The little town of Wilmington at the foot of Whiteface — where Route 86 meets the Whiteface Veterans Memorial Highway, and the drive turns LEFT to begin its climb.
Alright — pay attention right now, because here comes the one and only turn of the whole drive, and it's an easy one to miss. In just a moment, watch for the brown signs for Whiteface Mountain and the Veterans Memorial Highway — and turn LEFT there, off Route 86 and onto the highway. That's Route 431, the toll road up the mountain. Take that left; don't sail straight on into the middle of Wilmington. Once you've made that turn, that's it — there are no more turns to think about the whole rest of the way. It's just up, and up, and up.
Good. Now that you're headed the right way — you're at Wilmington, the little town at the foot of Whiteface Mountain, home base for the ski mountain in winter and the jumping-off point for the climb we're about to make.
And a few practical words before you start up: this is a seasonal toll road, open roughly spring through fall, so you'll pay a fee at the tollhouse a few miles in — and you'll want to have checked ahead that it's open and the summit isn't socked in with fog. Make sure you've got at least half a tank, spare a thought for your brakes on the way down, and bring a jacket even on a warm day, because it gets a good deal colder and windier up top. All set? Then make that left, and let's climb Whiteface.
Photo: State of New York Forest, Fish, and Game Commission · Public domain
