How do the High Peaks compare with Lake George?
It’s really world’s away! Mega-tourist-junk at Lake George. Discount shopping and motels line almost every inch of highway for miles. In the High Peaks we have Lake Placid as our tourist trap. Lots of folks there just eating ice cream cones and buying T-shirts. Very crowded in Summer and holiday weekends. (We tell our guests never to go there then.) Here on the East Branch of the AuSable (Keene Valley, Keene, Upper Jay and Jay) it’s totally different and natural. Zoning laws installed in ’74 (Adirondack Park Agency) effectively put a halt to development outside of the hamlets. As a result there is no tourist sprawl on our roads. Fourpeaks itself and the AuSable River Flats below are in a pretty rural setting with no development of any kind. Good for family hiking, R&R, swimming/floating our river, etc. If you want to hike the sidewalks for shopping and tourist attractions you need to get over to Lake Placid Village (17 miles).
