9 Best The Adirondack Mountains Towns For Retirees
The Adirondacks Region is a big hit with retirees because it offers a slower pace of life, spectacular mountain views, and epic outdoor recreational opportunities. If you want to spend your sunset years hiking, skiing, or boating, and in an area with shimmering lakes and forested mountains, few regions in the U.S. offer the same appeal. That said, you still need to be a heartbeat away from a decent hospital and find property that you can afford. Fortunately, we have considered several options and present the nine best towns in the Adirondack Mountains for retirees.
Saranac Lake
Saranac Lake is within the scenic Adirondack Park, about two and a half hours north of Albany. It reclines along the laid-back shores of Lake Flower and is surrounded by several other peaceful lakes, including Osetaah, Lower Saranac, and Colby, all offering epic outdoor recreational opportunities. The town is famous for its trove of historic structures, nearly 200 of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
While summer is often a busy season, winter also offers opportunities for snowshoeing and downhill skiing at the nearby Mt. Pisgah Ski Area. Regarding healthcare access, the Saranac Lake campus offers a broad range of inpatient and outpatient medical and surgical services and runs a round-the-clock emergency services department. With an August 2025 median listing of $495,000 (according to data from realtor.com), a retiree here enjoys a price point that is way below the state median of $650,000.
Lake Placid
Whether your idea of retirement is curling up on a porch with a good book as you occasionally steal glances at the rolling landscape and lush greenery or enjoying early-morning bike rides along neat, woodsy trails, Lake Placid will come in handy. With a pair of binoculars, a sturdy bike, and a hunger for adventure, you are all set. There is the Adirondack Rail Trail, a 34-mile beauty that starts at Lake Placid and ends at Tupper Lake, several golf courses, including Whiteface Club & Resort, and Whiteface Mountain, which offers some of the best downhill skiing and snowboarding on the East Coast.
According to data from realtor.com, the median listing house price in Lake Placid was $440,000 in August 2025, about $200,000 lower than the statewide median. Keep in mind that Lake Placid Health Center, which opened its doors in 2019, provides comprehensive health care for the area residents, including primary care, nutrition and mental health services, and emergency services.
Lake George
Lake George has always been a popular destination in vacation circles, with the West shore once a summer playground for some of America’s wealthiest families. Think of names like Vanderbilt, Roosevelt, and Whitney. America’s philosopher-president, Thomas Jefferson, reportedly described it as “the most beautiful water I ever saw.” Retirees will enjoy easy access to the lake, one of the clearest in the Adirondacks, Cat and Thomas Mountains Preserves in nearby Bolton, and Magic Forest, which first opened its gates in 1963 and is one of the oldest continuously operating amusement parks in the country.
Shepard Park, a peaceful escape from the everyday hustle, offers a beautiful beach, scintillating waterfront views, and a boardwalk. The median listing house price in Lake George is $627,000, slightly below the state median. For any medical emergency, Hudson Headwaters Health Network has locations throughout the area, while Glens Falls Hospital is only minutes away.
Ticonderoga
Ticonderoga is a small, beautiful town steeped in history. For example, weeks after the first shots of the Revolutionary War at Lexington and Concord, a few officers staged a daring dawn raid on the British-held Fort Ticonderoga, the first offensive victory for American forces. It gave the Continental Army control of a crucial stronghold and access to a massive supply of cannons and weapons.
Today, the town offers much more than Revolutionary history because it has several outdoor recreational opportunities. Whenever you feel in the mood, you will want to hike to stunning lake views from Mount Defiance, swim at Black Point Public Beach on Lake George, or stroll the La Chute River Walk, a lovely, asphalt trail along the wild LaChute River with many large waterfalls and interpretative signs. The best part is that Ticonderoga is unbelievably affordable, with houses fetching a median listing price of just $245,000. On healthcare access, Ticonderoga Campus-Elizabethtown Community Hospital is at your doorstep.
Old Forge
Peacefully nestled in the western Adirondacks, Old Forge is in an area with a chain of lakes, meaning boating in the summertime is always epic. The area also has endless trails for hikers, bikers, and snowmobilers to explore. There is the Fulton Chain of Lakes, which gives water lovers numerous recreational opportunities, and the nearby McCauley Mountain, which offers skiing and snowboarding in winter.
Old Forge Public Beach, a neat, well-maintained space with plenty of room for lounging in the sun, provides stunning views of the surrounding mountains. Houses in the Old Forge area fetch a median listing price of $599,500, significantly below the state median. Meanwhile, MVHS Medical Group provides you with access to a range of medical services, especially primary care. Alternatively, Wynn Hospital in neighbouring Utica is about 50 miles away, slightly under an hour. It has 373 beds, a helipad for air travel, and a round-the-clock emergency services department.
Plattsburgh
Plattsburgh is a great area to retire because you will be slightly less than an hour from the cool, lovely city of Burlington, Vermont (33 miles), and slightly over an hour from Montreal, Canada. More than that, there is fantastic skiing in Whiteface Mountain, about 40 minutes away, and an airport with easy access to far-flung places like Florida and Philadelphia. Aside from Whiteface, other incredible outdoor gems include Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh City Beach, which has a nature trail and a dog park, and Bluff Point Golf Resort, which boasts a lovely course with waterfront views and rustic cottages.
Houses in Plattsburgh fetch a median listing price of $290,000, more than half of the state median. With this price point, you get access to SUNY Plattsburgh, a public liberal arts college that has been around since 1889, and Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital, which has previously bagged the Press Ganey Pinnacle of Excellence Award.
Massena
If you want to retire in the Adirondack region of New York at the price points of rural Kansas, it is time you consider Massena, a laid-back border town, where houses fetch a median listing price of $141,000. The area offers many fishing and hiking opportunities, meaning empty nesters who love the outdoors are in for a treat. For example, you can reel in a yummy catch at Little Salmon River, Grasse River, or Saint Regis River.
You can also hit up the Whalen Park Trail or watch the majestic flow of the St. Lawrence River, one of the largest in North America. Robert Moses State Park, whose trails wind through forests, fields, and wetlands, is another outdoor wonderland that will effortlessly form part of your outdoor life. Massena does have an airport, but be advised that flights are limited. However, Massena does provide an acute care Hospital, a 25-bed facility providing inpatient, surgical, and emergency care services.
Tupper Lake
With places like the Wild Center, one of the Adirondack Park’s most innovative natural history museums and outdoor attractions, Tupper Lake is already one landmark ahead of its neighbours. The Wild Walk, the centre's most iconic feature, is an elevated treetop walkway that features a giant spider’s web, swinging bridges, and a full-sized eagle’s nest lookout. There is Tupper Lake Waterfront Park, a cool place to rest and drift into bliss, the Adirondack Rail Trail Trailhead, and Tupper Lake Golf Club, where you can play golf, dine, explore beautiful trails, and even have yourself a little fire.
That's without mentioning cross-country skiing and sledding in the winter. With a median listing price of $462,000, which comes with immediate access to Tupper Lake Family Health, a facility that offers comprehensive primary care to residents of the Tri-Lakes Region, an empty nester here will have all the creature comforts necessary for a stress-free life.
Keene Valley
Keene Valley is beautifully nestled in an area that offers a blend of tranquility, natural beauty, and outdoor adventure. A retiree will enjoy some of the most stunning views in the Adirondacks, with the High Peaks Wilderness Area providing many woodsy trails to explore spontaneously. Lake Placid, a prime destination for outdoor recreation like skiing, hiking, and boating, is slightly over 20 minutes away.
You also have the Big Slide Mountain Trailhead, which comes with epic views through the Brothers. Other fun outdoor venues include the Ausible River, considered a world-class fly-fishing destination. The median house listing price in Keene Valley is $597,000, significantly lower than the state median. If worried about healthcare access (as you should), Elizabethtown Community Hospital is just 15 minutes down the road.
If you have ever dreamt of retiring in a place with crisp mountain air, several shimmering lakes, and jaw-dropping mountain views, the Adirondacks are calling. You only need a little cash to buy property ( you don't have to spend a fortune), a decent camera, a pair of binoculars, and a well-honed spirit of wanderlust. There is a reason this phase of life is often described as “the golden years.”
