6 Picture-Perfect Main Streets In The Adirondack Mountains

Everyone flocks to the Adirondacks for a nature escapade, but the real story is not just limited to the High Peaks like Mount Marcy, Algonquin Peak, or Whiteface Mountain. It also revolves around the picture-perfect main streets that reinvent themselves four times a year, inviting residents, visitors, and Sunday drivers to wander into the outfitter who pivots from ski poles and googles to tents and fishing gear; the coffee shops whose doors suddenly prop open in April; or the ice cream stands popping up next to the melting snowbanks. The northeast corner of the U.S. doesn’t just change colors; it changes seasons. Let’s take a walk down six picture-perfect Main Streets in the Adirondack Mountains, each small town overflowing with walkable charm, welcoming shops and cafés, and easy access to lakes, trails, and mountain views, no matter what time of year.

Lake Placid

Steeped in Olympic history, Lake Placid is the perfect small town to spend a weekend strolling along its picturesque Main Street, popping in and out of the eclectic mix of boutiques, cafés, and restaurants against the backdrop of the breathtaking 46 High Peaks. Enjoy the view of the mountains from the deck on the shores of Mirror Lake at the local hotspot, The Cottage Restaurant, which is part of the Mirror Lake Inn, a Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Award winner for 2025.

Channel your inner Olympian, or encourage the young athletes in the family by exploring all four Olympic Legacy Sites from the 1980 Winter Olympics, including the Olympic Center, where you can go ice skating, watch a hockey game, or attend a figure skating competition. Opened in 2022, the Lake Placid Olympic Museum houses the second-largest collection of Winter Olympic artifacts. Get interactive and watch the famous “Miracle on Ice” hockey game when the U.S. underdog team defeated the Soviet Union in the museum’s theater, race down the Olympic Bobrun in a bobsled simulator, or take a selfie on top of the Victory Podium.

Saranac Lake

Surrounded by the spectacular old-growth pine forests of the Adirondacks, Saranac Lake, not surprisingly, has its roots in the logging industry, establishing its first sawmill on the Saranac River in 1822. When the Adirondack Cottage Sanitarium opened in 1884 to treat tuberculosis patients, the town transformed almost overnight into an internationally known health retreat, whose history you can explore at the Saranac Laboratory Museum. Take a deeper dive into the town’s musical roots with a visit to the Bartók Cabin, where Hungarian composer Béla Bartók spent the last summer of his life, composing both the “Third Piano Concerto” and the “Viola Concerto,” two of his most famous compositions.

Today, Saranac Lake is recognized for its thriving arts community, with numerous art galleries, murals, and fun outdoor art dotting the downtown Main Street area, including a giant lawn serpent sculpture known as “Tessie,” a nod to both Saranac’s tuberculosis past and the Loch Ness Monster in Loch Ness, Scotland. Shop for local artwork at the Co-op Adirondack Artists Guild Gallery and NorthWind Fine Arts Gallery.

Lake George

Spend a fun day exploring Lake George, the unofficial “birthplace of the American vacation,” whose Main Street is full of nostalgic Americana charm, complete with kitschy souvenir shops, vintage arcades, and candy shops, like Nina’s Sweet Shoppe, which has been serving fudge, candy, and ice cream to summer visitors since 1956. Another much-loved institution in Lake George is Fun World Arcade, which has something for everyone in the family, from skeeball and Mario Kart to old-fashioned pinball.

Rumored to be the “Mini-golf Capital of New York,” another family-friendly activity to discover along Main Street, which essentially becomes U.S. Route 9 as it runs north-south through the village, is Pirate’s Cove, an 18-hole course full of waterfalls, sunken ships, and pirates. Continue your Lake George adventure with a one-hour cruise on an authentic sternwheel steamboat, Minnie Ha Ha, with the Lake George Steamboat Company, which has been operating tours of the 32-mile-long glacial lake since 1817.

Old Forge

Old Forge is the gateway to the Adirondack Park, the largest publicly protected park in the contiguous United States, covering over 6 million acres, so the town earns its nickname as “your Adirondack Base Camp.” Before or after exploring the park’s 2,000 miles of hiking trails, spend time on Main Street, where you’ll discover shops stocked with locally made gifts, artisanal products, and rustic furniture like the beloved “Adirondack” chair. Check out the family-owned and operated Souvenir Village, a staple since 1971.

For more than just hammers and nails, a visit to 1900-founded Old Forge Hardware is a must for any enthusiastic shopper, which stocks everything from gourmet jams, preserves, and butters to books authored by Adirondack writers and OFH t-shirts and hoodies. Finally, take a trip down memory lane with a stop at Candy Cottage, your go-to store for old-timey, nostalgic treats like taffy, candy buttons, and Nerds.

Schroon Lake

Thanks to its location in the heart of the Adirondacks, Schoon Lake is another small town with a rich logging past. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, known as the “Gilded Age of the Adirondacks,” Schroon Lake became a sought-after resort area, with hotels like Leland House and Scaroon Manor Resort (now the 60-tent-and-trailer Scaroon Manor Public Campground & Day Use Area). Remnants of Schroon Lake’s glamorous heyday can still be seen at the historic Strand Theater, a vintage single-screen Art Deco movie house that opened in 1921.

The town’s reputation for attracting visitors is still evident today on its busy Main Street, where you’ll find dozens of eclectic boutiques, cafés, and trendy vintage shops. The 9 Mile Coffee Co. offers build-your-own breakfast sandwiches and an impressive selection of cortados, cold brews, and Americanos. For casual dining, landmark Pitkin’s Restaurant has been serving Schroon Lake for over 100 years.

Long Lake

Another popular all-season destination is Long Lake, a small town at the geographic center of the Adirondack Park, with a friendly beach, historic hotels, and an old-fashioned Main Street (NY-30) that is perfect for strolling along as it hugs the shoreline through town. Start exploring Long Lake at Wide River Antiques, a shop selling vintage collectibles housed in the historic 1897 Forest Hall, which was a social hall during the Adirondack resort era. Continue down Main Street to Hoss’s Country Corner, an old-timey general store stocked with everything from penny candy and Adirondack souvenirs to fishing lures and camping gear.

Custard’s Last Stand, founded in 1958, is everything you want in an old-fashioned ice-cream stand, serving hard and soft serve cones, signature sundaes, milkshakes, and rootbeer floats. Place the order to go and head to nearby Buttermilk Falls, where you can watch the waterfalls cascade 40 feet into the Raquette River. The falls are part of Hamilton County’s Waterfall Challenge, which invites visitors to explore local waterfalls by following a downloadable map with detailed locations and GPS coordinates.

Historic Main Streets In Every Season

In Lake Placid, relive Olympic glory at legacy sites from the 1980 Winter Games. Discover Saranac Lake’s tuberculosis-era past and quirky artistic roots. Lake George is all about classic Americana fun with retro arcades, mini-putt, and steamboat cruises. Old Forge combines outdoor adventure with plenty of shops to stock up on supplies. Return to the Gilded Age in Schroon Lake, and enjoy shoreline strolls and waterfall hikes in Long Lake. From window shopping along picture-perfect Main Street and lazy Sunday drives to nostalgic family vacations, these Adirondack towns are always in season.