Things to Do in the Adirondacks This Summer

By Jillian Locke, Rental Manager & Real Estate Salesperson at Merrill Thomas Vacation Rentals

Whether you’re visiting for the first time or you’re a regular, there’s always something new to discover here. An Adirondack summer comes to life in the most surprising ways — whether you’re looking for the quiet peace of a lakeside getaway or the energy of small-town Adirondack culture, we’ve got you covered.

Before you book your Adirondack rental for the season, read ahead to learn about the best things to do in the Adirondacks this summer. We’ve rounded up some of the most popular events and happenings, plus a few hidden gems.

Updated for July 2026

Happening in 2026

Celebrate Paddling

• When: May through July
• Where: Saranac Lake and the surrounding region
• What: A season-long celebration of paddling, with guided trips, races, river cleanups, and clinics for all skill levels

Lake Placid and I Love NY Horse Shows

• When: Lake Placid Horse Show, June 23–28, 2026; I Love New York Horse Show, June 30–July 5, 2026
• Where: North Elba Showgrounds, Lake Placid, NY
• What: Olympic-level hunter and jumper equestrian competition, free for kids 12 and under

Lake Placid’s 4th of July Celebration

• When: July 4, 2026
• Where: Lake Placid, NY
• What: Parade, live music, and fireworks over Mirror Lake

Tupper Lake Independence Day Fireworks & Celebration

• When: July 4, 2026
• Where: Tupper Lake, NY
• What: A community-wide celebration honoring the holiday, Adirondack-style

Lake Placid Sinfonietta: Skating on Ice

• When: July 24, 2026
• Where: Lake Placid Conference Center
• What: A live orchestral program inspired by figure skating, featuring music from Olympic silver medalist Paul Wylie’s 1992 performance

36th Annual Adirondack Folk Music Festival

• When: Sunday, August 9, 2026
• Where: Schroon Lake Bandstand, Schroon Lake, NY (about an hour south of Lake Placid — a nice day-trip pairing)
• What: A free afternoon of folk and Adirondack music, with food trucks and craft vendors
  

Lake Placid

Lake Placid wears its Olympic history well, but summer here is less about ceremony and more about getting outside. Between the lake, the mountains, and a village built for wandering after a long day outdoors, it’s easy to fill a week without repeating yourself. If hiking the High Peaks isn’t your speed, or you’re after something more laid-back this time around, here’s where to start.

Olympic Sites

Hit up the Lake Placid Olympic Center for a crash course in Adirondack Olympic history. In addition to guided tours offered throughout the week, the Olympic Center hosts special events including music performances, comedy nights, competitions, and indoor ice skating shows all summer long.

Mirror Lake Paddling

Sitting right next to downtown Lake Placid is Mirror Lake, a 124-acre lake popular all summer for swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding — gas-powered motors aren’t allowed, so it stays calm and quiet. The swim portion of the Lake Placid IRONMAN also takes place here, and swim lanes are set up through the summer for practice.

Ski Jump Tours

The nearby Olympic Jumping Complex is a year-round training facility for ski jumping and Nordic athletes. Beyond guided tours, the facility offers a scenic gondola and elevator ride to the top of the ski jump towers, a zipline that follows the same path jumpers fly down, and a base lodge with food and souvenirs — plus the chance to see Olympic athletes train, even in the middle of summer.

Saranac Lake

Saranac Lake is the largest community by population in the Adirondack Park, and it shows in the range of things to do here — there’s enough between the water, the trails, and downtown to keep a group busy for a week without anyone getting bored. Whether your crew wants to spend the day together on the lakes or split up and regroup for dinner, here’s where to start.

Lakes Paddling

With its chain of six interconnected lakes and two ponds, the Saranac Lake area lets you explore the Adirondack waterways as far as your paddles will take you. The broader Saranac Lakes Wild Forest contains 144 distinct bodies of water, and the nearby Saint Regis Canoe Area, just northwest of town, features dozens of smaller, pristine, motor-free ponds and lakes.

Rail Trail

The Adirondack Rail Trail is a 34-mile multipurpose trail running from Lake Placid to Tupper Lake, putting Saranac Lake just about at the midpoint. Whether you want to bike, walk, or run — and whether your goal is the destination or just the journey — the convenience of being at the center of it all can’t be beat.

Downtown Saranac Lake

Once you’re off the water or the trail, downtown is worth just as much time. Main Street is lined with independent shops, galleries, and locally run restaurants (be sure to check out Bitters & Bones, RiverTrail Beerworks, The Belvedere Restaurant, and Red Fox Restaurant among the many great options), and the historic Hotel Saranac anchors the village with a grand lobby worth a peek even if you’re not staying there. Stop by the Saranac Laboratory Museum to learn about the town’s unusual history as a tuberculosis “cure cottage” destination, or just wander and let the small-town charm do the rest.

Tupper Lake

Tupper Lake rewards a slower pace. Spend a morning on Lake Simond or the Raquette River, an afternoon on the accessible trails at John Dillon Park, and an evening at Raquette River Brewing — a pet-friendly spot with food trucks parked out front most days. Add a fire tower hike if you’re up for it, and you’ve got a full Tupper Lake day without going far.

The Wild Center

This is the kind of museum that doesn’t feel like a museum. The Wild Center’s trails, exhibits, and treetop walkways are built right into the Adirondack forest, and summer 2026 brings a playful new outdoor art installation, Trolls: Save the Humans, running through October. It’s an easy win for families looking to fill an afternoon, rain or shine.

Tupper Lake Tinman Triathlon

Every June, Tupper Lake hosts one of the Adirondacks’ longest-running endurance events. Even if you’re not racing, it’s a fun one to watch from the sidelines — and a good reminder of just how many ways there are to get out on the water here.

Stargazing at the Adirondack Sky Center

The Adirondacks sit under some of the darkest skies in the Northeast, and the Adirondack Sky Center & Observatory just outside Tupper Lake takes full advantage of it. Friday night stargazing sessions run through the summer, weather permitting — and they’re free, making for a quiet, kid-friendly way to end a day on the lake.

Wilmington

Wilmington built its name on Whiteface Mountain, and in summer that means gondola rides, hiking, and some of the best fly fishing on the East Coast along the Ausable River. Round out a day with a stop at one of the town’s art galleries or a Saturday at the farmers’ market, and you’ve got a mountain-town day that doesn’t require a single lift ticket.

Whiteface Mountain

Whiteface looms over Wilmington in every season, but summer shows a different side of the mountain. Ride the eight-passenger Cloudsplitter Gondola up to the summit of Little Whiteface for panoramic views of Lake Placid, Lake Champlain, and the High Peaks, or drive yourself up the Whiteface Veterans Memorial Highway — a seasonal toll road that climbs to within a short walk of the true summit.

Scenic Drives

Beyond the mountain itself, the stretch of Route 86 connecting Wilmington and Lake Placid is one of the prettier drives in the region, running alongside the Ausable River for much of the way — especially nice in early morning or at golden hour, when the light hits the water just right.

Swimming Holes

Wilmington’s stretch of the Ausable River — the same river famous among fly fishers — has informal swimming holes that locals have used for generations. They’re not marked or maintained, so ask around town for current favorites and water conditions before you go.

Free & family-friendly: concerts and farmers markets

You don’t have to spend a dime to fill an evening here. Lake Placid hosts free outdoor concerts at Mid’s Park multiple nights a week all summer, Wilmington runs its own Summer Concert Series on Thursday nights, and Saranac Lake keeps things going with Music on the Green on Wednesdays. Pack a blanket, grab dinner from one of the food trucks that usually show up, and call it a night.

During the day, look for the farmers markets. Lake Placid and Saranac Lake each run a weekly market through the season with produce, baked goods, and crafts from local makers — a nice way to stock the kitchen at your rental and pick up a souvenir at the same time.

FAQ

What’s the best month to visit the Adirondacks?

There’s no bad month, but if you want the warmest water and the fullest events calendar, July and August are tough to beat. June brings fewer crowds and the start of paddling season, while September offers cooler nights, quieter trails, and the first hints of fall color.

Is there anything to do if it rains?

Plenty. The Wild Center in Tupper Lake, the Olympic Center and Olympic Museum in Lake Placid, and downtown Saranac Lake’s shops, galleries, and the Saranac Laboratory Museum are all good rainy-day options. Many gondola and observation-deck experiences, like the Olympic Jumping Complex’s Skyride, run rain or shine — just with reduced views at the top.

Are the lakes good for swimming?

Yes — Mirror Lake’s town beach is a popular spot right in the village, and Lake Clear and Lake Colby both have local swimming beaches as well. Beyond that, many of the smaller ponds throughout the Saranac Lakes Wild Forest have quiet swimming spots reachable by a short paddle. The water is typically most comfortable from mid-June through August.

Ready to turn this into an itinerary? Browse our vacation packages and activities for ready-made ideas, or find your home base on our Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake, or Wilmington rental pages.