What a beautiful mountain!…read more As an adult first learning to ski, I found Whiteface fairly intimidating. Just the drive in with its sweeping views of the east slope landscape is awe-inspiring. As an Olympic mountain with the greatest continuous vertical drop in the eastern US, this ski mountain has so much to offer for all levels of outdoor enthusiast. The Bear's Den area is the perfect launching point for little ones, new skiers, or those who prefer to warm up with an easy slope. If you're ready to jump in, there's a series of greens, blues, blacks, and more that can be accessed from their main lodge area by a gondola and several chairlifts to the mid and upper mountain. Even on busy days there's so many miles of trails that it keeps the crowds spread out to a degree. Can the lift lines get excessive? Sure. But if you're not picky, you can ski around (or stick to the upper mountain) and you can get a decent amount of runs in. Great mountain to level up on. In the past year I've graduated to some of their blues and finally made it to their highest lift (at 4,386 feet!) to soak in the amazing views of the surrounding Adirondacks. I've hiked many a mountain in summer this height but it was rewarding to catch a ride to the top and make my way down on skis. I appreciated the trail matrix available this year to gain a better understanding of which blues are easier and which start to verge on black so that I don't find myself in an overly uncomfortable situation before I'm mentally ready to do so. While all skiing is generally expensive, I feel you get a pretty good bang for your buck. Great facilities with a mid-mountain lodge. Fun events to watch if you catch them on a day you're already on-mountain. I caught both giant slalom and slalom this last trip. I'm clearly no expert but, I'm a fan of this location and am grateful to have the opportunity to ski here a couple times a year when in the area. I will have to hike it sometime to appreciate all that the non-winter season has to offer.

I have been trying to ski Whiteface for a while, usually one thing or another prevented me…read more Luckily this time I got a full day of skiing. Getting to Whiteface from my hotel in Lake George was easy; parking ended up being easy since I choose to park at the Bear Den Lodge area so I ended up almost to the lodge. I picked up my lift ticket RFID ticket from the electronic dispenser with no problem; by buying online in advance I got a discount price. The lodge was nice and even had racks available for free bag storage. I do appreciate that getting to the lodge and from the lodge to the lifts without having to climb steps. Overall the logistics were great for getting onto the mountain at the Bear Den area. The biggest downside I encountered was that the lifts were delayed almost 1 hour so that the groomers could redo the mountain since there was an ice storm overnight. I do have to call out the lift operator who kept us informed and entertained during the wait; it was much appreciated. Once the lifts were running there is one lift that gets you from the Bear Den area which is the beginner's area to mid-mountain and access to the rest of the mountain. Once I got skiing, Whiteface lived up to its Iceface nickname both early in the morning and then later in the afternoon. I was glad that they had regroomed the slopes so the skiing was good for most of the day. 3mmit and Lookout Mountain. I got to ski all 3 areas and really enjoyed myself. Little Whiteface was a bit limited since they had closed a whole face and one lift for race training. The Summit of course puts you up high and provides the choice to ski quite a few different trails and you can go to mid-mountain or the full 3000+ vertical to the base area. Lookout Mountain was opened later than the other areas and then was closed again for a while for regrooming; I was a bit disappointed by this since I found the Willmington Trail to be some of the best skiing on the mountain. A great long intermediate trail with fun twists and turns and variations in the slope, I would have taken a couple more runs on this trail if I had the chance. I really enjoyed skiing Whiteface, it is the largest vertical for any Eastern ski area. The lift system works well and navigating the mountain is not too hard. Having hosted the winter Olympics there is plenty of challenge and variety. Prices are reasonable, especially if you buy your tickets online and in advance. Because Lake Placid is a bit remote the lift lines were short. As long as the weather cooperates Whiteface is a great place to ski or ride.

Very fair prices compared to some of the larger resorts around. My son took lessons here for the…read morefirst time and loved it. All the staff is friendly and professional. We even did night tubing with their neon lights. That was super fun but got crowded fast. I didn't see the name of their restaurant but the food was delicious. I especially loved the poutine! Take a look at how yummy it looks. I could eat a few plates right now lol

This place came highly recommended for snow tubing and we are so glad that we took the 90 minute…read moredrive there. We were in town visiting and the other mountain that offered snow tubing did not have anything open at the time. Everyone at Titus Mountain was super friendly and accommodating. Very helpful. Snow tubing area was a lot of fun. They had music at the same time which made it more exciting. The kids and the adults alike had an awesome time. Highly recommend it!!

Ausable Chasm, NY - billing itself as "the Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks" is a shamelessly…read moreambitious boast for an attraction that I'd more accurately describe as Watkins Glen with the consumer interface of Bushkill Falls, but there's no denying Ausable Chasm is a fun, scenic, and daring adventure for all ages! We came during the off season at the end of April, before the more high thrills activities like rafting & tubing, riverwalk, Via Ferrata adventure trail, rappelling, rock climbing, etc. were open for the season (usually around late-May to June through autumn). That was no problem as we are visiting with our toddler who isn't old enough to do most of these activities anyway, and, as we discovered, it was actually perfect and to our advantage, since as first-time visitors we only wanted/had time to explore the chasm itself. And as there were very few other visitors on a weekday, it was as if we had this private park all to ourselves! No need to jostle for views/photos, can enjoy lunch & snacks at the best picnic tables by vista points, and it's also more pleasant than hiking in hot summer, though many of the trails are shaded. The basic "trails only" admission is about $20 for adults & teens, $12 for kids 5-12, and free for under 5. All the other activities have additional fees, which can add up so you might explore packages, or even stay overnight at their campground & cabins. We are a family of hikers so wanted to do the whole perimeter and see the entire gorge (about 2 miles). But if you only wish to see the exciting parts and leave time for other activities, then you can turn back halfway and do the shorter loop (1 mile if you do the Inner Sanctum Trail which I 100% recommend as this is the "signature" trail along the canyon's edge. But note it has many stairs up & down). We took the Inner Sanctum (yellow) trail, crossed over to Big Dry Chasm and hiked to the Whirlpool Basin Overlook at other end, then looped back around on the orange trail via Little Dry Chasm. The trails are well maintained, with most of the outer edge trails on comfortable soft padded ground. They're mostly well marked except the end part is not really shown clearly on the park map so I used AllTrails. The orange trail (Dry Chasm Trail) is marked as more difficult, but it's basically just a regular wooded hiking trail that's not paved, with rooty and rocky sections. The park is very walkable for most able-bodied people. Even our 3yo was able to hike the whole thing by himself, with a bit of help over the orange trails. We loved our visit and are excited to come back when our child is older to do more activities! Will update my review when we've had a chance to experience all the action-packed adventures the park has to offer. TIP #1: No trail maps are given out so take a photo ar a screenshot. But there are maps placed along the trails marked with where you are. TIP #2: Porta-potties only on either end of the trails, so I recommend taking your nature break before setting out. TIP #3: There's a cafe by the Welcome Center but it's only open seasonally. Bring water. No garbage bins along the trails (cos bears!) so trash is carry-in carry-out.

This place is the best. Great for families. Do the explorer package with river walk...ropes…read morebridges are awesome. Boat is mild, it's not white water rafting. Very safe. Go here and enjoy!

We did this over the weekend as a girls trip and had an amazing trip! Our guide Steven was so…read morefunny and skilled. He made a couple nervous passengers feel calm and loved the whole experience

Eric: Thanks for the safe yet great experience for an adventure bound family, always welcoming…read moresomething new to experience in God's great outsoors! You're an asset to any company you may wander off and work for. We are truly grateful for todays wonderful, awe-inspiring journey. You are also an inspiration to us with two types of special needs kiddos, being an example of using your weaknesses and turning them into strengths!

Hidden gem in the heart of lake placid! We decided to take a break from hiking the high peaks with…read moreour 9 and 12yo kids and rented a boat. FYI, they only accept cash or checks. I was a bit apprehensive since we are boating novices, having only used a motorized boat once before. Turns out we had nothing to worry about. We were given a pristine, spacious pontoon (called the Bentley, if that tells you anything :), and the operator gave us crystal clear directions on how to use it. The person helping us also gave us a map of lake placid and pointed out good areas to stop for swimming and fishing. My kids had the time of their lives on the water. The operator was kind enough to suggest bringing one of their floating tubes and a fish net, all for no extra charge. I thought we would only be on the water for 2hrs at most, but we ended up being out for more than 3. The kids said they could have stayed out on the lake all day. We did not catch any fish but we all enjoyed the beautiful view in our clean, spacious pontoon. Given our inexperience, this excursion could have easily gone south, however Captain Marneys clearly cares about its patrons and goes the extra mile to make sure everything goes well. We will be back!

I hate to leave a review this bad, because many of the people who worked here seemed great. The…read morefirst warning I have for you is not to do not.bring your dogs anywhere near this establishment. Their yellow lab attacked our dog while we registered for a rental.

This is my second year in a row tubing with Tubby tubes!!! I love this place and always have a…read moregreat time. I just tubed with a party of 4 on Sunday July 28. We did the early bird special at 9:30 am to save money and it's also worth it! Such a great offer!!! I highly recommend getting the tube with a backrest/headrest so that you have back support during your tubing experience. It makes a huge difference with comfort and it only cost an extra $7. Erin was a very good bus driver she made the ride pleasant and safe!!! Lauren was a great instructor and leader during the experience. She also was very friendly to speak with. I needed water shoes, so it was great that I can buy water shoes on the premises and they were able to charge the card I used to make the online reservations which is convenient because I didn't bring my wallet. There is bathrooms and changing rooms on site.

The guides were fantastic, especially Kirsten (make sure she gets her free PB&J). The ride is bumpy…read moreand dusty on the bus, but the float was beautiful. We only wish it were longer! The process from reservation to the float to leaving was all very seamless. Recommend: water shoes (flip flops worked but would have been easier in actual water shoes), bringing a waterproof cell phone holder, and having a bag with towels ready for the bus. They sell water shoes and the cell phone holders there for a markup.

This is our second year with Bolton Boat Tours and it was a great time once again. The family is…read morevery nice and it all went smoothly again this year! We like to go with small family owned businesses while on vacation. You can't go wrong. Thanks again!!! From the Freeman and Sheridan Family

This activity was exactly what we had hoped. Tim was a knowledgeable, responsible, kind, and…read moreentertaining captain! My wife and I booked this boat with our two boys ages 4 & 2. Tim was very sweet with our kids, keeping them safe, but also entertained. We wanted a short tour around the highlights of the lake, and we wanted to spend a little time swimming and tubing- we did all of this and truly enjoyed our time. Tim is an excellent captain and Bolton Boat tours is a world class company ! Definitely recommend!!! We noticed Tim taking out a bachelorette party after our trip- so it is the perfect choice, no matter the occasion !

I got a very good day of skiing at Gore Mountain; I have not skied Gore before so it is always nice…read moreto explore a new mountain. Getting from my hotel in Lake George to Gore was easy enough. At Gore I ended up parking in one of the more distant parking lots, but a shuttle was right there to deliver me to the base area. A short walk to the lodge where you can settle in and get geared up. There are baskets to store your bag and the lifts are nearby. A bit of a delay at the start of the day as they were still getting the trails and lifts ready. Then there was a single lift running for about 1 hour so the lines were fairly long; when they finally got the gondola and the upper lifts running the lines disappeared and the day became much more enjoyable. Gore has a bunch of different areas, I got through most of them, although I did not get to try the Burnt Ridge and North Creek areas, but did find plenty of nice runs. I spent the day on Blue and groomed Black runs and had a great time. Overall I enjoyed my day skiing at Gore Mountain, if you are in the area it is a good place to ski, probably not worth a long trip to ski, but certainly worth a visit. Gore and Whiteface use the same RIF card so if you have one it is well worth getting a day at each of them.

I unfortunately didn't have the greatest experience Gore could offer due to external factors none…read moreto Gore's fault. I definitely want to come back again and redeem my time here because I'm not a quitter. My boyfriend and I had come up to Gore on Friday the 13th in December 2024 no less. So maybe that's where all my bad luck came from ? PARKING There's a ton of parking, but coming later in the day results in parking far. It's quite a walk to the main lodge and kiosk when you do. Parking is free! PRICE I can't talk about price because my boyfriend works in the industry and got our tickets through his line of work. SNOW CONDITIONS Packed base, icy, mind your tailbone. I would highly recommend starting on some easy greens just to get the feel of the conditions. I've only been snowboarding for 2 years, but have had over 150 hours on snow already and 45ish days. But at the start of the season, everything is new ish again. My boyfriend is an experienced rider. Riding for over 10 years, way more days and hours than I have, and had his start in Colorado. I asked for greens just to warm up, while I do ride on blues, I was riding on a new board and it didn't end well for me. Failing to plan is planning to fail after all. I wish I got a trail map at the beginning, and they should be widely more available to find. Not everyone has great cell service in the mountains. While at the top, near Saddle Lodge, it starts off green, at the beginning of the season there's not many runs open and soon I found myself on a blue on a very playful and new board. It threw me in for a loop since my last board was VERY stiff. The complete opposite! During my second lap of the day I fell wrong and whatever was in my kangaroo pocket jabbed my rib. I couldn't get down on my own due to the pain and nausea and ski patrol had to bring the toboggan. I hated it. I hated having to cut it so short! Gore was a dream mountain of mine and I didn't get to experience it fully. My expectations for myself became defeated. Swallowing that pill was hard. I will be back towards the end of the season to reclaim my experience. After I have more practice on my new board. I just bought another one, which is in between both the stiff and very playful board. SKI PATROL I want to thank Zac for staying by me and my boyfriend while I tried to get myself down. I really didn't want to quit. I'm not a quitter but my boyfriend did say, "it's better to quit now and ride another day than make it worse and be out all season." After thinking about it and how dizzy and nauseous I was I gave in. Just knowing I had the support was reassuring. Zac was also very calm and reassuring. Once I made up my mind to that I couldn't go further on my own, he brought me down with the toboggan. I never rode on a sled before in my life, and it was fun, but let's definitely not make it a habit! It's been almost a month now and my ribs are 99% better. It was an intercostal muscle strain. It hurt like hell for a week and a half, but I rode again at a smaller mountain the next day because we didn't want to end the trip early. I had better runs, no falls, despite the insane amount of pain. GIFT SHOP I had a very lovely chat with the lady who works in the gift shop. I bought many Gore Stickers for my scrapbook! She and I bonded over our love of scrapbooks, and I know that's not something snowboarders regularly do. Mainly stickers go on helmets and boards, but I love them on & in my scrapbook. Pricing is definitely a little more than average. But the stickers are amazing quality so worth it! They also sell just about anything you would need in the shop at the base area lodge. We bought one of those screwdriver sets. OVERALL I highly recommend saving the PDF version of the trail map to your phone for easy access ahead of time before you go anywhere near the mountain. The views are out of this world!! Gore is definitely a place to ride and check out and I will be back with a better updated review!

I got a good deal with Beaver Brook Outiftters because I stayed at the Alpine Lodge. This was my…read morefirst time white water rafting (I went in the summer). The water was a bit calm but there were a few parts that were crazy. I was in the back of the raft with our guide so that made me feel a bit safer (I'm adventurous but this definitely had my heart racing as a newbie). My fiancé and friends (they've gone white water rafting before) thought the water was too calm and mentioned coming back when the snow is melting and there are more white caps. Our guide was fun and was trying to get us to "surf" our raft next to a rock which was cool. He also jokingly led us into a rock and I flew forward (luckily he caught me before I went too far ha). When you do go, they provide all of the gear you need and more. Buses take you to and from the river. You will also have to help lift the raft to the water with your group (I ended up slipping and falling on the rocks going down to the river so that was "fun", there are snacks/lunch provided when there's a break in between rafting. Towards the end, it was so calm, we had to row for a good mile or two to get us back. When you get back, dinner is provided and it was delicious! I had a fun time and I do want to come back when the water is choppier. Summer was a good choice for a first timer. All in all, I loved this company and our guide (I want to say his name was Buzz). Thanks for the new experience!!

My boyfriend and I went tubing this past weekend and had a blast. We made a reservation the night…read morebefore (I'm not sure if it's needed but they suggest it) and the check in process, after signing some waivers, was easy. Staff was super friendly and you could tell that they loved their job. Our ride down the river was truly a lazy one and sometimes we had to push ourselves along because the current was so slow but we never felt in danger. Definitely wear sunscreen and I would recommend bringing bug spray too. We got bit by black flies a few times and they hurt!! Also heads up, the tubing spot only has one portapotty, so plan accordingly.