From Plattsburgh to the cabins

The cabins are 61 road miles west of downtown Plattsburgh, about an hour and a quarter by car. The drive leaves Lake Champlain on NY 190, the Military Turnpike, climbs past the wind farms of Altona and Ellenburg, then follows US 11 through Chateaugay and the town of Burke to the edge of Malone, where County Route 25 heads south. Plattsburgh guests have come for ski weekends at Titus Mountain, three and a half road miles from the cabins, and for a quiet weekend with a puppy along.

The route from Plattsburgh

There is little to puzzle over until Malone. City streets take you out of town, the turnpike carries you across Clinton County, and US 11 brings you into Franklin County. Chateaugay village is about 22 road miles from the cabins, which puts it about 39 miles into the 61.

On a clear road, allow about half an hour to reach US 11, a quarter of an hour more to Chateaugay, another quarter hour to Malone and about 20 minutes for the last ten miles. Those round numbers come to about an hour and 20 minutes, a few minutes more than a dry road takes, so they leave a little slack. The Plattsburgh guide covers the city and the history of the turnpike; this page is about the drive.

Leaving Plattsburgh

From downtown, NY 3 heads west along Cornelia Street toward the Northway, and NY 22 runs north out of the city. Both meet NY 190 within a few miles, and either works. Downtown sits about 140 feet above sea level. By the time the turnpike reaches Altona you are about 1,000 feet up, and the top of the drive, on US 11 in the town of Clinton, is about 1,340 feet, a little higher than the cabins themselves.

Do your errands before you reach the turnpike. Once you are past the stores at the edge of the city, there is no supermarket before Chateaugay, 39 road miles from downtown, and only two places to buy gas: Turnpike Gas N Go, on the turnpike in Beekmantown about nine and a half miles out, and a Mountain Mart at the end of the turnpike, on US 11, about 27 miles out. A cooler in the trunk is all you need if you shop at home. If you forget something, Malone's stores are a short detour from the route, and groceries and supplies lists them along with what the cabin kitchens already hold.

The Military Turnpike

NY 190 runs northwest across the towns of Plattsburgh, Beekmantown and Altona, past the hamlet of West Beekmantown. It is a rural road, and the businesses thin out fast once you clear the city.

In Altona it passes Flat Rock State Forest, state land on the Altona flat rock, a rare jack pine and sandstone pavement barrens. The state keeps a parking area off the turnpike. The forest has about a mile and a half of haul roads and two miles of snowmobile trail that are open to other uses, walking included, and its smaller parcels have no maintained trails. It is open all year and costs nothing, so it makes a good place to stretch your legs.

The wind farms start in Altona. The Altona wind farm has 65 turbines and has run since April 2009. The Ellenburg farm, with 54, came on line in May 2008, and the Marble River farm stands along the Canadian border in the towns of Clinton and Ellenburg. Between Altona and the far side of Chateaugay, about a hundred turbines stand within a mile of the road.

The turnpike ends at US 11 about two miles west of the hamlet of Ellenburg Depot, and the Mountain Mart's pumps are at the junction. Turn left, to the west. From there US 11 crosses the highest ground of the drive, in the town of Clinton, before it drops toward Chateaugay.

Chateaugay, Burke and the edge of Malone

Chateaugay, about 22 road miles from the cabins, is the first village on the route since Plattsburgh. The Stewart's at 195 East Main Street has gas, 91-octane premium without ethanol, restrooms and an ATM, and two more gas stations stand a few hundred yards on, on West Main Street. In the village, NY 374 heads south toward the Chateaugay Lakes and Lyon Mountain, the way described further down, and the Chateaugay guide covers High Falls and the lakes. About a mile and a half west of the Stewart's, LaVigne's IGA, at 6081 State Route 11, is the one supermarket on the drive; check its hours before you count on it.

US 11 then crosses the town of Burke, past the hamlets of Thayer Corners and Burke Center; Burke village sits about a mile south of the road. The Almanzo Wilder Farm, the boyhood home of Almanzo Wilder and the setting of Farmer Boy, which his wife Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote, is at 177 Stacy Road, about 13 road miles from the cabins. In 2026 it opened on Memorial Day weekend and ran Wednesday through Sunday until August 30, with guided tours at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m., then weekends only through September 30. The visitor center, with a museum and gift shop, is free. The farm suits a Saturday morning or the drive home better than a Friday evening; see the Wilder Farm guide.

Coming into the east end of Malone, you pass Bokie's Drive-In and then Donovan's Steak and Ale, less than half a mile apart, before US 11 becomes East Main Street. The route turns left onto Andrus Street, short of the Franklin County Fairgrounds, and follows River Road to County Route 25, skirting downtown. Harison Wine & Liquor, at 632 East Main Street, is beside that turn, and the Mobil at 593 East Main Street, open 24 hours with diesel, is about 300 yards past it. From River Road on, use the host's directions; getting to the cabins has the reasons and the last miles.

Fuel, food and a stretch

• Gas. Fill up in Plattsburgh. After that, Turnpike Gas N Go in Beekmantown and the Mountain Mart at the US 11 junction sell gas, then three stations in Chateaugay village, and the Mobil on East Main Street in Malone never closes.
• Groceries. Shop in Plattsburgh before you leave. On the way, LaVigne's IGA west of Chateaugay is the only supermarket, and Malone's Price Chopper, open every day from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. at 53 Finney Boulevard, is a detour of about a mile and a half from the Andrus Street turn. Supermarkets here sell beer but no wine; for wine, Harison is at the turn and The Jug Store is on Finney Boulevard, and the Malone town guide has both.
• Dinner on the way. Donovan's Steak and Ale, at 3853 State Route 11, has served steakhouse dinners from 3 to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, closed on Sundays and Mondays; call ahead, since hours change. Bokie's Drive-In, at 3960 US 11, a Malone stand since 1956, sells burgers, hot dogs, poutine and ice cream; in season it stays open until 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and closes on Mondays.
• A stretch. The Flat Rock State Forest lot on the turnpike is the quiet choice and the Stewart's in Chateaugay the practical one. In summer, the Wilder Farm's grounds make a longer break.

The NY 374 way through Dannemora

NY 374 is the other way across Clinton County. It climbs west from Plattsburgh to the village of Dannemora, where the state's Clinton Correctional Facility has stood since 1845 on the site of an old iron mine. It passes Chazy Lake and the hamlet of Lyon Mountain, about 42 road miles from the cabins, then runs along the Chateaugay Lakes and down to US 11 in Chateaugay. It is about five road miles longer than the turnpike route, and on a clear road it takes about 20 minutes more.

It is also much higher. Dannemora sits at about 1,400 feet, and just past the village the road tops 2,000 feet before it drops past Chazy Lake at about 1,550; near Lyon Mountain it climbs again to almost 1,900. That is some 700 feet above anything on the turnpike, which makes NY 374 a color drive for a bright October afternoon and the road to skip after a snowfall or after dark. The Lyon Mountain guide covers the hike off Chazy Lake Road, and the fall foliage guide has the color timing.

Flying or taking the train to Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh International Airport is on the old air base south of downtown, so add a few minutes to the times above. In October 2026, Allegiant flew nonstop from Plattsburgh to Fort Lauderdale, Orlando Sanford and Sarasota-Bradenton, with seasonal flights to St. Pete-Clearwater and Punta Gorda, and to Myrtle Beach from mid-May. Contour flew nonstop to Washington Dulles, with onward connections booked through American or United. Schedules change with the seasons, so check the airline before you plan a Friday around a flight.

Amtrak's Adirondack stops at Plattsburgh once a day in each direction. On Amtrak's timetable for October 2026, the northbound train from New York arrives at 4:02 p.m. and the southbound train leaves for New York at 2:45 p.m. The station is at Bridge and Dock Streets downtown. Either way, a rental car covers the last 61 miles; airports near the cabins lists the rental counters.

The drive by season

Winter

The Plattsburgh forecast is not the forecast for this drive. The National Weather Service office in Burlington, Vermont, splits the route among four forecast zones: Eastern Clinton for the city, Western Clinton for Altona and the high ground, Northern Franklin for Burke and Malone, and Southern Franklin, which takes in both Chateaugay and the cabins. Watches and warnings go out zone by zone, so read all four before a winter drive, and give the high ground the most weight, since the road climbs about 1,200 feet between downtown and the town of Clinton. Winter driving covers tires, plows and what to carry.

Fall

NY 374 is the color road of the two. On October 7, 2026, the state's foliage report had Plattsburgh about three-quarters of the way through its change and near peak, and Malone about halfway. A new report comes out every Wednesday afternoon, so check it before you plan a color drive.

Summer and holiday weekends

The Franklin County Fair fills the fairgrounds on East Main Street in Malone for nine days in August, from August 8 to 16 in 2026, and the route turns off East Main just short of the fairgrounds, so plan around fair traffic that week. The Battle of Plattsburgh commemoration, held each September on a weekend around the anniversary of the battle on September 11, puts a military-themed parade downtown on its Saturday, so leave the city early that day. At Titus, Christmas week, Martin Luther King weekend and Presidents' week run on holiday hours; see the Titus guide.

A Friday evening from Plattsburgh

Check-in at all three cabins is after 4 p.m., so a drive straight from work fits. How much of it you do in daylight depends on the month. On Friday, November 13, 2026, the sun sets at the cabins at 4:30 p.m.; on January 22, 2027, at 4:51 p.m. After the clocks change on March 14, 2027, it sets at 7:08 p.m. on Friday, March 19, and on June 18 not until 8:45 p.m. From the clock change on November 1 into mid-February, most of a drive after work is in the dark.

1. Before 5 p.m. Groceries and gas in Plattsburgh.
2. 5 p.m. Leave downtown for NY 190.
3. About 5:45 p.m. Chateaugay, if you want the Stewart's or the IGA.
4. About 6 p.m. The east end of Malone. Dinner at Donovan's, or stop long enough to tell the host what time to expect you; the signal is good here.
5. About 6:20 p.m. The cabin, with the evening ahead of you.

In ski season there is another way to spend the evening. Titus Mountain's last posted night schedule, for the 2024-25 season, kept 15 trails lit from 4:30 until 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings; check the night-skiing page before you plan on it. If the lights run on that schedule this winter, leave at 4, ski until closing, then drive the three and a half road miles to the cabin. Tell the host you will arrive late.

A Saturday start

Check-in is not until 4 p.m., so a Saturday departure can fill the day first. In ski season, Titus's lifts have opened at 9 a.m. on Saturdays and run into the evening, so leave Plattsburgh at about 7:30, ski the day and check in when you come off the hill. In September or October, take NY 374 instead and climb Lyon Mountain on the way. The trail starts off Chazy Lake Road and runs 3.4 miles each way with about 1,900 feet of climbing, three to five hours for the round trip, so leave Plattsburgh by 9 a.m. and you reach the cabin in the late afternoon.

Why Plattsburgh guests come

For people from Plattsburgh the cabins are close enough for a short trip, and the reviews read that way. A guest from Peru, south of the city, wrote after a February 2026 stay at The Modern Pine:

This was one of the best cabins I’ve ever stayed in. So comfortable, relaxing and close to the mountain will be back for sure !!!

A Plattsburgh guest came to the same cabin in March 2025 for a ski weekend close to Titus, and another, in July 2025, called the stay "beautiful, quiet & peaceful" and brought a puppy, for the pet fee. The cabins allow pets for a fee under strict listing rules, including a weight limit and no pet left alone in the cabin; see bringing your dog. All three cabins sleep four, and each has a hot tub of its own; compare them on the cabins page.

The drive home

Checkout is before 11 a.m. On a summer Sunday, stop at the Wilder Farm, which has opened on Sundays in season, for the noon tour, and you are back in Plattsburgh by mid-afternoon. In October, take NY 374 home for the color along the Chateaugay Lakes and past Lyon Mountain. In winter, take the turnpike back the way you came, in daylight if you can.

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. overpass-api.de overpass-api.de/api/interpreter
6. data.ny.gov data.ny.gov/resource/pteg-c78n.json
7. data.ny.gov data.ny.gov/resource/9a8c-vfzj.json
8. data.ny.gov data.ny.gov/resource/d6dy-3h7r.json
9. data.ny.gov data.ny.gov/resource/9s3h-dpkz.json
10. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation dec.ny.gov/places/flat-rock-state-forest
11. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation extapps.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/mapflatrock.pdf
12. gridinfo.com gridinfo.com/plant/altona/56901
13. gridinfo.com gridinfo.com/plant/ellenburg/56619
14. edp.com edp.com/en/north-america/north-america/projects/marble-river-wind-farm
15. locations.stewartsshops.com locations.stewartsshops.com/ny/chateaugay/137
16. Almanzo & Laura Ingalls Wilder Association almanzowilderfarm.com/
17. Almanzo & Laura Ingalls Wilder Association almanzowilderfarm.com/tours
18. exxonmobilfuels.com exxonmobilfuels.com/en/find-gas-station/maplefields-at-malone-malone-n
19. pricechopper.com pricechopper.com/stores/ny/malone/price-chopper-166.html
20. donovanssteakandale.com donovanssteakandale.com/visit-us
21. bokiesdrivein.com bokiesdrivein.com/
22. villageofdannemora.gov villageofdannemora.gov/clinton-correctional-facility
23. flyplattsburgh.com flyplattsburgh.com/about-us
24. flyplattsburgh.com flyplattsburgh.com/flight-status-airlines
25. Amtrak content.amtrak.com/content/timetable/Adirondack.pdf
26. Amtrak amtrak.com/stations/plb
27. National Weather Service api.weather.gov/zones?area=NY&type=forecast
28. National Weather Service api.weather.gov/points/44.769,-74.192
29. I LOVE NY iloveny.com/things-to-do/fall/foliage-report/
30. wamc.org wamc.org/news/2026-09-11/battle-of-plattsburgh-commemoration-events-th
31. Titus Mountain titusmountain.com/hours-of-operation
32. Titus Mountain titusmountain.com/night-skiing
33. aa.usno.navy.mil aa.usno.navy.mil/api/rstt/oneday?date=2026-11-13&coords=44.769,-74.192
34. The cabin's Airbnb listing airbnb.com/rooms/53628054