Rustic Adirondack Lodges & Camps

Lake Clear · Lodge

Millard Otis built it in 1886 as an inn, trading post and post office, and his family still runs it as Hohmeyer's Lake Clear Lodge, which describes itself as the only Adirondack Great Camp in continuous family ownership since construction. The 25 acres hold the 1886 main lodge, 3 chalets with wood-burning fireplaces, 2 cabins with Jacuzzi tubs and 6 suites. A 1920s speakeasy with a hidden cellar still operates, alongside the Adirondack Alps Restaurant and a beach on Lake Clear.

Built in 1886 and still owned by the founding family. A working 1920s speakeasy. On 25 acres on Lake Clear.

North Hudson · Lodge

Eight cottages and a renovated main lodge on 600-acre Elk Lake, inside a 12,000-acre private wilderness preserve in the High Peaks protected by a New York State conservation easement. The public is not allowed into the preserve, so the 40 miles of hiking trails are for guests only, along with boating and fishing on Elk Lake and 200-acre Clear Pond. All meals are included. Cottages sleep two to twelve, and most have kitchens and fireplaces.

A 12,000-acre private preserve closed to the public, with 40 miles of guest-only trails. Elk Lake and Clear Pond. All meals included.

North River · Lodge

A lodge above Thirteenth Lake in North River, built in 1936 by Frank Hooper, whose garnet mine on the hill closed in 1929 when the ore ran out. Hooper had patented the vanning jig, which separated garnet from rock, and later sold the technology to the competing Barton mine. Rooms are in the original Log House, the Tea House and the Birches cottages. In winter there are 50 kilometers of groomed cross-country ski trails, and Gore Mountain's ski area is a short drive away.

Blue Mountain Lake · Resort

A Great Camp on Blue Mountain Lake that began in 1880 as the summer retreat of Civil War colonel Hiram Duryea, was bought at auction by the Collins family and opened as a resort in 1921. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. Cottages line the shore, and meals are served in the main lodge. The Adirondack Experience museum is a short drive.

Raquette Lake · Lodge

Built by William West Durant in 1897 and sold to Alfred Vanderbilt in 1901, Great Camp Sagamore is a National Historic Landmark on a private road off Route 28 in the central Adirondacks. All 27 original camp buildings still stand, including the main lodge, boathouse, recreation hall and staff quarters. The Sagamore Institute runs it for cultural programming: history tours, guided paddles, a summer concert series, and multi-day overnight stays with family-style meals. Reservations are required.

Sabael · Resort

A family camp on Indian Lake, run since 1899, which describes itself as one of the oldest in the Adirondacks. The cabins are heated by wood stoves and lit by gas lamps, and meals are served on an open-air porch facing the lake. The property borders the New York State Forest Preserve, and guests have use of boats. It is open in summer, with workshops in the fall.

Long Lake · Lodge

Housekeeping cabins on Long Lake, a 14-mile lake in the central Adirondacks. There is a private sandy beach, canoe and kayak rentals, and campfire pits on the waterfront. Long Lake village, with a general store and town dock, is a short walk. Cabins have kitchens, and guests bring their own food.

Long Lake · Hotel

A four-story hotel across from the Long Lake town beach, which describes itself as the last 19th-century Adirondack hotel still operating in the Park. The original Kellog's Lake House burned in 1898; the current building was up by 1899 and gained a formal dining room and more rooms in 1914. Twenty renovated rooms on the upper floors, with a restaurant, taproom and sitting room below. Helm's seaplane rides leave from the dock. Carol Young has owned and run it since 1990.

Blue Mountain Lake · Lodge

A resort on 500 feet of Blue Mountain Lake shoreline, built in 1898 as a private hunting camp named Nawadaha. Paul Provost, who vacationed here as a child, bought it in 1986. There are 8 rooms in the main lodge, 4 motel-style units and 9 cottages, and breakfast and a family-style dinner are included. Rooms have no TVs, phones or radios, and rowboats, kayaks and canoes are at the dock.

Hague · Resort

A resort in the village of Hague on the northern end of Lake George, with log cabins, chalets, a 9-bedroom Country Inn and motel rooms. A 400-foot natural sand beach comes with kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, sailboats, rowboats and paddleboats for guests. The cabin chalets have fireplaces and jetted tubs. Hague is about 30 miles north of Lake George village, and the resort is open year-round.

Big Moose · Lodge

A Great Camp-style complex on Big Moose Lake, built by master builder Earl Covey in 1924 and on the National Register of Historic Places since 2004. The Bowes family has owned and run it since 1951. The main lodge is a two-story log building with a verandah held up by whole tree trunks, and 19 historic cottages line the shore. There are no televisions or WiFi in the cabins. Open May through October.

Blue Mountain Lake · Cottages

Housekeeping cabins on the shore of Blue Mountain Lake in the central Adirondacks, each with a kitchen, a bath and a heater. There is a sand beach that slopes out 100 feet to a swim platform, a dock, a boat launch, lawns and a fire pit. The cottages are open from Memorial Day to mid-October, and July and August stays run Saturday to Saturday. Linens are available for a fee.

Benson · Lodge

A Nordic ski and outdoor resort in Northville, founded by Finnish-born skier Olavi Hirvonen in 1979. Ten housekeeping cottages, called tupas, have up to four bedrooms, full kitchens and screened porches, and overnight guests can use a wood-burning Finnish sauna year-round. In winter there are 50 kilometers of groomed ski and snowshoe trails. In summer and fall, the 70-acre motor-free lake has swimming, kayaking, canoeing and fishing, plus 30 miles of hiking and mountain-bike trails.

Warrensburg · Resort

A family-owned all-inclusive resort in Warrensburg, operating since 1940 on 700 acres at the southern edge of the Adirondack Park. Activities include trail riding, a rodeo, and swimming and waterskiing on Sherman Lake; winter brings ice skating, sleigh rides, snowmobiling and downhill skiing. All meals are included; alcohol is extra. Lodging ranges from motel rooms to cabins and chalets. Lake George village is 25 minutes away.

Keene Valley · Inn

A family-run inn in Keene Valley with 12 rooms and 3 cottages, some rooms with wood-burning fireplaces and jetted tubs. Every stay includes a full breakfast cooked on site, with French toast, quiche and baked goods. The High Peaks trailheads are minutes away. There is no restaurant on site, but there are places to eat in the valley. Whiteface's Olympic venues are 15 minutes away and Lake Placid 20.

Inlet · Lodge

Five Adirondack lodges on Fourth Lake in the Fulton Chain, each sleeping 8 to 12 guests with 2 to 5 bedrooms, full kitchens, fireplaces, and kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards at a sandy beach. The property sits directly on Snowmobile Trail 5, which connects the entire Fulton Chain of Lakes system in winter. Inlet village is a short walk; Old Forge is 10 miles.

Big Moose · Cottages

Seventeen log cottages on the north shore of Big Moose Lake, run by the same family since the resort opened in 1904. Three meals a day are served in the central dining room, and cottages are cleaned daily, with a fire laid each day. The resort is open from late June to Columbus Day.

Keene · Lodge

Cottages and suites at 2835 Route 73 in Keene, beside Dart Brook, on a property that has taken travelers since the 1800s. Lodging ranges from open-plan cottages and one-bedroom suites to a multi-bedroom cottage, with names like Bell's Cottage and Halcyon House. The AuSable River runs through the valley below, with waterfalls and swimming holes, and High Peaks trailheads are a few minutes up Route 73.