Our Favorite Hiking Trails in Lake Placid

by Brooks Reynolds on August 20, 2020

The Adirondacks are brimming with adventure. It is a 6 million acre playground and an incredible treasure for residents and visitors alike. Established in 1892, it is the largest park found in the continental United States and offers some of the best hiking on the East Coast with over 2,000 miles of marked hiking trails.

Most notable are the trails leading to the 46 High Peaks, located around Lake Placid. It comes as no surprise that hiking is one of the area’s most popular outdoor activities.

There are the benefits of hiking, and then there are the benefits of hiking with your family. Of course there are the obvious ones like exercise, spending time in nature, and time spent together ‘unplugged’. But hiking can also boost your children’s self-confidence, creativity, and imagination.

We’ve compiled a list of a few of our favorite, family-friendly hiking trails in the area:

Brewster Peninsula Trails: A great place to go for a quick dip in the lake or a cross country ski in the winter. Routes vary from 0.8 miles to 1.4 miles Round Trip.

Henry’s Woods: Locals and visitors alike enjoy this trail system daily. It’s also an ideal spot to take the dogs out for a walk. Trails vary from 0.3 miles to 2.0 miles one way.

Cobble Hill: This is a great hike for beginners. With two routes to the top, it’s easy to make this a loop hike. 0.8 miles to the top on the short trail, 1.6 miles to the top on the long trail.

Watching our kids learn to navigate seemingly complex terrain (such as a small rock scramble) and boast proudly, “I did it!” are memories we will treasure forever.

Some helpful tips to remember when hiking with kids:

• A general rule of thumb is that children can hike as many miles as their age in years. The most important thing about hiking with young children is to follow their lead.
• Another great way to rev up kids’ hiking motivation is to plan the hike around their interest. Who doesn’t love a real-life treasure hunt? Creative types may enjoy bringing a trail journal or small watercolor set to document their journey.
• Hiking offers great opportunities for teens to build skills such as resilience, grit, and executive functions like their planning and organizing skills. Hiking also allows busy, on-the-go teens time to slow down and reconnect with their families.

All in all, the Adirondacks offer ample opportunities for families to spend time together, connecting with each other, and building a lifelong love for outdoor adventures.

We love raising our kids in the Adirondacks – and it’s not hard to see why.

Whether you’re looking to purchase or build a second home in the Adirondacks to enjoy the weekends, holidays, and summers with your family, or interested in relocating your family to the Adirondacks, we are here to serve you.