Visitors to this two-time Winter Olympics site deep in the rounded peaks of the Adirondacks tend to fall into two camps: old-school L.L. Bean types (plaid woolens; sconces made of deer antlers) and new-school adventurers (polypro; carbon-fiber mountain bikes as wall ornaments). Neither lacks for options at what's virtually a theme park for the VO₂-max crowd.

While tourists bustle along Main Street, the mountains, rivers, and, yes, placid lakes of Adirondack Park await on the edge of town.

All prices in U.S. dollars
 

Access
Major airlines fly into Albany, 140 miles [225 kilometers] south, and Burlington, Vermont, 60 miles [97 kilometers] northeast via a Lake Champlain ferry.

Biking
High Peaks Cyclery (+1 518 523 3764; www.highpeakscyclery.com) runs two-day dirt camps on 31 miles [50 kilometers] of trails at Mount Van Hoevenberg for $250 per person.

The gondola at Whiteface Mountain operates all summer, giving bikers access to four experts-only trails.

Climbing
The most popular site is the 700-foot-high [231-meter-high] Chapel Pond Slab, which has friction-climbing routes for all levels. More than a hundred climbs lace 450-foot [137-meter] Poke-O-Moonshine, with nothing easier than a 5.7. An 8-mile [13-kilometer] hike leads to the base of experts-only Wallface—one of the highest cliffs east of the Rockies.

Adirondack Rock and River Guide Service (+1 518 576 2041; www.rockandriver.com) leads customized climbing trips to Wallface and other sites for $140 per person per day.

Hiking
The town is close to dozens of routes in the High Peaks. An uncrowded local favorite is an 8-mile [13-kilometer] walk along Rocky Peak Ridge to Giant Peak, with great views of the highest summits in the region for most of the way.

The Adirondack Mountain Club (800 395 8080 [U.S. and Canada only]; www.adk.org) sells detailed regional hiking guides.

Bobsledding
With a professional driver and brakeman in control, roll a half mile [0.8 kilometer] down the 1980 Olympic track in a wheeled bobsled at Mount Van Hoevenberg. To book a run, contact the Olympic Regional Development Authority ($30; +1 518 523 4436; www.orda.org/bobsled.html).

Canoeing
The Bog River Flow is a chain of lakes, ponds, and rivers so pristine that it has been called the Boundary Waters of New York State. Five-day guided trips from High Peaks Cyclery are $450 per person.

Rafting
Daylong outings with the Adirondack Rafting Company ($75; 800 510 7238 [U.S. and Canada only]; www.adirondackwhitewaterrafting.com) start at Indian Lake and bounce through three miles of Class III water on the Indian River before heading into the Hudson River Gorge.

Room and Board
At Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa (doubles $195; +1 518 523 2544; www.mirrorlakeinn.com), guests launch canoes and rowboats from a private beach on the adjacent motor-free lake.

Locals rave about the Ubu Ale on tap at the Lake Placid Pub & Brewery (+1 518 523 3813; www.ubuale.com).

Resources
Lake Placid/Essex County Convention and Visitors Bureau (+1 518 523 2445; www.lakeplacid.com)

Adirondack Regional Tourism Council (+1 518 846 8016; www.adirondacks.org)