Winter Experience - Introduction

"...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

Founded more than 30 years ago in 1978, Lapland Lake features unparalleled woodland skiing on a superb trail system designed and meticulously maintained by Olavi Hirvonen, owner-operator and former U.S. Olympic skier (1960, Squaw Valley). 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.

Impeccable attention to grooming, performed with a fleet of state-of-the-art equipment including powerful Pisten Bully and Formatic snowcats, results in superior snow surfaces for in-track and skate skiing. Sheltered by majestic pine and hardwood forests, 38 of our 50 kilometers of trails are trackset with skating lanes. Lake Trail is illuminated nightly exclusively for the use of our overnight guests. The entire lighted network, 4km of easy and intermediate trails, is available to the general public on several specially selected Saturday nights during the season. The vast majority of our trails are one-way, uncommon in the industry, providing skiers and snowshoers with a remarkably peaceful and solitary woodland experience. 12 kilometers of trail are ungroomed, marked and mapped snowshoe trails which provide a solitary wilderness experience within our private lands.

North American Groomers' Challenge! Olavi has groomed Lapland Lake's trail system every season since 1978 - this is his 31st 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 119 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 (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, and dinner service is available Saturdays and holiday Sunday evenings. 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 view our menu. A special take-out dinner menu is available to overnight guests Sunday through Friday. 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.

A visit with Ann and Olavi's reindeer, Talvi and 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 Hirvonens invite you and your friends and family to visit for a day-long escape or to savor the Scandinavian experience, and linger even longer. Lodging is offered in immaculate tupas (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 woodburning sauna or indulge yourself with a therapeutic massage provided in your tupa by a professional NYS licensed masseuse.

Did you know that cross country skiing burns 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 boosts your well-being and elevates 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 trails!