Family Lodging in the Adirondacks: Lakes, Camps, and Resorts

The central Adirondacks, around Blue Mountain Lake, Long Lake and Big Moose, are the traditional lake-camp country: cabins on the shore, canoes at the dock and days organized around the water. Hemlock Hall, a former 1898 hunting camp on Blue Mountain Lake, includes breakfast and a family-style dinner, and The Waldheim serves three meals a day in its dining room. For families who cook for themselves, Curry's Cottages and Tall Timber Lodge rent housekeeping cabins with kitchens and sand beaches.

The central lakes are farther from I-87 than Lake Placid, and the villages are small. The Adirondack Experience, the museum on Blue Mountain Lake, covers the region's history, from guideboats to Great Camps.

Old Forge and Inlet, at the southwestern end of the park, are about an hour north of the Thruway at Utica, and the area has drawn families since the late 1800s. The Fulton Chain of Lakes, eight lakes linked by channels and short carries, runs past both towns, and Old Forge has Enchanted Forest Water Safari, a water park. In Inlet, Black Bear Mountain Lodge rents five lodges on Fourth Lake that sleep 8 to 12, with kayaks, canoes and paddleboards at a sandy beach. The Adirondack Forest Preserve trail network here includes routes suited to children and beginner hikers.

From New York City, Old Forge is about 4.5 hours by car and Lake Placid about 5, so the southwestern lakes are a little easier for a Friday-evening arrival.

Water access in the Adirondacks falls into two kinds: properties on the shore, with docks, boats and swimming from the property, and properties a short drive from public beaches or boat launches. For families, a dock and a few canoes change how the day runs, since the lake is always a few steps away.

Saranac Lake and Lake Clear both have lodging on the water, including The Lodge at Lake Clear, which has a beach on Lake Clear. Waterfront rooms and cabins are booked earliest, and some properties set minimum stays in July and August.

The family season in the Adirondacks peaks from late June through Labor Day, when the water is warm enough for swimming and every trail and attraction is open. It is also the hardest time to book: lakeside camps and dock-access inns fill first, and popular summer weeks can book six to twelve months ahead. Winter brings a second family season around skiing at Whiteface and Gore and Lake Placid's Olympic venues.

Late May through mid-June and September through mid-October have good hiking, more open rooms and lower rates. Black flies are out in late May and early June, so many local operators suggest late June as the start of summer.