Mr. Van Ski Trail
- 0.8 mi
- round trip
- 348 ft
- climb
- 2,452 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
Mr. Van Ski Trail is a 1.5-mile out-and-back cross-country ski route in the High Peaks Wilderness of New York, managed by the State Department of Conservation. The trail rises from about 2,143 feet to a high point of 2,452 feet, with a total elevation gain of 348 feet, and the steepest stretch comes within the first 0.06 miles at a 16% grade. Winter is the natural season for this trail. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Lake Placid show January highs around 23°F with lows near 6°F, and February is similar at 27°F and 8°F. That station sits about 564 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the higher ground run cooler. The Erratic Trail lies about half a mile away, and the Hi Notch Trail is about 0.7 miles off. The Ladies 5K ski route is roughly 0.8 miles away, and the West Branch Ausable River, a canoeing destination, is about 2.5 miles away.
Best time to go
Best time to visit Mr. Van Ski Trail
No month here meets our mild-weather rule. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
23° / 6°
18 wet
Feb
27° / 8°
14 wet
Mar
36° / 16°
14 wet
Apr
49° / 29°
14 wet
May
62° / 40°
15 wet
Jun
70° / 49°
14 wet
Jul
74° / 54°
14 wet
Aug
73° / 52°
13 wet
Sep
66° / 45°
13 wet
Oct
52° / 35°
15 wet
Nov
40° / 25°
16 wet
Dec
28° / 14°
18 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Lake Placid 2 S, NY, 8.1 mi away at 1,888 ft. The station sits about 600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more snow worth the drive
SKI
Erratic Trail
Next door
0.79-mile out-and-back trail in New York with 135 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Hi Notch Trail
~1 min drive
0.96-mile out-and-back trail in New York with 232 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Mr. Van Ski Trail
~3 min drive
1.70-mile out-and-back ski trail in New York with 303 ft elevation gain.
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Interloopen Trail
~2 min drive
0.36-mile out-and-back route in New York with 13 feet of elevation gain.
SKI
Ladies 5K
~1 min drive
0.19-mile out-and-back ski route in New York with 31 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Klondike Notch Trail
~3 min drive
0.12-mile out-and-back route in New York's Adirondack Park with 55 feet of elevation gain.
SKI
Interloopen Trail
~2 min drive
0.98-mile out-and-back trail in New York with 221 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Ladies 5K
~2 min drive
0.57-mile out-and-back ski route in New York with 89 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
North Brook Trail
~3 min drive
0.57-mile out-and-back route in New York with 81 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Sand Snake
~3 min drive
0.26-mile out-and-back ski trail in New York managed by State Department of Conservation.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
