Things to do in the outdoors

If you like the outdoors, you will love this area-hiking, boating (kayaking, canoeing, white water), technical (i.e. rock in the summer) are all here. Here are a few pointers on where to look for information.

• Hiking There are hikes for all levels of ability and interest. The major trail-heads for hiking in the Adirondack High Peaks area are in close proximity to Lake Placid. Some good web sites are Adirondack Journey,Wiki and ADK The standard guide book is Guide to the Adirondacks:High Peaks Region by Tony Goodwin, available at amazon.com. If you want to do any hiking, I strongly recommend that you buy this book. It is also available at EMS, nearby the hotel in Lake Placid.
• Rock ClimbingThere is a lot of climbing nearby Lake Placid, but a lot of it is for serious climbers, i.e 5.8 and up. A high peaks 5.8 is typically a lot harder then in other areas, so be careful. A great guide service is AdirondackRockandRiver. They also have lodging in the event that you want to stay there and absorb some climbing/hiking wisdom. The standard rock guide is Climbing in the Adirondacks by Don Mellor.
• Kayaking and Canoeing There are thousands of lakes in the Adriondacks. One website is visitadirondacks. You can easily rent kayaks and canoes in Lake Placid or in nearby Saranac Lake,adirondackoutfitters rents canoes and kayaks and provides guide service. For adventurous types you can also use the services of Adirondack Rock and River, AdirondackRockandRiver