lake Placid

Check-in is after 4 p.m., and the drive is short, so you can work most of the day. The light decides when to leave. On Friday, October 16, 2026, the sun sets at the cabins at 6:10 p.m.; on December 11 at 4:16 p.m.; on February 5, 2027, the opening day of the Winter Carnival, at 5:11 p.m.; and on July 9 at 8:44 p.m. To drive NY 30 in daylight in December with a grocery stop on the way, leave Lake Placid by about 2:30. In summer there is no hurry.

1. 3:30 p.m. Leave Main Street by Saranac Avenue.
2. About 3:45 p.m. Saranac Lake: groceries at the Grand Union on Church Street and gas at the Stewart's on Bloomingdale Avenue. This is the place to send the host your arrival time, before the gaps in phone coverage farther north.
3. About 4:25 p.m. Paul Smiths; turn north on NY 30.
4. About 4:40 p.m. Meacham Lake.
5. About 5:10 p.m. The cabin. Unpack, light the grill and get into the hot tub.

Why Lake Placid guests come

For people who live in Lake Placid or Saranac Lake, the cabins are a getaway that does not take a long drive. A Lake Placid guest at The Modern Pine summed up a November 2024 stay in two short sentences:

Clean, comfy and cozy! A perfect spot for a relaxing getaway.

A Saranac Lake guest at The Aviator wrote in September 2024, "Hot tub was a big plus at the end of a day outdoors." Titus Mountain, three and a half road miles from the cabins, adds a smaller ski hill that has offered night skiing; see the Titus guide. Each of the three cabins sleeps four and keeps its own hot tub and fire pit; the photos and booking links are on the cabins page.

Back to Lake Placid

Checkout is before 11 a.m., which leaves most of a Sunday for the drive south. Walk a VIC loop or stop for lunch in Saranac Lake, and you are on Main Street by mid-afternoon. St. Regis Mountain, a round trip of about seven miles, needs most of the day, so save it for a trip with a later start home. In winter, leave early enough to have NY 30 behind you before dark.

Questions

Sources

Facts on this page were checked against these sources in October 2026. Hours, fees and schedules change; confirm before you go.

1. router.project-osrm.org router.project-osrm.org/
2. OpenStreetMap (road distances) nominatim.openstreetmap.org/
3. geocoding.geo.census.gov geocoding.geo.census.gov/geocoder/
4. epqs.nationalmap.gov epqs.nationalmap.gov/v1/json
5. data.ny.gov data.ny.gov/resource/pteg-c78n.json
6. pricechopper.com pricechopper.com/stores/ny/lakeplacid/price-chopper-180.html
7. locations.stewartsshops.com locations.stewartsshops.com/ny/lake-placid/359
8. stewartsshops.com stewartsshops.com/news/the-new-north-lake-placid-stewarts-shop-is-open
9. apa.ny.gov apa.ny.gov/meeting/2020/03/FullAgency/AgencyMonthlyAgendaMar182020-KPM
10. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation dec.ny.gov/regulatory/permits-licenses/environmental-permits/regional-
11. info.aldi.us info.aldi.us/stores/l/ny/saranac-lake/587-lake-flower-ave/f833
12. grandunion.com grandunion.com/locations/
13. locations.stewartsshops.com locations.stewartsshops.com/ny/saranac-lake/242
14. adirondackhealth.org adirondackhealth.org/about/emergency-care
15. albanyepiscopaldiocese.org albanyepiscopaldiocese.org/st-john-in-the-wilderness-paul-smiths-ny/
16. Saranac Lake tourism saranaclake.com/paddling/church-pond
17. Paul Smith's College paulsmiths.edu/vic/explore/
18. Paul Smith's College paulsmiths.edu/vic/ski/
19. Paul Smith's College paulsmiths.edu/news/little-known-college-offers-unique-adirondack-trai
20. theadkx.org theadkx.org/adirondack-scenic-byways/
21. adirondackairport.com adirondackairport.com/
22. adirondackairport.com adirondackairport.com/commercial-flights-with-cape-air
23. adirondackairport.com adirondackairport.com/terminal-services
24. adirondackrentalcars.com adirondackrentalcars.com/
25. Amtrak amtrak.com/stations/wsp
26. Amtrak content.amtrak.com/content/timetable/Adirondack.pdf
27. Lake Placid tourism (ROOST) lakeplacid.com/story/2017/06/you-can-get-here-there
28. National Weather Service api.weather.gov/points/44.769,-74.192
29. National Weather Service api.weather.gov/zones?area=NY&type=forecast
30. Saranac Lake tourism saranaclake.com/events/saranac-lake-winter-carnival
31. Saranac Lake Winter Carnival saranaclakewintercarnival.com/2026-gala-parade-presented-by-casella-wa
32. ADK Taste adktaste.com/adirondack-events/saranac-lake-winter-carnival-2026
33. roostadk.com roostadk.com/news/2026/ironman-lake-placid-takes-place-july-19
34. I LOVE NY iloveny.com/things-to-do/fall/foliage-report/
35. aa.usno.navy.mil aa.usno.navy.mil/api/rstt/oneday?date=2026-12-11&coords=44.769,-74.192
36. Titus Mountain titusmountain.com/night-skiing
37. The cabin's Airbnb listing airbnb.com/rooms/53628054
38. The cabin's Airbnb listing airbnb.com/rooms/1168252128174283244