The Best Things to See and Do in New York's Adirondacks

Did you know – Culture Trip now does bookable, small-group trips? Pick from authentic, immersive Epic Trips, compact and action-packed Mini Trips and sparkling, expansive Sailing Trips.

Leave Museum Mile to the tourists in favor of this insider’s art attraction located just north of New York City. Storm King Art Center is a sculpture park featuring more than 100 sculptures by the world’s most celebrated contemporary artists. Occupying a whopping 500 acres (200ha), the park’s rolling hills, clear water ponds and bright fields of native wildflowers are masterpieces in their own right.

Athletic types will love the adrenaline-pumping activities awaiting on Whiteface Mountain, which features the largest vertical drop – 3,430ft (1,045m) – on the eastern seaboard. In addition to hiking, biking and skiing – the mountain is particularly suited toward advanced skiers – daredevil visitors can also find extreme adventures such as 4×4 excursions and free-fall jumping.

If camping doesn’t appeal to you, then perhaps glamping would be a superior fit. Give the outdoors a shot, sort of, at Adirondack Safari, a luxury campground furnished with extra-large tents, zero-gravity chairs, fire pits and more. Here, outdoor movie screenings, palm readings and painting classes trump hiking and foraging any day.

Sports enthusiasts will recognize Lake Placid Olympic Jumping Complex as the site of the 1980 Winter Olympics and the home base of many current Olympic athletes. Whether you catch a ski jump competition or try your hand at extreme tubing, you’ll feel prepared to go for the gold yourself after a visit to this historic location.

It makes sense that the best way to experience the densely-wooded Adirondack region is to explore above it, not through it. The treetop-level nature path at the Wild Center provides a bird’s-eye view of the property’s 81 acres (33ha) of forest. There’s also plenty to be seen at ground level when you explore the center’s 54,000sq-ft (5,017sq-m) museum, showcasing live animals and hands-on exhibits.

See more of the region’s 6m acres (2.4m ha) safely when you join Cycle Adirondacks. From one-day, family-friendly rides to six-day bicycle tours, Cycle Adirondacks’ events are an ideal way to explore some of the highest mountains in eastern North America, New York State’s farm country and the best of the Adirondacks. Best of all, riding with the organization supports local conservation efforts and economic development.

Rock climb, bike or tube Ausable Chasm, the Grand Canyon of the Adriondacks. Since becoming a tourism hot spot in 1870, one of America’s oldest natural attractions is still in high demand today thanks to its variety of outdoor activities and timeless views from the Ausable Chasm Bridge.

At 5,344ft (1,629m), the summit of Mount Marcy is the highest point in all of New York State. From its stunning treetop vistas to its up-close views of the rare endangered vegetation present on just 85 acres (34ha) of the Adirondacks, the view from the top makes the technically unchallenging, though generally long, hike worth every step.