Lake Placid is home to about 2,000 full-time residents, but gets as many as 3 million overnight visitors each year. There’s a lot you may miss out on as someone traveling here for just a weekend or two. We really shouldn’t be telling you this, but shhh, here are the secrets and local favorites that full-time Lake Placid folk have been keeping from you until now.
- Go Ivy League with your maple syrup.
With the Adirondacks being prime maple syrup producing territory, locals obviously don’t pour the fake corn syrup impersonator on their pancakes. But did you know that Cornell University’s sugar maple research program has an outpost in the nearby Uihlein Maple Research Forest? Their researchers tap sugar maple and birch trees in search of new methods for making maple syrup! You can support the university’s work by buying syrup as a souvenir for yourself at their store located at 157 Bear Cub Lane in Lake Placid. If you’re lucky you might get a free tour, too.
- Park at the post office.
We really shouldn’t be telling you this. On a busy day in town, when no other parking can be found on Main Street, try parking by the post office. Be sure to follow the posted parking signs so you don’t get a ticket.
- Shop at the farmer’s market.
Yes, almost every town has a farmer’s market these days. But you can never go wrong with fresh and colorful produce, plus plenty of free samples. Shop at Lake Placid’s farmer’s market for a picnic lunch, and look out for jewelry, lively floral arrangements, and carved wooden bowls. It’s open Wednesdays in the late afternoon from late June through mid-October.
- Visit the public library’s porch and overlook.
The Lake Placid public library’s location right downtown makes it the perfect place to relax amidst the busy shopping street. Even if you’re not a library member, they often have a handful of books and magazines for free and for sale out front. Best of all, they have windows overlooking Mirror Lake and a small lawn with Adirondack chairs beside the water where you can read peacefully.
- Wear your hat above your ears.
It may not be the most comfortable or warm, but locals like to wear their winter hats resting somewhere above their ears. Some style gurus say that a hat should rest 1/8 of an inch above your ears. Fashion isn’t always easy, but at least you’ll blend in!
Winterberry Bed & Breakfast 