Adirondack Cross Country Skiing at Lapland Lake

Founded in 1978, Laplandd Lake features unparalleled woodland skiing on a superb trail system designed and meticulously maintained by Olavi Hirvonen, former U.S. Olympic skier (1960, Squaw Valley).

Trails Open:
9am - 4:30pm Weekends & Holidays
10am - 4:30pm Monday - Friday (non-holidays)

"...one of the finest areas around"
- Cross Country Skier Magazine

"...one of the Adirondacks' most established centers with a deserved reputation for consistently having the best snow conditions in the Adirondacks."
- Classic Adirondack Ski Tours, Tony Goodwin

"A Cross Country Ski Tradition"

"Lapland Lake Cross Country Ski Center is the kind of place that becomes an annual tradition. You can't go to this hidden gem just once. I have returned to Lapland every year for 12 years and it never gets old. The ski trails are beautifully manicured and meander through beautiful woods, past gurgling brooks, and quiet streams. There is plenty of snowshoeing, too.

"Olavi (a past Finnish Olympian) grooms trails like no one else can. His wife Ann runs the office and will happily book you a tupa (cottage) rental for the weekend or help you with anything you might need. There is always a cozy fire in the lodge and home cooked meals.

"If you like to ski - Lapland has to become part of your tradition, too. "
-March, 2013

Tucked away in a unique snow basin in the heart of snow country and enjoying some of the most reliable snowfalls in the East, Lapland Lake offers lengthy winter seasons, frequently beginning in November and continuing into April. Immerse yourself in the splendor of the Adirondack Preserve while gliding through majestic forests and alongside scenic streams and lakes while catching glimpses of white-tailed deer, otters, snowshoe rabbits and winter birds.

We take pride in our grooming at Lapland Lake and regularly make significant investments in equipment to obtain the best possible results. Impeccable attention to grooming, performed with a fleet of state-of-the-art equipment including our powerful Prinoth Husky Snowcat, Ginzu Groomer and roller and super wide-track snowmobiles (used primarily for early season grooming and for grooming the 3km loop on Woods Lake) results in superior snow surfaces for in-track and skate skiing in the Adirondacks. Trails are groomed non-holiday midweek days with the same care and exacting attention to detail as they are groomed on weekends and holidays.

Sheltered by majestic pine and hardwood forests, 38 of our 50 kilometers of trails are trackset with skating lanes. The vast majority of our trails are one-way, uncommon in the industry, providing skiers and snowshoers with a remarkably peaceful woodland experience. Lake Trail is illuminated nightly exclusively for the use of our overnight guests (click here for Adirondack Lodging options) and is available to the general public on several specially selected Saturday nights during the season. 12 kilometers of trail are ungroomed, marked and mapped snowshoe trails which provide a solitary Adirondack wilderness experience within our private lands.

North American Groomers' Challenge! Olavi has groomed Lapland Lake's trail system every season since 1978 - the 2013-14 season will be his 36th year. We're talking virtually daily grooming midweek and weekend - with only one season when grooming duty was shared with another individual. We ski on average 109 days per season. If you know of anyone who has more hours of grooming experience in North America, please let us know. But we're not removing this until we hear otherwise!

Lapland Lake welcomes the novice as well as the expert - the skater and the classical cross country skier. Our PSIA-certified (Professional Ski Instructors of America) Ski School boasts over a dozen job-sharing Ski School instructors who offer superb instruction in group, private or semi-private settings to junior and adult skiers of all ability levels. Special day-long ski clinics are scheduled during the season for women. See our winter calendar for details.

Our trailside Tuulen Tupa Grill, open during the winter season and located just a short walk from the Lodge, offers a cozy setting with a menu certain to satisfy every craving. Lunch is served daily. Menu items include delicious homemade soups, warming chili, vegetarian dishes, traditional Finnish specialties along with a variety of selections for the more traditional appetite, beer and wine.

Apres ski, join us for a wonderful, filling dinner at our Tuulen Tupa Grill (dinner reservations advised and appreciated). Dinner is served Saturdays. A special Catered Tupa Dinner Menu is available every night to our overnight guests..

Our Kuuma Tupa Snack Bar is open for lunch weekends and holiday weekdays for lunches and quick snacks. Its children's play corner makes it a popular spot for families with youngsters.

Skiing in the Adirondacks at Lapland Lake

A visit with Ann and Olavi's reindeer, Viima, is certain to be one of the highlights of your visit!

Snowshoeing, ice- skating, wilderness ski touring, sledding, tubing, along with child-carrying pulk sleds and Scandinavian kicksleds add variety to your day. Lapland Lake offers a variety of special events all winter long and is conveniently located near four alpine areas: Royal Mountain (25 minutes), Oak Mountain (45 minutes), Gore Mountain (one hour) and West Mountain (1-1/4 hour).

The Benson Trailhead of the famed 132-mile marked and mapped Adirondack-Lake Placid Trail is just a mile from our door and offers an amazing wilderness experience for backcountry ski and snowshoe enthusiasts. Those wishing to enjoy an outing with their dog often enjoy the NPT. Once your pup has received plenty of good Adirondack fresh air and exercise, return to Lapland Lake and ski our groomed trails while your furry friend takes a well-deserved snooze in your vehicle.

The Hirvonen family invites you and your friends and family to visit for a day-long escape to enjoy some Adirondack skiing or to savor the Nordic experience and linger even longer. Lodging is offered in immaculate rooms or tupas (private housekeeping cottages), each with a fully equipped kitchen, living room, up to four bedrooms, electric heat, woodstove and bath with shower. Click here for tupa details. After a delightful day on the trails, relax in our authentic wood-burning sauna or indulge yourself with a therapeutic massage provided in your tupa (Adirondack cabin) by a professional NYS licensed masseuse.

Did you know that cross country skiing burns more calories per hour than any other sport - an average of 650 calories per hour? For comparison, fitness cycling averages 540, exercise walking 450 and downhill/alpine skiing 520. The endorphins released with aerobic activity boost your well-being and elevate your mood. Combine that with Lapland Lake's gorgeous southern Adirondack setting and you have the perfect recipe for fitness, health and happiness!

Plan to join us for a truly unique winter escape.
Tavataan ladulla! See you on the ski trails!

Cross Country Skiing in the Adirondacks & the Winter Experience