Drives New York The Adirondacks and the North Country
Highway 73: Chapel Pond to Lake Placid
NY 73, Cascade Road · Exit 30 → Lake Placid
The drive
Highway 73 is the main road into the Adirondack High Peaks, and it follows a corridor that was first a road in the early 1800s, the old North West Bay Road. This drive starts where it leaves US 9 near Exit 30 of the Northway and climbs into the mountains to Chapel Pond, a small pond tucked under climbing cliffs in the Giant Mountain Wilderness, with a sandy beach at one end.
From there the road drops past Roaring Brook Falls and the Adirondack Mountain Reserve trailheads at St. Huberts into Keene Valley, with Porter and Lower Wolfjaw mountains above it. In Keene it runs briefly with Highway 9N, then climbs west between the Upper and Lower Cascade Lakes, below Pitchoff Mountain.
The last miles run past Round Lake, the Craig Wood Golf Course and the Olympic Ski Jumping Complex into Lake Placid. The whole route is the High Peaks Scenic Byway.
Along the way
- Exit 30 (US 9)
- Chapel Pond
- Keene Valley
- Cascade Lakes
- Lake Placid
Good to know
- Parking on the shoulder of Highway 73 is banned through much of Keene and the trailhead lots fill early on weekends; parking at the Adirondack Mountain Reserve lot in St. Huberts needs a free reservation from May 1 to October 31.
- Expect hikers walking along the road near trailheads, especially around Chapel Pond, Roaring Brook Falls and the Cascade Lakes.
- The state DOT has posted daytime one-lane, flagger-controlled stretches near Lower Cascade Lake and in North Elba; check 511NY before you go.
- Deer and moose are most active from October through December and at dawn and dusk, New York's DMV and DEC warn.
Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check 511NY.
Questions about this drive
How long is the drive on Highway 73 from the Northway to Lake Placid?
Highway 73 from US 9 near Exit 30 past Chapel Pond, Keene Valley and the Cascade Lakes to Lake Placid is 23.9 miles and takes about 35 minutes without stops.
Can you park on the side of Highway 73 in the High Peaks?
Mostly not. Shoulder parking is banned along much of Highway 73 in Keene, and the Adirondack Mountain Reserve lot at St. Huberts requires a free reservation from May 1 to October 31, with no walk-ins.
Is Highway 73 a scenic byway?
Yes. Highway 73 between the Northway and Lake Placid is the High Peaks Scenic Byway, designated in 1994.
Is Highway 73 to Lake Placid a twisty road?
Highway 73 is winding in places, with limited sight lines around some curves in Keene, but overall it has mostly gentle curves and about 2,100 feet of climbing.
What is there to see on Highway 73?
Highway 73 passes Chapel Pond, Roaring Brook Falls, Keene Valley, the Cascade Lakes below Pitchoff Mountain and the Olympic ski jumps on the way into Lake Placid.
What you get in the app
Free on iPhone and Android. CarPlay and Android Auto come with Apex.
More drives near here
Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.