If you wish to visit the Lake Placid Olympic Training venues and the Village of Lake Placid, then Meadowbrook Public Campground is a perfect place to stay overnight. It is located near the McKenzie Mountain Wilderness area and just across the road from little Wolf Pond. The surrounding New York state forests are stunning and attract thousands of people looking to get away from city life.
The campground offers basic amenities including picnic pavilions, picnic shelters, a recycling station, showers, a water fillup station, a dump station, and a comfort station. There are 58 campsites available, although none provide electrical hookups. The campsite is quite small so the maximum length of an RV or rig is 30 feet. Campervans and trailers are welcome into the campground, however several of the sites are only big enough to house tents. There are parking lots where you can leave your car in those situations.
The nearby area provides a range of activities for campers including biking, hiking, nature viewing, fishing and picnicking. So grab your family and your campervan and head over to the beautiful wilderness.
Meadowbrook Public Campground is located directly off the Sara-Placid Road (Route 86) which leads to the Lake Placid Winter museum. There is plenty of parking space available for trailers, campervans, and RVs. The campground itself has several compacted dirt roads leading from the main road. Those roads snake through the day use areas, the picnic pavilion, and dumping station to the campsites located around the two separate loops. Lake Placid Village is located nearby where you can get all the required supplies, so if you forget anything for your camping trip its a short five-minute drive.
The Meadowbrook Public campground is located a mere five-minute drive from the Olympic Village at lake Placid and is the perfect destination for a quick getaway with your caravan. This campground is one of the most budget-friendly in the Adirondacks. There are plenty of villages nearby with restaurants, shopping, golfing, and horse riding.
There are 58 unpowered sites available, out of which only a couple are ADA-accessible. When booking online make sure to chose a site which can house your campervan, trailer, or RV. Several of the sites are designated for tents only, however there is plenty of parking nearby to leave your vehicle.
The campground itself provides basic amenities including hot showers, flushing toilets, picnic pavilions and picnic tables. There are water fill up stations available for your RV and a recycling station to dump all your garbage. Each campsite allows two dogs, but they must have current rabies vaccinations.
Meadowbrook Public Campground gets a little noisy from the nearby road, however it is still a great little hideaway from civilized society. The campsites provide you will a good level of privacy and the forest provides nice shade from the summer sun. The trees surrounding the campsite are tall pines with many red squirrels and birds chattering over head.
All you need to do is grab yourself some food, a picnic blanket, and sit on the green grass and enjoy the nature all around. If you prefer picnic tables, there are several available under the trees or the picnic pavilion in the campground area. There is potable water available at the campground and shops nearby for any of your food needs.
If you're an avid bird watcher you will love the forests around Meadowbrook Campground. Grab your binoculars out of the campervan and head out onto any of the hiking tails. Some of the birds that you might find tweeting above include Canada Jays, Cape May Warblers, Chesnut-sided Warblers, Northern Parula, and more.
If you are lucky, you will get a chance to see some impressive birds of prey circling up ahead. Keep your eyes peeled for Bald Eagles, Ospreys, and the occasional smaller Hawks. During the night in your campsite you will be able to hear the hoots of the Barred Owl, Eastern screech owl, Boreal owl, and the unique long-eared owl.
The campground is perfectly located for many hiking trails if your visiting in your big rig. Just on the edge of Saranac Lake is the popular Bloomingdale Bog Trail. This trail is 19.3 miles long, has an elevation of 374 feet and is generally quite empty. It is a relatively easy hike. Be mindful if it's rainy the trail might be closed.
Another hike worth doing near the campground is to the summit of Whiteface Mountain. This mountain features incredible views of the whole surrounding area. The trail follows some rocky outcrops, snow puddles in spring time, and tall pine trees. The markers are sometimes unclear so make sure to keep a watchful eye out. The last mile of the hike is unmarked so take your time. Make sure to bring sufficient warm clothing, since even in the summertime the high altitudes causing temperatures to drop.
The area of the Adirondack mountain area is one of the most beautiful areas in Northern USA. This fantastic habitat is the home to an extensive number of wildlife, birds, and plants. Many places in the area offer learning opportunities for children wanting to become junior naturalists.
Some of the animals you can see scampering through the forests, around the ponds, and in the meadows include Chipmunks, Coyotes, River Otters, Red Squirrels, Woodchucks, and White-tailed deer. You'll want to bring your binoculars in your camper or trailer to spot all of these majestic animals.
The springtime also brings an abundance of wildflowers. So grab a camera and capture the Blue Flags, Bunchberry, Canada Mayflowers, Clintonia, Coltsfoot, Cotton Grass, Goldthread, Grass Pink and Little Club-spur Orchid.
One of the main reasons to visit this part of the world is to visit the Lake Placid Olympic Village. The Lake Placid Olympic site is where the 1932 and 1980 winter Olympics took place. Now they are open to the public. You can even take a bobsled ride any time during the year.
You will be able to see the enormous 300-foot ski jumps which still stand within the Olympic site. Take an elevator to the top of the jumps and be impressed with the gorgeous view of the Adirondacks.
You can also take your family to visit the Olympic Museum which will teach you all about the history of the Olympics, the different disciplines, and USA's many gold medals.
The campground is a fantastic start to many mountain bike trails in the area. One of the best trails you should try is the Bloomingdale Bog Trail; it is marked with blue signs. This 19.3-mile trail is flat and easy which makes it ideal for most levels of mountain bikers. It has been converted from a rail line and features pretty views of the surrounding forests. There are sections which are full of roots which can get a little tricky. Hardly anyone uses this trail so it can be quite difficult to find. Make sure to set your GPS to find it.
Another popular mountain bike trail is the 6.5-mile Pine Pond Trail which goes through the woods to the Pine Pond. You have a chance to see wildlife during your bike. Fowlers Crossing is a beginner 3.4-mile track which interconnects various other trails. You will be riding through a cedar swamps and pine plantations.
