The Adirondack Mountains of northern New York State have long been a vacation destination for nature lovers for its lakes and mountains. Mount Pisgah Ski Area is located in the Adirondacks at the town called Saranac Lake. The architectural style of the Adirondacks is elegant log cabin and the comfortable base lodge at Mount Pisgah reflects that in classic style. The base lodge has bathrooms and a snack bar and you can book ski lessons there.
The ski area is located just 10 miles from Lake Placid. It has a vertical drop of 400 feet with skiing over 15 acres and gets an average snowfall of 60 inches. There are 4 intermediate trails and 1 advanced trail and is open for night skiing. There is only one surface t-bar rope lift to get skiers around.
This is a small local ski hill catering to families and people on their way to the large fancier Lake Placid ski resort who want to have a day or two of skiing without the rush and bustle of Lake Placid ski hills. They also dawdle here to enjoy snow tubing, the peace, the rustic lodgings in the area, and the small town vibe.
Mount Pisgah is laid back and sleepy and attracts people who are in search of that atmosphere when it snows. The ideal vacation would be to use Mount Pisgah for members of the family who cannot ski and want to learn in a non-rushed gentle setting because the other members of the family could be just 10 miles away careening down the seriously challenging trails at Lake Placid, the former home of the winter Olympics. The two ski areas provide total satisfaction for a family or group of very different levels of skiers.
Saranac Lake is home to one of the most elegant and luxurious award winning hotels in America. The Point is a very special hotel with rooms, cabins, fireplaces, dinner parties, fine cuisine, and outstanding service. If you ski Mount Pisgah and would like an extraordinary accommodation, this is your place! For every other budget (The Point is very expensive) there are an ample number of motels and homey little B&B's in the area.
Dining at Saranac Lake tends to be casual and hearty. There is the Blue Moon Café which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in a simple but cozy environment. The Red Fox Restaurant is more formal serving steaks, seafood and pasta. And the Downhill Grill, which is downtown, serves simple burgers, nachos, and chicken wings. After dinner head over to Donnelly's Ice Cream. A true old fashioned ice cream stop, it is located in a tiny cabin and only makes one flavor a day! That flavor is made with local full fat milk and natural flavorings, which is why Donnelly's Ice Cream has become so popular.
While you are in Saranac Lake you should take time to visit the Robert Louis Stevenson Cottage and Museum, which takes you through the poet's life history and literary works.
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