One of the major reason we love Lake Placid is because we get to cross country ski at Mt Van Hoevenberg! Mt. Van Hoe is our favorite place to ski in the country. If you haven’t visited it yet you’re in for a giant treat!
We have been visiting Lake Placid since the mid-nineties. We first came to visit because one of my girl friends lived in LP for years and always talked about its beauty. Once we came for our first visit we were completely hooked.
We were blown away by the amazing woods and mountains leading down to the Olympic Sports Complex at the foot of Mount Van Hoevenberg. We have always loved to ski, run, cycle, kayak, and ice skate, and were happy to discover how much we loved cross country skiing here! In my opinion, Mount Van Hoevenberg has the best cross country ski trails in the Northeast.
With over 50 kilometers of trail, you could spend all day gliding through the snow. It’s relatively cheap as well, especially if you have your own cross-country skis or snowshoes.
Mount Van Hoe also has the famous Lake Placid Loppet that takes place every year. Todd won the Gold and Silver medal a few years back and participates in this race every year. It’s a spectacle of magical color with everyone from Olympic skiers to young kids trying it out for the first time. Anyone can race and I highly recommend it.
There’s also the amazing Biathlon center. It’s part of the complex and is one of the coolest sports in the world. I just love shooting the targets! The first time I tried, I shot all 5 targets straight in a row! It was a thrill and I’ve become an avid fan of the sport.
But nothing can beat the serenity of these woods. It’s so peaceful and quiet here that all you can hear is the wind rustling through the trees and the snow gently falling. It’s not uncommon to see cute little bunnies hop past you, and once I even saw a wolf!
If you’re looking for an incredibly peaceful, calming workout, then Mount Van Hoevenberg is definitely the place!
