Surprising Facts about Lake Placid

For centuries Lake Placid had drawn the attention of many people, telling tales and stitching up stories of old. The lake now had become one of the top tourist attractions in the New York State. Aside from its controversial stories, its crystal clear water surrounded by luscious greenery, Lake Placid is gaining travelers across the globe. With the Adirondacks Mountains looming over the lake, winter sports activities are everything, but you can enjoy Lake Placid anytime and in any season. 

Considered as the wild frontier, Lake Placid was founded in the 1700s and it still preserved its rustic vibe despite modernization. Whenever you go to Lake Placid you cannot ignore the fact that the Adirondacks Mountain played a big effect in making it a great holiday destination. But there is more to Lake Placid than meets the eye or magazine for that matter. There are some things Lake Placid is known for, and here are some of the surprising facts you might know about the lake. 

It hosted the Winter Olympics - twice 

As the lake is really great during the winter season, it hosted the Winter Olympic Games not once but twice. It’s one of the only three places on earth to make it happen. To date, Lake Placid belongs to the group of superb ten cities in the world to have hosted the prestigious competition more than once since it started in 1896. Lake Placid first hosted Winter Olympics in 1932 and another in 1980. The Lake Placid Olympic Center and Museum draw hundreds of visitors a year to see some of the equipment used during the world-renowned international game. 

Lake Placid gave birth to the word vacation 

Lake Placid isn’t just a vacation destination, its vacation - as it invented the word. During the good old days, when ‘Brits’ go on a holiday – think of Vanderbilts and Rockefellers they need to do some vacating during the summer. So they went to chill in the northern woods and smell the fresh air of the Adirondacks Mountains. Since then, Americans started to go on vacation as well in Lake Placid. 

Row to your heart’s content 

Lake Placid and its surrounding region hide about 30,000 miles of waterways, this only means one thing, it’s every boater’s dream paradise. Just think of what you can do in a place teeming with streams, rivers, and ponds. But that is nothing with what the Adirondacks Mountain hides; you can boat, hike, swim, and explore miles of untouched forests. Imagine these bodies of water transforming during winter, it’s a magical place to enjoy winter sports. Daredevils ascend perilous frozen waterfalls and test their limit in the icy cliffs of Cascade Pass. While a lot of people either enjoys skating or ice fishing on Lake Placid. 

Nothing can paint ‘Autumn’ better than Lake Placid 

If you want to see autumn at its full glory, then visit Lake Placid during this season. The region boasts of autumn leaves in a vibrant shade of red and gold in every hue you can think of. Thanks to the thousands of hardwood trees covering the Adirondacks Mountains, fall colors has never been this colorful. Having one of the longest fall seasons, trees like beech, maple, and oak celebrate it with a vibrant display of leaves varying in colors. 

The Adirondacks is HUGE! 

When they say that the Adirondacks played a big role in making Lake Placid a great holiday destination, these people are not exaggerating. The Adirondack is so huge it can fit Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, and Great Smokey Mountains inside it with a lot of space to accommodate the Glacier as well. Stretching for about 6.1 million acres of land, the Adirondacks is the largest protected natural area in the country. Big thanks to the Forever Wild status implemented in 1892, more than 2 million acres of mountains, streams, and woods were preserved to this day. Because of the act, the Adirondacks serve as home to thousands of animal species including more than 100 species of birds.