Slowtwitch’s Ultimate Triathlete Travel Guide to Lake Placid

March 24, 2023

Editor's Note: Inspired by our annual Kona Guide forum thread, we've decided to give key race destinations a deeper dive. We kick off with Lake Placid, NY. Have a suggestion for us to cover? Comment below.

IRONMAN Lake Placid is one of the remaining classic courses on the IRONMAN circuit, and for good reason — the Adirondack Mountains provide an outstanding backdrop for the event, and the finish line located on the oval off of Main Street is arguably IRONMAN’s best atmosphere not named Kona. No wonder, then, that this race has once again sold out.

With it being sold out, though, that means that there will be nearly 3,000 of your closest friends also vying for accommodations, restaurants, and things to do with the family while in town. We’re here to help make things a little bit simpler for you (especially if you haven’t booked your travel yet) and help you navigate your way around.

Getting to Lake Placid

Lake Placid is a village nestled in the town of North Elba, New York. There are not many ways into Lake Placid, and traffic can be a difficult experience regardless of whether the circus known as IRONMAN is in town.

If you’re flying, and you have status with United, rejoice — there’s direct service into Plattsburgh International, which cuts your drive time down to an hour from the airport. The three closest large commercial airports are going to be Albany International Airport (ALB), Burlington International Airport (BVT), and Montreal-Trudeau International (YUL). With all three you’re still going to have anywhere from a 90 minute to three hour drive. If you are lucky enough to have a private jet or subscription service, they can fly directly into Lake Placid’s airport, which is located just off the bike and run courses before the ski jumps in town.

Once you’re driving (and yes, you will be driving), the main routes into town from the south and east are NY-73 through Keene Valley or NY-86 from Wilmington. If you’re arriving from the west, that’s NY-86 which brings you to the town of Saranac Lake.

Where to Stay

The great debate rages every year: should you stay in town, or should you stay outside of it in Keene, Wilmington, or Saranac Lake? There’s naturally trade-offs with each approach. Rooms in downtown LP tend to sell out the fastest and at greater prices and with longer minimum stays, but offer the flexibility of being able to walk to Main Street, transition, and the swim venue. Rooms outside of town are easier to come by and less expensive, but require you to drive and a particularly early morning on race day in order to procure parking.

If you decide to stay in Lake Placid proper, the closest hotels to the race are the Hampton Inn & Suites Lake Placid, Best Western Adirondack Inn, Art Devlin’s Olympic Inn, or the Golden Arrow. These hotels frequently sell out quickly, and with four or five night minimum stays during race weekend. The other thing to keep in mind is that, due to their proximity to the race venue, you’ll also be able to hear everything on race day. (This is also true if you manage to snag one of the AirBnB / VRBO’s at the Lake Placid Club Lodges.)

Some other hotels you might consider if you’re going to stay in Lake Placid are the new Grand Adirondack Hotel (formerly the Northwoods Hotel), the Crowne Plaza, or the Mirror Lake Inn. Note that if you choose to stay at the Crowne Plaza, it is one brutal walk back uphill to get back to your room post race.

I, personally, prefer to stay outside of town. I like to get away from the nervous energy of everybody in town and have more space and more quiet. It also tends to save a fair bit of money over staying in town — almost $1,000 less expensive the last time I booked a hotel. I also find it easier to get into town on 86 from the east — meaning I stay in Wilmington when I choose an option out of town. My pick of choice down there is the Mountain Brook Lodge, but there’s also a range of options including the Adirondack Spruce Lodge, the Hungry Trout Resort, and Rudy’s Chalet Whiteface.

There are a fair number of private rental options as well, offered through a mix of online resources as well as local renting agencies. One thing to keep in mind is that the town of North Elba does have a limitation on the number of vehicles / people that can stay in a single unit, so if you’re splitting with someone, make sure you don’t exceed the vehicle limit.

Where to Eat

Let’s start with the grocery stores. Between house rentals and everyone’s need to ensure that they have their proper pre-race breakfast, the grocery stores can get quite popular. Both major grocery stores are located on the stretch of 86 heading towards Saranac Lake — first a Hannaford, and then a Price Chopper. If it’s a determining factor of your shopping experience, the Hannaford is also located near a wine and liquor outlet, whereas the Price Chopper is more limited in its alcohol selection. (Note that in New York, beer and wine are both available at gas stations, specialty stores, and more). Both offer delivery via Instacart, if that’s your thing.

Being honest, though, many people are going to eat out during the week in town. There is a Starbucks in town if you require corporate, consistent coffee, although waits can stretch upwards of 30 minutes for your morning cup of caffeine. Other good hot spots for coffee or a quick breakfast on the go include The Coffee Bar and Soulshine Bagel. If you’re more inclined to take a leisurely breakfast, though — it is well worth drive down to Jay to visit Adirondack Mountain Coffee Cafe. It’s located along the bike course (if you’re the kind of person who wants to do a full preview of the bike ride), and the Fisherman’s Platter is tremendously good. Full trout, eggs, home fries and toast. They also have a variety of pancake options, pastries, and more. It can get busy as the morning winds on but, for early risers or for those looking for a break from the bustle of downtown LP, it’s a fantastic option.

Lunch and dinner give you a huge number of options. Lisa G’s is a staple for many in Lake Placid as a landmark along the run course. However, they are still undergoing repairs from a burst pipe during an arctic blast in February. Assuming they re-open in time for the race this year, though, it’s a near guaranteed hot spot. Jimmy’s 21 is your best bet for Italian – and will be guaranteed busy on Saturday before the race. Lake Placid Pub is another along-the-course landmark, as is its little sister location down at Big Slide Public House. Pro tip on race day: walk down the bike/run course to Big Slide. Great outdoor patio with shaded tables, a place for kids to hang out, and good beer. Yes, it’s a little bit of a hike from downtown, but you are well rewarded for the experience.

If you’re looking to get outside of downtown — heading towards Saranac Lake sits Tail o’ the Pup — offering both barbecue and seafood. Both are quite good. Out the other way, there’sForty Six in Keene Valley, which is almost never as busy as it should be given the quality of the food there. In Wilmington, there’s Rudy’s Chalet Whiteface (yes, they have a restaurant there, and it’s pretty darn good), as well as the Pourman’s House which is right at the mouth of climbing Whiteface Mountain proper.

Stuff to Do While in Lake Placid

Let’s face an undeniable truth together — you need to keep your family entertained when you come to an IM event, because otherwise, it is an incredibly boring experience. Thankfully, that’s easier to accomplish in LP than with most other races. First and foremost, there’s the beach at Mirror Lake. There’s a protected swim area and a great playground, too. Parking can be a bit challenging right near the beach if you’re driving in from outside of town — best to use one of the centralized parking lots and walk a little — but it’s a great spot to be. There are also numerous shops along Main Street that will rent you a kayak or stand-up paddleboard if you’d like to adventure a bit more on Mirror Lake.

If you’re looking for a slightly more remote experience, there are dozens of short, family-friendly hikes in the area that you can either do pre-race or post-race — yes, they are gentle enough that after the event you should be able to handle them. High Falls Gorge down in Wilmington is also a great place to see the power of the West Branch of the Ausable River, with a gentle walking path and plenty of opportunity for pictures. You can also take the auto road to the top of Whiteface Mountain, where you’ll find a castle, a restaurant, and an elevator carved into the mountain.

If your kids are older, the ultimate to-do in Lake Placid might be the bobsled experience at Mt. Van Hoevenberg. The roughly 90 second ride puts you on the 1980 Winter Olympics bobsled run. Riders must be at least 9 years old, with a maximum of three riders per bobsled. Tickets are $125 per rider and require advance reservations.

Pre-Race Training in Lake Placid Tips

Pre-race workouts are pretty easy to come by in Lake Placid. In terms of swimming — it’s right there in Mirror Lake. Do not leave from the protected swim area. Either leave near the IRONMAN Lake Placid Boulder, or leave from the former swim start area closer to Mirror Lake Drive. Be aware that swimmers may come in multiple directions — although the swim is now a two-loop clockwise route, the historic course swam in the opposite direction and some athletes still will use this swim direction. Just be sure to practice sighting.

If you’re going to get some riding in, first be aware of New York cycling law. New York requires you to utilize a cycling lane, or if one has not been provided (read: most roads), you are to ride as far to the right of the shoulder / lane so as to “prevent undue interference with the flow of traffic” unless you are making movements that are “reasonably necessary to avoid conditions that would make it unsafe to continue along near the right-hand curb or edge.” For most of the full bike course, there is plenty of high quality shoulder to the right of the traffic lane that this shouldn’t be a necessary problem. However, in town, it can get hairier. I recommend avoiding Main Street altogether when riding.

My personal favorite if I’m in Lake Placid itself is to simply ride out route 86 down the course backwards to River Road, do a quick loop on River Road, and come back up on 86. The road quality is better, and the shoulders are wider. If you’re staying in Wilmington or Keene, riding on course is easy: hop on either 86 or 9N and do an out-and-back. 9N was recently repaved and should be in good shape, assuming that there were not significant frost heaves.

Other notes on traffic laws: New York allows double file riding, except when being passed by a vehicle — you then are required to ride single file. Given the amount of traffic during race week, it is probably safest to ride single file. Idaho stops are illegal — you must come to a complete stop, and red lights may not be treated as stop signs. You may only ride with a single earbud. You are required to always have at least one hand on the handlebars.

Running — again, I like avoiding Main Street. It’s so busy with pedestrians, cars, construction, and other people training that it’s a very bad game of Frogger. Mirror Lake Drive becomes very popular as well. If you can hop in a car, drive out to the intersection of River Road and 86, where there’s a fishing spot. Park there and either run on 86 or River Road. Alternatively — try to run on Mirror Lake Drive beyond Northwood School, as it gets much, much less crowded and not nearly as busy with vehicle traffic.

Last Tips

It should go without saying that when we visit our local race communities that we should be good visitors, treating the area and locals with respect. Unfortunately, that has not always been the case. When it comes to Lake Placid, the race came very close to not being renewed due to community feedback. If we want to keep having this classic race on our calendar, we need to be on our best behavior when coming to town.

The weather can also be changeable. It almost always will rain at some point during the day on the course in Lake Placid. The wind will manage to switch around; the wind tends to accelerate through the notches and will blast through Wilmington. Nights and mornings can get chilly; plan on packing more cooler weather gear than you originally thought unless the long range forecast is for 90 degrees all week. Regardless of temperature, sunscreen is your friend. You are at elevation, and it almost always feels warmer than it actually is.

And lastly, but most importantly, have fun.