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A Drive Up Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway»
Whiteface mountain is one of the Adirondack’s High Peaks and is the fifth highest mountain in New York at 4867 feet. In a previous post, we traveled up one side of the mountain in the Olympic Ski Area’s gondola. The Veterans Memorial Highway climbs the other side of the mountain and gets motorists within 267 feet of the summit.
The highway began construction when Franklin Delano Roosevelt was governor of New York and was opened to the public when he was president of the United States. It includes a stone castle and visitor center at the 4600 foot mark and an observation tower at the summit.
Because it was completed during the Great Depression, it is often mistaken as a CCC project, but it was funded by the State of New York. It is interesting to note that both the nearby city of Lake Placid and Whiteface are within the boundaries of Adirondack State Park. Adirondack Park was created in 1892 to stop the clear-cutting of the state’s forests (and keep NYC’s water supply flowing) and is the country’s largest State Park at six million acres.
Our hotel recommended we call to make sure the weather was OK before heading over to the entrance in Wilmington. The day we had planned to drive up, the summit was fogged in, so we tried again the next day.
At the entrance, we paid the toll and slowly drove up the five miles. There are nine designated pullouts and we stopped at most of them to enjoy the views of Lake Placid and the Adirondacks.
The castle was built three years after the road opened using stones excavated during the road’s construction. From there we walked up the Summit Nature Trail to the summit. This is 1/5 mile of stone steps and rocky ridge with railings to hold on to. It’s breathtaking, steep and slippery.
Once we’d had our fill of the view, we took the elevator back down through the mountain to the castle level. The elevator lets out into a long tunnel carved into the mountain. The complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.
Lake Placid Posts:
- Olympic Boblsed Complex
- Olympic Ski Jump Complex
- Olympic Center
- High Falls Gorge
- Little Whiteface
- Whiteface Mountain
- Rainbow Falls (Coming Soon)
- Ausable Chasm (Coming Soon)
Location: Memorial Highway, Wilmington, NY
Designation: National Register of Historic Places, State Park
Date established/designated: 1935, 2008 NRHP
Date of my visit: July 26, 2011
I’ve only ever visited the Adirondacks in the winter, but seems like a great place to explore in the summer. Looks beautiful.
Thanks! This road is closed in the winter…can only be experienced when there is no snow. I’d imagine other attractions are the same
A world apart from New York City.
Yes! 🙂
Unfortunately the price has gone WAY up. It’s now $20 for driver and vehicle. And $20 for each passenger up to 3, when it drops to $10 for passengers 3-8. (Kids under (6?) Are free).
So a family of 3 it’s costing $60…
Wow, that’s insane! Glad we went when we did.
Awesome construction and views. So nice to have this vantage point. Thanks for sharing T. Allan
Yes it is! Thanks for reading and commenting!
I’ve never been to the Adirondacks. Looks like a beautiful area. This would be a must-see!
Thanks, Eilene! It is beautiful up there
Interesting! I’ve been to the Lake Placid side of Whiteface but I had no clue there was a highway.
Maybe you’ve been there in winter? It wouldn’t have been open then.
No, it was summer. I think I just didn’t know about it. I didn’t used to be as good at researching
Wow, what a beautiful place. I’ve been wanting to visit the Adirondacks for many years. This looks like a must see. Does the elevator down put you at the bottom of the steps, thus next to the parking lot?
Thanks! If memory serves me, yes, the elevator cuts out the whole scary step process. I huffed and puffed and made it up the steps alright, but I was terrified to walk down them…wasn’t wearing proper footwear
We drove this highway in August – beautiful views
🙂
Your photos entice me to add this place to my must see list.
Thanks!