Lake Placid works in every season, which is why it has been an Olympic village twice. Winter (December through March) is the main ski season, when Whiteface Mountain is open and the outdoor rink and bobsled are running. Book well ahead if you are coming for winter sports on a peak weekend. Spring (April–May) is mud season in the Adirondacks — trails are wet, black flies are building — and most serious hikers avoid it.
Summer (July–August) is the busiest season overall: Mirror Lake swimming, hiking, paddling, and the equestrian events at the Horse Show grounds fill the town. Autumn is arguably the best time: foliage in the High Peaks peaks in late September and early October, the crowds thin, and temperatures drop to something comfortable for serious hiking. The Adirondacks produce some of the most intense autumn colour in the eastern United States, with maple-heavy forests turning orange and red across the mountains.