Published on 10/05/22
By Tammis Dowling
It’s a seven-hour drive from Wilmington, DE, to Wilmington, NY, but if you’re looking for an area of striking natural beauty–it’s worth it! Wilmington, NY, is in the High Peaks Region of the Adirondack Mountains and is a wonderful place to recharge and enjoy nature.
Hiking is probably the main attraction, but there are plenty of opportunities for canoers, kayakers, rock climbers, and history buffs. A good place to stay is the nearby Adirondak Loj, spelled so because it was at the center of the simplified spelling movement of the early 1900s. This rustic lakeside retreat has a range of lodging options including campsites, lean-tos, and traditional rooms in the main lodge. Many short and long hiking trails originate here, including trails up mountains over 4,000 feet. If you catch the Adirondack hiking bug, you might try to become a 46er by climbing the 46 mountains over 4,000 feet (20 are trail-less). My cousin has completed this feat in both summer and winter. If these longer hikes seem daunting, there are plenty of hiking trails for families or the less ambitious such as Owl’s Head, Cobble Lookout, or Mount Jo.
Water sports are also popular, with canoeing or kayaking on Heart Lake, Mirror Lake, or Lake Placid and fishing in the Ausable. Dip in the water for a swim at the Jay-covered bridge, the Wilmington Beach, or the frigid Cascade Lakes.
Lake Placid (pictured above), the largest town in the area, hosted the Winter Olympics in 1932 and 1980. In summer, you can enjoy mountain biking and gondola rides at Whiteface Mountain and a roller coaster and climbing wall at the Mt. Van Hoevenberg bobsled track. In Winter, there’s downhill and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking with micro-spikes, figure skating on the speed skating oval, and bobsled rides. You can even catch a ski jumping competition at the Olympic Ski Jumping Complex.
History buffs will love exploring the Adirondack Great Camps–rustic palaces of unpeeled timber and brook stone constructed in the late 1800s by the likes of the Vanderbilts and the Posts. Saranac Lake is also worth a visit. A former tuberculosis cure resort, it was founded by the cartoonist Gary Trudeau’s great-grandfather. The sleeping porches and cure cottages, as well as Robert Louis Stevenson’s house, still remain.
End your Adirondack adventure by taking the Lake Champlain Ferry over to Vermont, with spectacular views of the Green Mountains in front and the Adirondacks behind. Enjoy craft beer, creemies, and the Ben and Jerry’s factory tour before the long drive home.