2010 Thunder Rides

All Adirondack Loops Described Assume Starting in Old Forge. Trip time increases with number of stretch stops. All times are round trip from Old Forge, NY.

<< GO BACK

Whiteface Mountain Loop 235 miles About 5 hours

Route 28 north to Blue Mountain Lake. Go straight onto Rt 30 to Long Lake. At Hoss’s store Rt 30 turns left, following signs for Tupper Lake. Cruise through village of Tupper Lake and turn right onto Rt 30-3 East, following signs to Saranac Lake. In Saranac Lake straight through stop light now on Rt 86 to Lake Placid. At foot of steep hill (High Peaks Resort on right; Mirror Lake in front of you), turn right, still on Rt. 86. Follow 86 into Wilmington. Turn left at T onto SR 431 west onto Veterans Memorial Highway. Pay toll. Ride to top of Whiteface Mountain, 4,867 ft. the only High Peak you can drive up.

An eight-mile climb from the crossroads in Wilmington, the Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway ascends to the summit of the fifth highest mountain in the Adirondacks. The last five miles are the most spectacular as the road winds upward through a changing forest and an alpine summit environment. At the summit parking area, take a short hike to the very top or hop on the in-mountain elevator for a truly amazing 360-degree view of the surrounding wilderness.

After riding to the top of Whiteface you go down Whiteface Mtn road turning left right past the toll gate onto CR 72 ( no road name) go straight thru Franklin Falls now on CR 18 to T. Turn left onto SR 3 go 1/4 mile south & turn right onto St Regis rd. Go 1/4 mile & bear left at Y onto CR 55 (no road sign or route designation). Go to T, turn right onto SR 86 thru Gabriels to Paul Smiths. Turn left onto SR 30 south to Lake Clear Junction. Turn right at T staying on SR 30 south past Fish Creek Ponds to SR 3. Turn right on SR 3-30 west to Tupper Lake. Stay on SR 30 thru Tupper Lake south to Long Lake to T. Turn right on SR30 south to Blue Mtn Lake going straight south on SR 28 to Old Forge.

Side Trip A Whitney Headquarters on Little Tupper Lake Loop About 3.5 miles long. Between Long Lake & Tupper
Rt 30 about six miles out of Long Lake turn left at 2nd road past the gatehouse onto Ham Co 10, Sabattis Rd. Sign says Wm C Whitney Wilderness Area.. Sabattis Road loops back to Route 30 further north. After about 3 miles reach Little Tupper Lake and turn left on the Sabattis Road, reaching Whitney Headquarters about 1 mile on left.

Side Trip B Bog River Falls (in and out on Rt 421, 1.5 miles)
Continuing north towards Tupper, you’ll see signs for Horseshoe Lake and Rt 421. Turn left. ½ mile to Bog River Falls. Nice parking, turn-around area. Just a precious nugget of beauty tucked away, off the beaten path. That stone building on the right is the former Goodman camp. What’s interesting about the Goodmans is it was Andrew Goodman who was the Jewish guy in the movie Mississippi Burning who was murdered during the civil rights activity of the sixties. Andrew Goodman used to spend every summer right here at Goodman camp.

Side Trip C Raquette River Drive Loop (About 1 mile)
After you cruise over the bridge spanning the Raquette River as you approach Tupper Lake, on the right is a bar, Trail’s End. The road between Trail’s End and the river is Raquette River Drive. Follow it for a mile for a scenic approach to Tupper. You’ll come out at Mercy Health Care Hospital on Rt. 30. Turn right and you’re back on the main drag.