Five reasons you need to visit Tupper Lake this winter

Bundle up and embrace the winter season as temperatures drop and snow starts to fall in Tupper Lake. While winter is a wonderful time to kick back inside with some hot cocoa, Tupper Lake offers up endless opportunities for outdoor fun! Grab your winter gear, and discover these five activities that make Tupper Lake the place to be this winter season in the Adirondacks. 

Ice fishing

With hardwater season on its way, prepare to pack your tip-ups and augers for Tupper Lake’s premier ice fishing locations. Set up shop on a smaller, lesser known pond, like the Stony Creek Ponds, for a quiet day under the bluebird sky. If you’re looking for more of a community feel with all the anglers, some popular ice fishing holes like Big Tupper Lake and Simon Pond are great options. Speaking of, did you know that Simon Pond is home to one of the largest ice fishing tournaments in New York state? At the Northern Challenge Ice Fishing Derby, not only are the number of people who compete in the thousands, but you also have the chance to snag a piece of the over $40,000 cash and prize pool at the event. The pike are waiting for your arrival, come up before the tournament to dial in your skills!

Snowmobiling

Tupper Lake touts one of the best snowmobile trail systems in the park, thanks to a combination of places to stop for gas and good food, and, well, the trails themselves! One of the main corridors you can take is the Adirondack Rail Trail, which can be used to connect to other communities, like Lake Placid and Saranac Lake. The Tupper Lake Snowmobile Club grooms dozens of miles of other trails too, so you can explore and access more paths off of the Rail Trail. Trailside eateries like the Main Street Restaurant (classic American food), The Thirsty Moose, or P-2’s Irish Pub, can easily satisfy those post-ride cravings too! Stop in for lunch during a gas fill-up, or book a stay somewhere in town and warm up with good food and drinks. 

Winter hiking

Experiencing winter at a more leisurely pace, snowshoeing is perfect in Tupper Lake due to the range of options you have available. There are easy trail networks like the James C. Frenette Sr. Recreational Trails and the paths at The Wild Center or those looking for a calm winter walk. If you’d like to try your hand at some moderate winter snowshoeing, the Tupper Lake Triad has a winter patch that is a great challenge to work towards. For only the most experienced winter hikers, you can access the Seward Range, four of the famous 46 High Peaks, from Corey’s Road in Tupper Lake. Leave No Trace is still an important aspect of recreation in the winter, and a big part of that is planning ahead and preparing! 

Cross-country skiing

At first glance, cross country skiing can seem silly, especially to the more downhill-inclined winter recreationists. But strapping on the cross-country skis and gliding through the snow comes along with the ability to enjoy conversations with friends, explore amongst the trees, and if you visit Tupper Lake, enjoy a beer or two! At the aforementioned James C. Frenette Sr. Recreational Trails, located at the Tupper Lake Golf Course, one of the most beloved winter events in the region takes place, the Tupper Lake BrewSki! The hometown Raquette River Brewery is always serving craft beer at the event, along with others from around the region who line up on a mile and a half stretch of trail to pour stouts, IPAs, ales, and more! If you’re looking for a quieter, more backcountry ski, then head to the Deer Pond Loop or the old roads of the William C. Whitney Wilderness Area. 

Wild Center and Wild Lights

Okay, I know I said that Tupper Lake has endless amounts of winter outdoor activities, but there are some incredible indoor/outdoor combo options for the entire family, and The Wild Center is one of them. While the inside is host to educational exhibits and playful animals (the cutest otters imaginable), winter transforms The Wild Center into a cold-weather playground. One of the main features of the winter here is Wild Lights, where the entire campus brightens up at night with thousands of lights. Hot drinks are provided, and booking ahead of time is suggested because of how popular the event is! 

Bonus: Get inside and enjoy Tupper Lake's food scene

When it's cold, and you’ve just spent the day outside, the best thing to do is warm up inside with the best food and drinks this area has to offer. Some pizza at Little Italy, dinner and wine at Amado’s, or late night drinks at P-2’s Irish Pub are perfect samplings of all the various establishments you could stop by in Tupper Lake this winter!