Wilmington in the Adirondacks: New York's Best Kept Secret

Okay, so you say you have heard of the Adirondack Mountains but perhaps have never visited. Why? Probably because you get the Adirondacks confused with the Appalachians and really thought they were in Virginia. Maybe you thought the drive was too far. After all, isn't it close to the Canadian border?

Yes, the Adirondack Mountains are just about an hour south of the Canadian border and only two hours from Montreal, but they're also five hours or less from New York City and Boston, and within a day's drive of 11 million people. The Adirondack Park is a state park consisting of over six million acres and just over 130,000 year-round residents. Thousands of visitors flock to Lake George every summer, located in the southern end of the park, but only a few realize they are in the Adirondacks and even fewer venture farther north to where the mountains truly become spectacular.

I'm one of those people who were ignorant of the Adirondacks until I moved here four years ago with my husband and young son to open a motel. I grew up in New Jersey, on the Jersey side of the Hudson River across from Manhattan. I worked in the travel industry for all of my years since graduating college, but because I never visited the Adirondack Park or did any travel-related business in the area, I was basically clueless as to where it was or what it had to offer. It wasn't until I moved here did I realize how many other well-educated people had no idea where the Adirondacks were either.

When I was about to leave New Jersey for the reasonable 5 hour drive north, I would tell people I was moving to Wilmington, NY, a town just outside of Lake Placid (you know, home of the 1980 Winter Olympics, not to mention the 1932 Winter Olympics). People would say, "Where's that?". I would say, "In the Adirondacks," to which they would respond, "Oh. Where's that?" Maybe moving to a such a beautiful location to open a motel wasn't such a great idea after all if no one knew where the place was.

So here I am, living at the base of Whiteface Mountain, the 5th highest peak in the Adirondacks (elevation 4,867 feet) and the highest point in the state of New York to which you can drive. The ski center at Whiteface is located a few minutes down the road and continues to host world-class downhill ski events, not to mention some great mountain biking in the summer. The West Branch of the Ausable River runs through town and is considered a world-class fly-fishing river. Hiking is unsurpassed. Even Santa has made this his summer home since 1949 (at Santa's Workshop, one of the oldest theme parks in the country and site of the first-ever petting zoo). So why is this New York's best kept secret? Because very few people actually know about Wilmington.

The village of Lake Placid is located ten miles down the road from Wilmington. Because Lake Placid hosted the Winter Olympics in 1980, people think Whiteface Mountain is located there as well. They also have a lot more money for advertising than we do. The ski jumps, arena and speed skating oval are all located in Lake Placid, but the downhill skiing is located in Wilmington. But because the mountain is associated with Lake Placid, most people think you need to stay in Lake Placid. Yes, there are more restaurants, hotels and shops there, but there are also more crowds - and parking meters. When people visit us in Wilmington they say, "Guess you must be pretty busy in the winter." It's almost embarrassing to say, "No, we're not."

Wilmington is such a gem because there is just enough of everything here, including restaurants, a whole host of motels, campgrounds and vacation rentals, and even a gas station and small grocery store. There are no crowds. No parking meters. And not one traffic light. Rural, yes, but with internet access.

Wilmington offers a wonderful small town atmosphere in one of the most beautiful settings imaginable. The town beach, known as Lake Everest, is also one of our best-kept secrets because even the visitors don't know it exists until someone points it out to them. It's such a beautiful spot, and it was the place that was selected for President Bush's visit here on Earth Day in 2002 (you would think that would have put us on the map for a few seconds). Another little secret is the outdoor ice rink in town (free of charge; bring your own skates).

Perhaps Wilmington would see more visitors if we had some big-name chain resorts that offered hot tubs and tons of amenities under one roof. But part of Wilmington's charm is that we don't have any chain places in town (other than the A&W Restaurant since 1965). It's a small community offering individually-owned services by people who live here because they love the place. And more people would love it, too, if they only knew it existed.

About the Author Holly Aquino is the manager of the Whiteface Chalet in Wilmington, New York along with her husband. She has worked in the travel industry for over 19 years, including more than 10 years in corporate event and travel planning based in New York City. She has lived in Wilmington for over 4 years and is an active member of the Whiteface Mountain Regional Visitors Bureau.