Olympic Ski Jumping Complex

The MacKenzie Intervale Ski Jumping Complex built for the 1980 Olympics still operates as a training facility, and visitors can take the elevator to the top of the 90-metre tower for views over the Adirondacks and Mirror Lake. In winter, when training jumpers are active, it is possible to watch athletes in full flight from close range — the combination of the launch, the flight, and the landing is breathtaking in person.

The complex has both a 90-metre and a 120-metre jump; the larger one is used for competition. In summer the complex hosts Nordic combined and ski jumping competitions on a specially groomed plastic surface. The site is about 3 kilometres south of the village, an easy drive or bike ride on the road toward Lake Placid Airport.

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The 90-metre ski jump tower at Lake Placid has one of the most vertiginous views of any publicly accessible platform in the northeastern United States. An elevator takes visitors to the top, where the view down the ramp — a slope of around 37 degrees that ends in a drop to the landing hill far below — makes it immediately clear why ski jumping requires a specific kind of courage.

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