There’s a Hand Carved Tunnel In This Popular Upstate New York Mountain

Did you know there is a tunnel that spans more than 400 feet in the core of Whiteface Mountain in Upstate New York?

It's quite an experience traveling to the summit of Whiteface Mountain, the 5ht highest peak in New York State at 4,867 feet.

Veterans Memorial Highway

It begins with a scenic drive up the five-mile Veteran's Memorial Highway. The paved road rises over 2,300 feet from the Toll House.

Stone Carved Tunnel & Elevator

Once the Highway ends, you have two options to reach the summit. You can take the Stairway Ridge Trail, or travel down a 424-foot stone-carved tunnel into the core of the Mountain.

The tunnel leads to an elevator that brings you the final 271 feet up to the Roundhouse at the summit of Whiteface Mountain.

The original open-air elevator built in the 1930s allowed visitors to smell the mountain and hear the water. A new elevator was built in 2019 and features a glass cab and a newly illuminated hoistway.

Summit Views

Whether you take the footpath or the tunnel and elevator to the summit of Whiteface Mountain, both lead you to incredible views of the Adirondack Mountains, Canada, Vermont, and even New Hampshire.

At the summit, there are a few things you don’t often find atop a peak: a castle built from native stone, a restaurant, and a gift shop. A visit to the Adirondacks is not complete without a drive to the top.

Highway Closes

Fall is the perfect time to experience the beauty of Mother Nature from Whiteface Mountain. But time is running out. After Monday, October 9, 2023, the gondola rides and Highway will be put on pause to get ready for ski season.