Lakefront Lodges in the Adirondacks

Lake Clear · Lodge

Built in 1886 as an inn, trading post, and post office — and still owned and operated by the family of its original builder, Millard Otis. Cathy Hohmeyer runs what is the only Adirondack Great Camp still in continuous family ownership since construction, now known as Hohmeyer's Lake Clear Lodge. Twenty-five acres with an 1886 main lodge, three artisan chalets with wood-burning fireplaces, two specialty cabins with Jacuzzi tubs, and six suites. A 1920s speakeasy with a hidden wine and beer cellar is still fully operational. Adirondack Alps Restaurant, nature trails, and a sunset beach on Lake Clear.

Built 1886, still owned by the founding family — the only Adirondack Great Camp with this continuity. Hidden 1920s speakeasy on site. 25 acres on Lake Clear. Adirondack Alps Restaurant.

Lake Placid · Inn

A lakefront resort on Mirror Lake in Lake Placid — the lake is a half-mile-long body of water distinct from Lake Placid itself, and the inn's private beach sits directly on it. Forty consecutive years at the AAA Four Diamond level. Member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Michelin One Key recipient in 2024. Multiple dining venues, including The Cottage and The View, with the Wine Spectator Award. Owned and operated by Andrew and Denja Weibrecht. Lake Placid's Olympic venues — the 1932 and 1980 arenas — are within walking distance.

AAA Four Diamond for 40 consecutive years. Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Michelin One Key 2024. Private beach on Mirror Lake. Family-owned by the Weibrechts.

North Hudson · Lodge

Eight cottages and a renovated main lodge on 600-acre Elk Lake, at the center of a 12,000-acre privately held wilderness preserve in the High Peaks region. Protected by a New York State conservation easement. The public is not permitted inside the preserve — guests are the only visitors to the landscape. Forty miles of private hiking trails for exclusive guest use, plus boating and fishing on Elk Lake and 200-acre Clear Pond. All meals included in the nightly rate. Cottages sleep two to twelve, most with kitchens and fireplaces. The most genuinely exclusive wilderness property in the Adirondacks.

12,000 private acres. The public is not permitted inside. 40 miles of exclusive trails. Elk Lake and Clear Pond. All meals included. The Adirondacks without other people.

Saranac Lake · Resort

Eleven individually named rooms — Mohawk, Algonquin, Iroquois among them — in a Rockefeller great camp on Upper Saranac Lake, built by William Avery Rockefeller II. The first Relais & Châteaux property in North America, now 39 years in the network. Forbes Five Star — the only such rating in Upstate New York. All-inclusive: meals, wine, and activities are part of the rate. The price is significant; the exclusivity is the point. Black-tie is encouraged at dinner, but not required.

Eleven named rooms in a Rockefeller great camp. First Relais & Châteaux in North America. Forbes Five Star. All-inclusive model. The most expensive and most exclusive address in the Adirondacks.

Blue Mountain Lake · Resort

A Great Camp on Blue Mountain Lake that started in 1880 as the private summer retreat of Civil War colonel Hiram Duryea, was bought at auction by the Collins family, and opened as a resort in 1921. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009 and one of the very few historic Adirondack Great Camps still operating as a functioning resort. Weathered cottages along the shoreline, a main dining lodge, and a lake that has changed very little in a century. The Adirondack Experience museum is at the southern end of Blue Mountain Lake.

Sabael · Resort

A family-run wilderness resort since 1899 on Indian Lake — no electricity in the cabins, just canoes and campfires.

Lake Placid · Lodge

Thirty rooms and cabins on the shore of Lake Placid — five in the main lodge and seventeen original lakeside cabins, which date to the 1920s and survived the 2005 fire that destroyed the main lodge. Both the lodge and cabins have since been restored to their Adirondack Arts and Crafts character: twig furniture, bark siding, stone fireplaces, and hand-crafted details throughout. Relais and Chateaux member. The Artisan Restaurant and Bar earned a Wine Spectator Award. Kayaking, paddleboarding, and canoe rentals from the waterfront. Part of the Opal Collection.

Chestertown · B&B

Five guest rooms on a 70-acre wooded property bordering Friends Lake in Chestertown, each with a king bed, stone fireplace, private luxury bath with a deep-soaking Jacuzzi tub, and lake or mountain views. Every stay includes an evening boat tour, nightly turndown service with chocolate truffles, a homemade breakfast served privately, and complimentary kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddleboards on the lake. On-site: a movie theatre, sauna, wine cellar, game area, and lakeside fire pit. Five rooms that operate as a private retreat.

Long Lake · Lodge

Housekeeping cabins on Long Lake — a 14-mile stretch of calm water running through the central Adirondacks, quieter and less trafficked than the southern lakes. Private sandy beach, canoe and kayak rentals, and campfire pits on the waterfront. Long Lake village is a short walk: general store, town dock, and not much else, which is the point. You bring the food, cook on your own schedule, and spend the rest of it on the water.

Long Lake · Hotel

The only hotel from the 19th-century Adirondack era still operating in the Park. The original Kellog's Lake House on this site burned in 1898; the current four-story building was rebuilt by 1899 and expanded with a formal dining room and additional rooms in 1914. Twenty renovated rooms across the upper floors; restaurant, taproom, and sitting room below. Located across from the Long Lake town beach, with Helm's seaplane rides at the dock. Carol Young has owned and operated the property since 1990.

Blue Mountain Lake · Lodge

A historic lakeside resort on Blue Mountain Lake dating to 1898, when it was built as a private hunting camp named Nawadaha. Paul Provost, who vacationed here as a child, bought it in 1986 and has maintained the original character. Eight rooms in the main lodge, four motel-style units, and nine cottages on 500 feet of waterfront. Modified American Plan: a hearty breakfast and a family-style dinner in the main dining room are both included in the rate. No televisions, phones, or radios in any room. Rowboats, kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards at the dock.

Hague · Resort

A resort on the quiet northern shore of Lake George in the village of Hague — log cabins, chalets, a nine-bedroom Country Inn, and motel rooms, with a 400-foot natural sandy beach and a full fleet of kayaks, canoes, stand-up paddleboards, sailboats, rowboats, and paddleboats for guest use. Hague sits at the narrow northern end of the lake, well away from the commercial strip at Lake George village to the south. Cabin chalets have fireplaces and jet tubs. Year-round property.

Big Moose · Lodge

A Great Camp-style complex on Big Moose Lake built by master builder Earl Covey in 1924 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2004. Owned and operated by the Bowes family since 1951. The main lodge — a two-story log structure with a two-story verandah supported by massive tree trunks — anchors nineteen historic cottages on the shoreline. No televisions or WiFi in the cabins. Seasonal operation from May through October.

Schroon Lake · B&B

A small B&B on Paradox Bay on Lake Placid, two buildings and eight rooms. Cedar Lodge rooms have king beds, jetted tubs, dual sinks, and European showers; Paradox Lodge rooms have private baths and lake or mountain views. Complimentary kayaks and canoes on the water. The owner prepares breakfast from scratch every morning and it draws consistent mention in reviews. On Saranac Avenue, about a mile from the Lake Placid village center.

Saranac Lake · Cottages

Simple housekeeping cottages on Lower Saranac Lake — screen porches, rowboats, and not much else.

Bolton Landing · Resort

A resort on its own island — Green Island in Lake George — operating since 1883. A private bridge connects the island to the mainland at Bolton Landing. The property includes the grand main hotel, lakeside cottages, a Donald Ross-designed golf course, a full-service spa, and water sports on Lake George. Multiple restaurants, including the formal Sagamore Dining Room. The most established full-service resort complex on the lake, now part of the Opal Collection.

Saranac Lake · Hotel

A waterfront hotel on Lake Flower in Saranac Lake — now operating as voco Saranac Lake, part of IHG — with direct access to 38 miles of interconnected Adirondack waterways from the property dock. Indoor and outdoor pools, a lakeside restaurant and lounge, a fire pit terrace, and the Dock and Dine program for guests arriving by boat. Pet-friendly. Listed in the MICHELIN Guide. Fifteen minutes from Lake Placid and the Olympic complex.

Warrensburg · Resort

A family-owned all-inclusive resort in Warrensburg, operating since 1940 on 700 acres at the southern edge of the Adirondack Park. Sherman Lake for swimming and water-skiing; 700 acres of trail riding on well-trained horses; rodeo, ice-skating, sleigh rides, snowmobiling, and downhill skiing in winter. All meals included; alcohol is additional. Accommodations range from motel rooms to cabins and chalets. Twenty-five minutes from Lake George village. The only dude ranch in the Adirondacks.

Saranac Lake · Cottages

Seventeen housekeeping cottages on the shore of Big Moose Lake in the central Adirondacks, continuously operated since 1904 and owned by the Bowes family since 1951. Cottages range from one to five bedrooms, each with a living room, wood-burning fireplace or stove, and a porch overlooking the lake. No phones, televisions, clocks, or radios in any cottage. A wood boy starts a fire in each cottage early every morning and keeps the porch stocked with wood. Seasonal: May through October.