Adirondacks vs White Mountains: How the Two Ranges Differ

From New York City, Lake Placid in the High Peaks is about 5 hours by car via I-87, and the southern Adirondacks around Lake George and Speculator about 3.5 to 4 hours. The White Mountains are about 5 to 6 hours from New York, without the closer southern edge the Adirondacks have.

From Boston, the White Mountains are much closer: North Conway and Bretton Woods are about 2.5 to 3 hours away, and Lincoln about 2. The Adirondacks are about 4 to 5 hours from Boston, depending on the destination, so for Boston travelers they suit a longer trip.

The Adirondacks have their own kinds of lodging: the Great Camp, the lakeside camp and the Adirondack lodge, built of native timber, set on the water and suited to longer stays. Great Camp Sagamore on Raquette Lake, a National Historic Landmark, takes overnight guests through its programs. Family-run lodges such as The Lodge at Lake Clear, run by the same family since 1886, sit alongside luxury camps such as The Point on Upper Saranac Lake.

The White Mountains' tradition is the 19th-century grand hotel and the valley inn. The Omni Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, opened in 1902, survives from the grand hotel era, and smaller inns fill Jackson, Franconia and Crawford Notch. The AMC's eight backcountry huts, reached only by trail, form a hut-to-hut chain the Adirondacks lack, though the Adirondack Mountain Club runs Johns Brook Lodge, a hike-in lodge in the High Peaks.

Both regions draw serious hikers, but for different trips. The Adirondacks suit peak-baggers working through the 46 High Peaks and paddlers: the region's lakes and rivers link into long canoe routes, and the Northern Forest Canoe Trail begins in Old Forge. In winter, Whiteface has the downhill skiing, and the backcountry has room for snowshoeing and ski touring.

The White Mountains have more terrain above treeline: the Presidential Range traverse, the Franconia Ridge Loop and the hut-to-hut routes run by the Appalachian Mountain Club draw hikers who want exposed ridges. The White Mountains have fewer paddling routes, but many trails in a compact area.

Both regions are open year-round. The Adirondacks are busiest in summer, for the lakes, paddling and hiking, and have a long winter season around Whiteface and Lake Placid's Olympic venues; foliage peaks in late September on the higher ground, earlier than in most of the Northeast. The White Mountains are busiest in the summer hiking season, from June through Labor Day, and in ski season, with foliage in early to mid-October in the valleys. Mount Washington draws hikers year-round, though the Auto Road and the summit buildings close for the winter.