About Lake Placid Bobsled Experience
The Lake Placid Bobsled Experience gives visitors the chance to ride a real bobsled down the historic Olympic sliding track at Mount Van Hoevenberg, the venue that hosted bobsled, luge, and skeleton events during the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics. Operated by the Olympic Regional Development Authority, this is one of only a handful of places in the world where the general public can ride a competition-standard bobsled track.
During winter, rides take place in an authentic four-person bobsled piloted by a professional driver, reaching speeds up to 55 mph through the track's banked curves. In summer and fall, the experience switches to a wheeled bobsled on the same track, offering a similar thrill at comparable speeds. Each ride lasts about a minute but covers half a mile with up to five G-forces in the turns. No experience is necessary — riders simply strap in and hold on while the pilot handles steering and braking. There's a weight limit and age minimum, but the ride is accessible to most visitors.
What makes the Bobsled Experience stand out is its authentic Olympic heritage. You're riding the same curves that Olympians have competed on for nearly a century, and the combination of speed, G-force, and history makes it unlike any other attraction in the Adirondacks. It's consistently rated as the number-one must-do activity in Lake Placid and frequently sells out, so advance reservations are strongly recommended.
