Things to Do in Saranac Lake, New York

Historic Saranac Lake restored Trudeau’s 1894 Saranac Laboratory and runs it as a museum of the village’s cure-era history. It’s the best place to understand why a logging village of about 300 people grew into a “little city” of 8,000. The museum is at 89 Church St.

★ Good to know Look at the porches as you walk back downtown; many of the village’s cure cottages were built so patients could rest outdoors.

This is the village’s own mountain, a 1.6-mile round trip with 884 feet of climbing to a 2,452-foot summit. The ledges look over Saranac Lake, Lake Flower and the High Peaks. It’s one of the six peaks in the Saranac Lake 6er hiking challenge.

★ Good to know Trailhead parking on Forest Hill Avenue is very limited, so park downtown and walk the flat mile from Berkeley Green.

Instead of horses, you ride hand-carved Adirondack wildlife, from an otter and a moose to a black fly, each with a hidden carved ladybug. Volunteer carvers from across the country made the figures, and it opened in 2012 in William Morris Park. The pavilion is enclosed, so it runs year-round.

★ Good to know There’s a wheelchair-accessible Chris Craft boat on the carousel and a playground next door.

Lake Flower sits in the middle of downtown and is flat water with mountain views. Paddle south toward Oseetah Lake to see herons, loons and bog plants. St. Regis Canoe Outfitters rents boats from its shop on the Saranac River, part of the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail.

★ Good to know Put in at the DEC launch on Route 86 and stay to the right; motorboats and jet skis get busy on weekends.

The author of Treasure Island spent the winter of 1887 to 1888 in this cottage for his health. It was the world’s first site dedicated to Stevenson and holds his belongings, from his infant cap to the last pen he used. It’s run by volunteers.

★ Good to know It keeps a limited seasonal schedule, so check before you go.

The carnival has run since 1897, making it one of the oldest in the country. Its centerpiece is an ice palace built from blocks cut from Lake Flower and lit up at night, plus a parade and fireworks. It runs for about 10 days each February.

★ Good to know Garry Trudeau of Doonesbury, who grew up here, draws the art for the carnival’s collectible button.

The village owns and runs this small ski hill, with six trails served by a single T-bar, a tubing hill and snowshoe trails. It’s a good place for beginners. In warmer months the slopes become mountain biking trails.

★ Good to know Ski and tubing days depend on the season, so check the village site before you go.

Pendragon is the Adirondacks’ only year-round professional theater. The schedule mixes plays and musicals with classes and a visiting artist series.

★ Good to know Check the season calendar before your trip, since shows run in set blocks.