Lake Placid New York website: History
A tourist destination since the late 1800s, Lake Placid has been the home to several major competitions such as the Winter Olympics, Ironman USA and the Goodwill Games.
The pristine mountains, lakes and streams that inundate this corner of northeast New York, other factors that help draw over 1.8 million visitors annual
Having presented the 1932 and 1980 games, Lake Placid shares the distinction of being one of only three communities to host two Winter Olympics with Innsbruck, Austria, and St. Moritz, Switzerland.
At the 1932 Winter Olympic games, Jack Shea became the first athelet to win two gold medals at the same Olympics. Shea, who was from Lake Placid, won the medals in speed skating. Many other legendary Olympians competed including Sonja Henie, in figure skating, and Billy Fiske, in the four-person bobsled competition.
History was made once again in Lake Placid during the 1980 games. The U.S. Hockey team defeated the Soviet Union by a score of 4-3 in what is considered one of the greatest moments in sports history, and is often referred to as "The Miracle on Ice."
Lake Placid website: Adirondack Park
The Adirondack Park is one of the world's great wilderness frontiers. Forged by shifting glaciers more than 10,000 years ago, it's landscpae is one of soaring mountains, sweeping lakes, mighty rivers, and dense pine and hardwood forests abundant with wildlife. At 6.1 million acres, it is America's largest state park outside of Alaska. Spread over nearly a third of New York State, the Park covers more ground than Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National parks combined. Lake Placid is set in the heart of the mountains, in the northeastern part of the Park.
The Park is Established
In an effort to protect this wilderness from loggers and developers, the New York State Legislature established the Adirondack Park in 1892. Laws governing conservation of the area, a mix of public and private land, are strictly enforced. Nearly half has been declared "forever wild" land protected under the New York State Constitution to remain undeveloped always.
The Mountains
The Adirondack Mountains are many and varied. The tallest are in Essex County, in and around Lake Placid. There are 46 peaks that rise above 4,000 feet. Called the "High Peaks" these mountains include Whiteface, Algonquin, and Marcy. At 5,344 feet, Marcy's summit is the highest point in New York State.
The Water
What distinguishes the Adrirondacks from other mountainous areas in North America is it's abundance of water. There are more than 30,000 miles of brooks and streams, 6,000 miles of rivers, and nearly 3,000 lakes and ponds. The larger lakes include the 121-mile long Lake Champlain, which runs along the eastern border of the Park, Lake Placid, and Schroon Lake. The origin of the Hudson River can be found on the shoulder of Mount Marcy at the pristine Lake Tear of the Clouds.
The Flora
The Park features a unique mix of trees and plant life. Coniferous pines and deciduous trees grow alongside one another. Among others, you'll find white birch, sugar maple, beech, and hickory. The summits of many mountains have an arctic environment with mosses and lichens.
The Wildlife
Wildlife is abundant in the Park. Those animals you're most likely to see are whitetail deer, red fox, and beaver. More reclusive are the black bear, moose, and coyote. There are hundreds of species of birds, including the loon, osprey, hawk, Great Blue heron, and the American bald eagle. Many lakes and streams have thriving populations of trout, northern pike, bass, and salmon.
