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The Village of Lake Placid, New York, is known for it’s pastoral beauty, as well as serving as host of two Winter Olympic games. There are a number of reasons you’ll want to book a trip to this outstanding lake destination.
Where is Lake Placid?
Lake Placid is nestled in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains. It’s located in the region known as the tri-lake area, comprised of Lake Placid, Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake.
Lake Placid is home to approximately 2,400 New Yorkers, and is a favorite place to visit for winter sports enthusiasts who will find facilities for ice skating, snow skiing, snow boarding, and various other outdoor winter activities.
Of course, it’s also the site of an epic Olympic event, the famed “Miracle on Ice.” Keep reading to discover more reasons to explore beautiful Lake Placid
Whiteface Mountain is also located near Lake Placid, with its tallest mountain peak reaching up to 4,687 feet.
Lake Placid / Whiteface Mountain was the site of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympic Games and is home to the Herb Brooks Arena. Here, visitors can attend international and national ice skating competitions, hockey matches and many other special events.
The 1932 and 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympic Museum is located in the Olympic Center. Visitors to the museum can view artifacts and memorabilia, photos and video footage preserved from the two Lake Placid Olympic Games.
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Lake Placid Winter Olympics in 1980
The 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics arrived during a difficult time in the United States’ and the Soviet Union’s relationship.
The countries were deep in the midst of the Cold War, the Soviet Union had just invaded Afghanistan, and it was unclear whether the Soviet athletes would attend.
In all, 37 nations sent representative athletes to Lake Placid to participate in the 1980 Winter Olympic Games, including the Soviet Union.
The team representing the United States in Lake Placid had 150 members and, while Germany and the Soviet Union each went home with more gold medals than the United States, Team USA won 12 gold medals and created Olympic history.
Eric Heiden, a then 21-year-old speed skater, won five of 12 gold medals by setting four Olympic records and breaking one world record. Heiden achieved this by winning all five Olympic distance skating gold medals, a feat that has not been repeated.
The Miracle on Ice
One of the most memorable occurrences of the 1980 Winter Olympics was “The Miracle on Ice.”
“The Miracle on Ice” was the name given to the game in which the American Team defeated the Soviet Team and went on to win the Olympic gold medal in hockey.
The game was tight. The United States team, with its members Buzz Schneider, Mark Johnson and Mike Eruzione, scored four goals and narrowly defeated the Soviets, who had scored only three.
This video of the final minute of the game, called by Al Michaels and Ken Dryden, will give you goosebumps.
Beating the Soviet Union Hockey Team during the Cold War, a team thought to be the best in the world, was a huge victory for the American psyche. USA’s Team, consisting of 20 college hockey players, was coached by Herb Brooks, an NCAA coach and two time U.S. Olympic hockey player.
Brooks was known as a tough coach, but his method of coaching won out in the end.
In 2004, Disney released the movie Miracle that tells the story of the hockey victory. Kurt Russell played the part of Brooks. The Olympic Center in Lake Placid was renamed the Herb Brooks Arena in 2005 to honor the team and their victory.
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Top accommodations around Lake Placid
Find your perfect Lake Placid lodging using this interactive map. Search for hotels and vacation rentals using Booking.com and Vrbo. Use the filters to adjust your search for different dates, cost, number of guests and more.
You may also click the buttons below to visit booking.com or Vrbo directly or to find more accommodation options on our comprehensive lake vacation resources page.
Top tours and activities for Lake Placid
Check out our tours and activities partners to find fun-filled lake excursions such as boat charters, hiking and biking tours, fishing trips and food and beverage experiences in and around the beautiful Adirondacks Lakes region
More helpful travel resources for Lake Placid
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