With average snowfalls around 60 inches, Lake George is the perfect winter vacation destination for snow sports and recreation. From skiing and snow tubing to ice skating, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, you’ll find it all in the Lake George Region – as well as an abundance of après ski activities, restaurants, shopping and events.
Downhill Skiing & Snowboarding
Just 45 minutes northwest of Lake George, Gore Mountain offers more terrain than any other ski area in New York State, featuring 108 trails, plenty of glades, a sweet terrain park, and 14 lifts, including an 8-passenger gondola. If you’re looking for something closer, West Mountain is only 15 minutes from Lake George and offers skiers and snowboarders more than 126 acres and 35 trails, as well as a terrain park, a tubing park, restaurant, bar and ski shop for rentals, tuning and more.
Snow Tubing
Bring your own gear and snow tube for free on the tubing hill at the Lake George Recreation Center, or the Dynamite Hill Recreation Area in Chestertown, NY. For rentals and other amenities, check out West Mountain Tubing Park in Queensbury, NY. In addition to skiing and snowboarding, West Mountain features a tow rope and multiple tubing trails, as well as a lodge with refreshments and restrooms.
Ice Skating
Ice skating on Lake George is dependent on the thickness of the ice, but you don’t have to wait for the lake to freeze to lace up your skates. A new outdoor skating rink on Beach Road in Lake George is open Thursdays and Fridays from 4:00 to 8:00 PM and Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00 to 8:00 PM, beginning December 1 through March 2, 2024. The rink is also open from 12:00-8:00 PM all week-long during Christmas week, New Year’s week and President’s week. Ice skating is free and skate rentals are $5.
Cross-Country Skiing
The closest cross-country ski trails are located at the Lake George Recreation Center, which offers four miles of groomed trails for Nordic skiing. Another popular spot, Cole’s Woods in nearby Glens Falls, NY features several trails, including Tom Jacobs Race Loop, a 5 km lighted trail. For cross-country skiing in Queensbury, check out Gurney Lane Recreation Area, which offers five trails, as well as sledding and ice skating (weather permitting).
Snowshoeing
Snowshoeing is a popular pastime in Lake George and the Adirondacks. Experienced snowshoers can take advantage of endless backcountry snowshoeing in the Adirondack Mountains, but for those who are new to the sport, Up Yonda Farm in Bolton Landing offers snowshoe trails, as well as rentals, provided there’s enough snow on the ground. Likewise, the cross-country ski trails at Gurney Lane Recreation Area can also be used for snowshoeing.
Winter Lodging in Lake George
Looking for a place to stay in Lake George this winter? While many of the resorts and hotels in Lake George are seasonal, the Lake George suites and authentic log cabin rentals at Adirondack Diamond Point Lodge are open year-round. We are located just north of Lake George Village in a beautiful wooded setting, and close to all Lake George winter snow sports and activities. We even have a sauna on the property – perfect for soothing sore muscles and relaxing after a day on the slopes. Book online or call (518) 668-4499.