A Year-Round Adirondack Vacation Destination Boasts Several Lakes And Small-Town Mountain Charm

Long Lake is a small mountain community in the heart of New York's Adirondack Mountains. This year-round destination is perfect for adventurous travelers who want to find themselves in one of the wildest corners of the Empire State without sacrificing on comfort. The town of Long Lake sits on the shores of its namesake waterbody and is about two hours and 45 minutes northeast of Syracuse, where it's encircled by no less than seven designated wilderness areas. Here, visitors to this remote swath of New York State can hike, bike, climb, ski, and fish their way through the storied Adirondacks, and be back in town in time for a lakeside cocktail and a hearty dinner.

Long Lake, like another riverside Adirondack village with tasty eats and mom-and-pop shops, is as much a winter destination as it is a summer retreat. When the two lakes near the town freeze during the winter months, hiking boots and fishing waders are replaced by skis, snowshoes, and ice skates and the community becomes a frigid playground for visitors who come from near and far to enjoy everything winter in Long Lake has to offer. The community is situated near five designated ski areas, and the town itself offers Mt. Sabattis, a free sledding hill for kids of all ages. Serious powder hounds will love Whiteface Mountain, an hour and 20 minute drive from Long Lake and one of the East Coast's best skiing and snowboarding mountains. However, if you aren't big on winter travel, don't worry because summer is the perfect time to visit Long Lake.

As much fun as winter is for snow sports enthusiasts, summer in Long Lake can be even more fun. Long Lake's location among a host of wilderness areas makes for some incredible backcountry fishing. Plus, for anglers up for a walk, the area is full of hiking trails that lead to small mountain streams bursting with wild brown trout, brook trout, and rainbow trout. For lake anglers, Long Lake and nearby Raquette Lake offer excellent fishing for northern pike, lake trout, perch, and stocked rainbow and brown trout.

In summer, the Mt. Sabattis sledding hill becomes a mountain biking park perfect for avid fat-tire enthusiasts. For mountain bikers who want to venture a bit further afield, the area is blessed with some longer biking trails — like the Seventh Lake Mountain Trail and Old Uncas Road Trail — that will take visitors deeper into the surrounding mountains and forests, where finding a quieter experience is easier. Once back in town, Long Lake offers tired cyclists, hikers, and anglers some diverse dining options. Guests can grab a craft beer or some locally brewed cider while scarfing down a sandwich at Brookside Hops and Hoagies in Long Lake. You can also check out the ADK Trading Post or the Long Lake Diner at Owl's Head Pub.

While winter and summer offer some stellar outdoor pursuits, fall is when the Adirondacks around Long Lake really shine. The colors of the surrounding hardwood forests start to turn in late September, and they stay bright red, orange, and yellow for around a month before fading and giving way to winter. The lonely country roads around Long Lake offer some incredible fall foliage drives, and, in town, the fall is a season for festivals. For kayakers, there's nothing better than 90 Miler, a two-day paddling event held the first weekend after Labor Day that starts in Raquette Lake and ends in Blue Lake (just south of the community of Long Lake). In October, the town also puts on the Harvest Craft Fair, where visitors can shop for handmade trinkets like wooden bowls, tote bags, jewelry, and candles.

No matter when visitors make the trek to Long Lake, they'll be greeted with plenty to do. From backcountry skiing in the winter to summertime treks through the Adirondacks, the Long Lake area bursts with outdoor opportunities. In fact, there's never a bad time to visit Long Lake and the iconic Adirondacks, New York's mountain range known as the gateway to the outdoors. And, with plenty of lodging options, from short-term rentals to elegant hotels, like the Adirondack Hotel built in the 1850s, guests to the area will have lots of choices.