Fall Trip To Saranac Lake, New York
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This fall, I had a chance to go to Saranac Lake, New York for a quick fall getaway. My brother had to go to Upstate New York for a work trip and I decided to tag along and explore while he did what he needed to do. I’d never really spent any time in the Adirondacks, so I was excited to take this trip!
My brother’s work trip was for a cross collaboration between the power engineering program at Clarkson University and the utility industry. We were going to do one night in Saranac Lake and one night in Potsdam where the university is, but the hotel in Potsdam didn’t have any availability. I did get to briefly enjoy Potsdam when I dropped him off and picked him up. It was such a cute area I’d love to go back in the future to truly experience that town.
Where Is Saranac Lake?
Saranac Lake is a scenic village located in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains in northern New York. It sits about 10 miles west of Lake Placid and roughly 50 miles south of the Canadian border. Surrounded by pristine lakes, rolling peaks, and endless forest, it’s a favorite destination for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts year-round.
The Interesting History of Saranac Lake
Saranac Lake has a pretty interesting history, which I did not realize until I visited the Saranac Laboratory Museum. The town began as a small logging and hunting settlement in the early 1800s before growing into a renowned health resort destination.
In the late 19th century, Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau established the first tuberculosis laboratory and sanatorium in North America in Saranac Lake. The sanatorium attracted patients from across the country. The town was very much a safe haven for those with tuberculosis.
The people of Saranac Lake welcomed the sanatorium patients in downtown without judgement. They’d go into town to go to the movies, grab a bite to eat, and more. They were very much a part of the community.
Additionally, many patients who healed here ended up staying in town. Some just wanted to live in the mountains with the fresh mountain air. Others went to work at the sanatorium to help others heal.
This history was so interesting to me because I spend a lot of time photographing Seaside Sanatorium in Waterford, Connecticut. I had actually photographed Seaside Sanatorium right before my trip because it’s super local to me. I was not expecting to dive into tuberculosis history during my trip, but it was a welcome surprise!
Where We Stayed
For this trip, we stayed at Hotel Saranac. This hotel is located in the heart of downtown Saranac Lake. I loved this because I could simply walk into town to explore. It wasn’t packed when I was staying in town, but it was nice not dealing with parking in downtown. The hotel had parking garage with plenty of space.
The hotel first opened its doors in 1927 as a grand symbol of Adirondack hospitality. After a meticulous restoration, it now blends its historic charm with modern comfort, featuring elegant rooms, a spa, and locally inspired dining. The hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s also apparently one of the most haunted hotels in America, according to USA Today.
We stayed in a suite that was actually in a separate building than the main building where you check in. It was a little confusing at first, but thankfully the person at the front desk was extremely helpful and gave us clear instructions on how to get to the other building. The building we were in was directly next to the Saranac Laboratory Museum.
The only meal we had at the hotel was breakfast at Campfire. It features a farm-to-table menu featuring local produce and meats. Inside the restaurant, it was cozy, yet elegant.
We thoroughly enjoyed our meal here. My brother got Eggs Benedict and I got an omelet. I’m pretty picky about my eggs, but my omelette was absolutely delicious. In addition to being delicious, the presentation was great and everything tasted fresh.
What I Did Around Saranac Lake
I really only had one full day in Saranac Lake, but I was still able to enjoy myself! During my time, I did some sightseeing in town, dove into history, and did a hike with some seriously great views.
Exploring Downtown
I started my day with walking around downtown. Thankfully there was no driving involved. I simply grabbed my camera and walked to downtown from the hotel. It was a cold, crisp fall morning and the vibes were moody.
Since it was an early morning during the week, it was pretty quiet and there wasn’t much going on. But, I definitely prefer it that way.
Saranac Laboratory Museum
After I walked up and down the main street, I headed back towards the hotel to check out the Saranac Laboratory Museum. The museum is inside Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau’s old tuberculosis laboratory. It’s not a large museum, but it’s filled with so much history.
The museum highlights Saranac Lake’s unique history as a tuberculosis treatment destination. There are exhibits about local history, science, patient care, and rotating special exhibits on local history topics. It was really cool to see pieces of the town’s history.
When I went, the special exhibit in the basement was about pets. There was a ton of information about pets of Saranac Lake and historic images of these pets. They also had some photos of dogs that were available for adoption. As someone who absolutely loves animals and has had plenty of pets of my own, I loved this exhibit that highlighted pets and what they did for the community.
When I was done checking out the museum, I asked the worker if I could visit the old sanatorium. She told me that I can walk the old campus and that it was close. Thankfully, I was able to just put it into Google Maps, and it brought me there. I did not think I’d be seeing a sanatorium, let alone the first one in North America, on my trip. It was much different than my local sanatorium, but it was still so cool to see!
I didn’t get pictures of the main building though because there were construction workers working on it. It seems that they are going to be re-purposing the campus. According to some quick research, the campus is being redeveloped into a new neighborhood called Trudeau Village, which will feature apartments and businesses. I have some mixed feelings, but I hope they are trying to preserve the buildings and history of the campus.
Hiking Baker Mountain
I really wanted to hike while I was in the Adirondacks. I was looking to do something short that had great views and Baker Mountain fit the bill. And best of all, it was only minutes from where I was staying in Saranac Lake.
The hike was short, but it was also VERY steep. It was about a mile to get up to the top of the mountain. There were some roots, rocks, and even some spots you had to scramble up rocks. So, I would absolutely recommend wearing appropriate hiking shoes. And because there are some sections where you’re walking on rocks, I wouldn’t recommend this trail if it has rained because there would be some very slippery sections.
While the hike was steep, the views at the top made the trek up worth it. There were a couple of viewpoints to check out once you got to the top. You could actually see the town of Saranac Lake below as well as mountains and various bodies of water. I was also lucky that there was some seriously great foliage at the top. I could have sat up top for hours.
Overall, it took me a little under an hour to go up and down, and that’s including the time I spent at the summit taking photographs and admiring the views. The hike up was definitely tiring due to how steep it was, but the walk down was thankfully a breeze. I definitely prefer to get the strenuous part of the hike out of the way in the beginning.
There was a loop I could have done to come back down, but I just decided to do an out and back and go back down the way I came. Not great on the knees because of how steep it was, but I’m not sure that the other way would have been any better.
Where I Ate In Town
The first night we got into town, we ate at RiverTrail Beerworks. As the name suggests, the brewery is along a river. They had both indoor and outdoor seating available. We opted to sit inside because it was the evening and pretty cold. They did have fires outside though for warmth!
My brother got a seasonal beer and I just got a water because I’m not into beer. I got a pasta dish for my meal and my brother got fish and chips. My pasta dish was one of the best pasta dishes I’ve had out in a while. My brother said that his meal was really good too.
I never know whether a brewery is going to actually have great food, but this spot definitely delivered. If you’re looking for breweries to check out in the Adirondacks, this spot is definitely worth a visit for great food and drinks.
Another spot I ate at was Origin Coffee. When I’m traveling, especially solo, I tend to gravitate towards cafes and coffee shops. I like the laid-back vibes they have, and I like having the option to grab my food and drink to go. This spot was housed in a historic building in the heart of downtown Saranac Lake. It had both indoor and outdoor seating.
I grabbed breakfast when I went. I got a hot chocolate and a breakfast sandwich. The breakfast sandwich was served on a buttery biscuit, and it was so good. I wish it was a little bigger, but it is what it is. The hot chocolate was not only really good, but it was also super cute. I feel like it’s a hit or miss when getting hot chocolate at coffee shops because obviously they specialize in coffee, but this place nailed it.
I actually loved this coffee shop so much that I went to their location in Lake Placid as we made our way home. The hot chocolate was just as good at the Lake Placid location and they had some delicious looking baked goods. I didn’t get the cinnamon roll I was eyeballing though because I was full from the breakfast I had beforehand.
The last spot I ate in town was at Hotel Saranc, as I mentioned earlier in the post. It was the Campfire restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The vibes were great and so was the food.
Is Saranac Lake Worth Visiting?
Based just on my very short visit, I definitely think that it’s worth a visit! I wish I had more time to explore, but I think I got a good feel for the town during my stay. I’d love to go back on a longer trip to explore some more of the nature in the surrounding area and check out some other businesses.
What I liked most about this town was that it was historic and also scenic. The town is charming, and I love how they have truly preserved that historic charm in downtown. I am a sucker for anything historic. The Saranac Laboratory Museum is a great place to really learn about a big part of the town’s history. It’s a small museum, but I really learned so much during my visit.
The other great thing about this area is there are plenty of places to get out and enjoy nature, whether you’re looking for just a walking trail through town, small parks along the water, or a true hike. It’s also close to Adirondack Park, Lake Placid, and Keene. This makes it a great home-base for a trip to the Adirondacks, especially if you’d prefer to be in civilization with cell service.
The fall colours! Looks like you visited at such a glorious time.
So lovely and great that you still were able to capture some of the fall color.
The foliage was gorgeous!
What a great town to visit – and that Eggs Benedict!
My brother said his Eggs Benedict was really good!
I really loved reading about your adventure in Saranac Lake! The Adirondack mountains have been on my radar in recent years and this looks like the most perfect, picturesque town to visit when in the area.
It was definitely a great town to visit!
this sounds way better than the average lake trip holiday! You definitely had me at Hotel Saranac being a haunted hotel hope it all turned out well !
It definitely was a great trip!