The 132 mile long Northville-Placid Trail enters the woods at Benson crosses Rt. 8 at Piseco, crosses Rt. 28 at Lake Durant, crosses Rt. 28N at Long Lake and emerges from the forest at Averyville, a few miles from Lake Placid.
Sections of this famous wilderness trail include terrain suitable for skiing and are in the scope of a 12 mile round trip. Details are given below.

The trail from Benson is a gently but continuous climb to Silver Lake, with very few steep spots. Round trip to Silver Lake is 12.6 miles. The return is an excellent, almost continuous ride. Proceeding on Rt. 30 , turn west on Benson Rd. 3.2 miles north of Northville. Follow this road to an iron bridge, 6 miles from Rt. 30. After crossing the iron bridge, bear right on a dirt road at a triangle where the blacktop road swings sharply left. Continue about 1 mile or as far as the road is plowed.

The Northville-Placid Trail crosses Rt. 8 at Piseco just east of the suspension bridge over the Sacandaga River, a distance of 8 miles. This requires that about 600 feet elevation loss must be re-climbed on the return trip; the distance is 8 miles.

The trail north of Piseco is almost level for the first 2.5 miles. It then ascends a wet weather stream bed which is subject to washouts in thaws, exposing large rocks. Beyond this point, the trail moves over generally even ground to the crossing of Fall Stream. The trail then descends to the crossing of the Jessup River, 7 miles from Piseco. Beyond this point it is 33 miles to the next plowed road. A large number of lumber roads intersect the trail in the next few miles. It is not recommended to proceed much beyond the Jessup River crossing.

The Northville-Placid Trail crosses Rt. 30, 3 miles east of the hamlet of Blue Mountain Lake, South of Rt. 30, it connects with trails to the Cascade Pond and rock Pond. North of Rt. 30, there is a connecting trail between the north end of Tirrell Pond and the Blue Mt. Lake-Long Lake highway. All of these trails are suitable for cross country skiing.

The trail into Whortleberry Pond and Ross Pond starts from the north side of Rt. 28 about 7 miles east of Indian Lake. A department sign marks the trailhead. This route is a jeep road for most of its length. There is a steep spot going over the height of land north of Bell Mountain.

Located about 1/2 mile to the east of the center of Indian Lake Village, opposite Lake Adirondack, the Abanakee Loop is designed to acquaint novice skiers with Adirondack wilderness skiing conditions. It is a compact trail network that touches upon Lake Abanakee, and no part of it is more than a mile from the highway. The trail starts at a short side road just beyond Gendreau's Cabins on Rt. 30.