State Route 431 - New York
AKA: Whiteface Mountain Memorial Highway
Wilmington - Whiteface Mountain
Distance/Driving time: 8 miles/19m
County(ies): Essex
Submit your on this road.
Rider Comments:
- Whiteface Mountain Summit ($10 toll/bike). Ride to the top of Whiteface Mountain! Hike, have lunch and explore the visitor center. All paved. A tourist attraction in the area. - David Rouleau (9/19/12)
- Walt's comments posted on 6/6/11 are informative except the '...an outrageous boulder path' phrase which is misleading--the hike is easy. After riding the elevator to the summit, the best way for a wonderfully varied total experience is to descend to the parking lot via the 'boulder path'. - Charles Peterson (8/3/11)
- This scenic road takes you from the base at the intersection of Routes 431 and 86 in Wilmington, NY (from Lake Placid) to the summit of Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondacks and has a swiss chalet toll booth at the entrance. There's a 25 mph speed limit and the road is paved to the summit but has been getting quite bumpy in numerous places due to the recent bad winters and needs some repair. BE CAREFUL of some sink holes in the tar that will swallow your front tire. There are several places to pull over on the ascent with beautiful mountain overlooks as you ride up through the pines and rock faces. At the top, there is a parking lot and a stone castle. You can then go all the way to the summit at 4867 ft. by taking a short & bit tricky hike along an outrageous boulder path with a steel hand rail or you can choose to walk down a 300 ft tunnel through solid granite to an old elevator which takes you another 400 vertical feet up to the weather station with fantastic views of Lake Placid, Vermont and the surrounding mountains. I actually enjoy this road more than Mount Washington as this place is more magical. If you're near Lake Placid, try it, you'll be glad you did and bring your camera! - Walt Bodnar (6/6/11)
- Also known as the Whiteface Mountain Memorial Highway. The final 5-miles to the summit of Whiteface Mountain is up a paved toll road with two switchbacks. At the above-tree-line parking area, a short tunnel is cut to the center of the mountain where an elevator ascends the remaining 500 feet to the summit. At the summit, a wonderful 360-degree wilderness view of Adirondack High Peaks, Canada, and Vermont awaits. (Option: In lieu of returning via the elevator and tunnel, take the short and easy, desending trail back to the parking area.) - Charles Peterson (8/22/10)
- BE CAREFUL! We went up to the top on September 29th 2009. The road from the toll booth to the summit is terribly frost heaved & cracked. Extremely poor condition. - Bill Chabot (10/22/09)
- Also known as the Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway, the last 5-miles to the summit of Whiteface Mountain ascends a paved toll road with 2-switchbacks. At the above tree-line parking area, an in-mountain elevator asends the final 500-feet to the summit, where a 360-degree wilderness view of Adirondack High Peaks, Canada, and Vermont awaits. - Charles Peterson (2/12/08)