Whiteface Mountain

8.0 miles, 3,501 ft of climbing, 8.3% average grade.

The Adirondacks' answer to the Auto Road: eight miles of the Veterans Memorial Highway at a steady, honest 8%, finishing just below the summit of New York's fifth-highest peak. Whiteface is the most consistent grade in the series, no resets, no walls, just a long negotiation between you and the mountain.

Highlights

• Relentlessly steady 8%, the purest pacing test in the series
• Sweeping alpine views over Lake Placid and the High Peaks
• Finishes at the stone summit castle below the true peak
• The 1980 Olympic ski mountain, raced by bike

Must Know

• The summit is alpine: it can be 20°F colder and much windier at the castle than at the start bridge in Wilmington. Send a warm layer up.
• The grade never breaks. Ride the first half like you're being cheated.
• June in the Adirondacks means anything from frost to heat.

Lodging

Wilmington sits at the base with motels and camps along the Ausable River. Lake Placid, 15 minutes up the road, has the full Olympic-village spread of hotels and restaurants.

Food & Views

• Lake Placid's Main Street for the post-race meal
• The Ausable River's swimming holes below town
• Views: the castle and summit weather observatory at the top of the highway

Nearby Routes

• Road: the Wilmington Notch and the Ausable loop toward Keene
• Gravel: the Franklin Falls side of Whiteface
• Hike: dozens of High Peaks trailheads within 30 minutes
• MTB: the Flume trail network at Whiteface's own bike park

Resources

• PJAMM climb profile
• Whiteface Region visitor info