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Fourpeaks Adirondack Backcountry Camps
(What they're like and NOT LIKE!)   Fourpeaks backcountry camps were built for beauty, comfort and style. They're luxury camping. They're like Camp David, the presidential getaway. They're like the famous Adirondack Great Camps. With authentic furnishings, fireplaces, full kitchens. Secluded settings on private hiking/walking trails with 4 mountains and a scenic river nearby. CLICK & GO!  (On this page.)  What they're like! Like Camp David.   Like the Adirondack Great Camps.   What they're NOT like!  They're Not like those roadside/lakeside cabin colonies.    They're Not like forest leanto's, trekking huts or any kind of tent camping.   They're Not like a campground or just camping anywhere with no privacy at all.   About Camp David, the president's mountain getaway.   About Adirondack Great Camps, "Adventures in the wilderness."   Guest Notes:   "we could hike the property feeling that we were on our own private refuge."    "The views at the cabin and from the mountain tops were beautiful."    Your Fourpeaks Host helps navigate his webpage.   "I'd rather continue tent camping and Ed wants a cabin."(An Email Exchange.)   (On the next page.)   A guided tour of all 7 of our backcountry camps.   Your Secluded Cabin. (The Seclusion Index)   A Word About Value in a Getaway Vacation..   

Like Camp David, the President's Rustic Retreat in the hills of Maryland, Fourpeaks is a BIG piece of recreational real estate for very few people to enjoy. A prime 700-acre mountain valley in the High Peaks, the prettiest part of the Adirondack Park, it's just for you and the other Fourpeaks guests. Fourpeaks provides a lot more than just housing. Skiing, snowshoeing, biking and hiking trails with scenic views or just R&R in our quiet meadows and woods. Privacy. Even solitude, if that's what you're looking for. A restful experience you will remember with pleasure. [CLICK HERE for more about FDR and Camp David, the president's mountain getaway.]  
If you like to get away from crowds, Fourpeaks is your kind of place!

Like the famous Adirondack Great Camps of the last century, they were built in hard to get to places, making it an adventure to get there and to be there. Fourpeaks provides a lot more that just housing. And like the famous Adirondack Great Camps, they're off the grid, way beyond the telephone poles and paved roads of modern life. They were built without thinking too much about the practicality or cost of building and maintaining them so far into the wilderness. They're where they are for the trees, the brooks, the open fields, the rich animal life and the mountains that surround them--an exclusive vacation/getaway that simply cannot be experienced by many. (CLICK HERE for more about Adirondack Great Camps on this page.)
If you can retreat sometimes into the natural world, Fourpeaks is your kind of place!

What they're NOT like and why.
 They're NOT like a cabin colony, lakeside/roadside cabins that are strung along all in a row or placed close together in a limited area--with less space around them than a suburban backyard. Each Fourpeaks Camp is secluded in it's own private setting, far apart from one another (average distance 1/4 mile!) with pretty porches and beautiful views. None of them are alike--each one has its own story and reason for being. And each is attractively decorated in the true Adirondack Camp style.
If you're looking for more than a roof over your head--Fourpeaks may be your kind of place!

They're NOT like the leantos,trekking huts or tent camping on government land where just anybody can come in and nobody takes care of the place. Fourpeaks camps are like the old-time farmhouses that were on the Fourpeaks property years ago. Built lovingly by hand, small but complete for living in year-round, with every utensil and article of furniture that you could possible need. The kitchens are full size. The beds are new and comfortable. And each of the Fourpeaks camps are located right on our private hiking/walking trails--no crowds to spoil your experience. They're private and they're all yours.
If you crave a wilderness place with comfort and style, Fourpeaks is your kind of place!

They're NOT like a campground, or any other kind of camping where there are lots of people around. No big, friendly campfires here at Fourpeaks. There's no one to come to them, and (besides) fires outdoors are not allowed (except for the charcoal grill). Fourpeaks camps are separate from one another--spread out on a big 700-acre mountain property, not all crowded together in the same place. At Fourpeaks you live in a comfortable, well-decorated secluded cabin with antiques, a fireplace or woodstove, and a full kitchen with every utensil you could possible need.
If you like your backcountry/wilderness nature visits without a lot of other folks around, Fourpeaks is your kind of place!

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#0225 "we could hike the property feeling that we were on our own private refuge."

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Subject: Guestbook Entry
Date : 8/7/2002
Time : 5:23 PM
Name : Nello M*******
Email : njm***@aol.com
Location : Clay NY USA
Comments : We really enjoyed our stay at The Cabin. We also
enjoyed the fact that we could hike throughout the property while feeling
that we were on our own private refuge. The views were beautiful. We plan on
another visit as soon as we can. Perfect place to vacation with your dog!

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#0314 "The views at the cabin and from the mountain tops were beautiful."

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Subject: Re: Your Fourpeaks visit 08/26/00 to New Camp
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2000 19:05:35 EDT
From: Buck****@aol.com
To: VisitUs@4peaks.com
Dear Martin,
i was very happy at 4 peaks and New Camp. i think jeff was too.
'it was a very peaceful and exertion filled week. new camp was peaceful.
hiked 4 peaks and taller peaks. that was exertion. the views at the cabin
and from the mountain tops were beautiful. jeff and i quit smoking on the
trip. nicotine patches saved us from having urges to kill each other.
well, maybe i wanted to when we were looking for the jay mountain herd trail and
he ignored my guidance. i'm off the patch now, smoke free.... thank you for a
wonderful setting in which to rejuvenate. i hope to visit you again. pat
ps apple date butter was dilicious on the biscuits. no kiddin.
what ever was the deal with the green bug and ridge camp?

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Fourpeaks offers lots more than just lodgings. Browse our 10 activity pages for 20 miles of private hiking/skiing trails, an unequalled nature experience with no people. River swimming, floating, wilderness canoeing, fishing at the famed AuSable River nearby. And just R&R in our accessible wilderness. [CLICK HERE for Fourpeaks Adirondack Activities.]

Dear Visitor,    Backcountry vacation/getaways on 700 acres with 4 mountains! I'd like to help make your web visit functional, and fast. (1) For an extended, fully informative experience CLICK HERE to Explore Fourpeaks. Use our navigation sidebar to get around. (2) For a one-page guided tour CLICK HERE  for a quick look at our 7 Backcountry Camps. (3) Just got a minute to spare? Tell me about the Vacation/Getaway you dream about. CLICK HERE for our Easy Inquiry Form. I'll respond with a Fourpeaks offer well suited to the season, your experience, budget and vacation preferences--together with activity suggestions, photos, maps and more. Sincerely yours,  Martin (Your Adirondack Guide)

Adirondack Great Camps. "Adventures in the Wilderness."
Renewed interest in the Adirondacks has resulted in an estimated 10 million visitors during the past several years.The vision of a "wilderness retreat" seems to have the same fascination for twenty-first-century vacationers as it did a century ago. (CLICK HERE for Adirondack Great Camps. "Adventures in the Wilderness." Inspired by "Great Camping," a magazine article about the Great Camps and Fourpeaks is in it along with the biggies.)

Camp David. (Formerly "Shangri-La") Located 70 miles from the White House in the Catoctin Mountains of Maryland, Camp David was established in 1942 as a place for the President to relax and entertain. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt wanted to escape the summer heat of Washington, D.C., and the higher altitude of the Camp provided cool breezes and good security. President Roosevelt called the Camp "Shangri-La" after the mountain kingdom in James Hilton's book Lost Horizon. It was renamed Camp David in 1953 by President Eisenhower in honor of his grandson.

The Camp is operated by Navy personnel, and troops from the Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C., provide permanent security. Marine One carries the President during the half-hour helicopter ride from our Nation's capital. Guests at Camp David can enjoy a pool, putting green, driving range, tennis courts, gymnasium, and the many guest cabins -- Dogwood, Maple, Holly, Birch, and Rosebud, to name a few. The presidential cabin is called Aspen Lodge.

Camp David has been the site of many historic international meetings. It was there, during World War II, that President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill planned the Allies' invasion of Europe. Many historical events have occurred at the Presidential Retreat; the planning of the Normandy invasion, Eisenhower-Khrushchev meetings, discussions of the Bay of Pigs, Vietnam War discussions, and many other meetings with foreign dignitaries and guests. President Jimmy Carter chose the site for the meeting of Middle East leaders that led to the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt.

Camp David continues to serve as the Presidential Retreat. It is a private, secluded place for recreation, contemplation, rest, and relaxation. Maintaining the privacy and secluded atmosphere of the retreat is an important role for Catoctin Mountain Park. The Presidential Retreat still remains within park boundaries but is not open to the public. It is a place where presidents can relax, unwind, contemplate, entertain distinguished guests in an informal setting, and cope with the pressures of modern day society.

The Presidential retreat is not open or accessible to the public, but the eastern hardwood forest of Catoctin Mountain Park has many other attractions for visitors: camping, picnicking, fishing, 25 miles of hiking trails, scenic mountain vistas, all await exploration.

Catoctin Mountain Park was originally submarginal land purchased by the government in 1936, to be developed into a recreational facility. The facility was to demonstrate how rough terrain and eroded soil could be turned into productive land again. The New Deal's Works Progress Administration, WPA, began the work in the newly created Catoctin Recreational Demonstration Area, joined by the Civilian Conservation Crops, CCC, in 1939. Camp Misty Mount was first used by the Maryland League for Crippled Children. After the first year, the League moved to a second camp in 1938, Camp Greentop, because Camp Misty Mount's terrain was difficult to negotiate in a wheelchair. A third camp, Camp Hi-Catoctin, was completed in the winter of 1938-1939 and was used for three years as a family camp for federal employees.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt was accustomed to seeking relief from hot Washington, D.C. summers and relaxing on weekends, aboard the presidential yacht "Potomac" or at Hyde Park, NY. In 1942 the U.S. Secret Service were very concerned about the President's continued use of the "Potomac." World War II had brought an attack on Pearl Harbor and German U boats close in Atlantic waters. Presidential safety was a concern and Presidential health was also a concern. The muggy climate of Washington, D.C., was considered detrimental to his health, affecting his sinuses. A new retreat, a place to relax, within a 100 mile radius of Washington, D.C. and in the cool mountain air was sought. Several sites were considered but Camp Hi-Catoctin in the Catoctin Recreational Demonstration Area was selected after the President's first visit on April 22, 1942. A camp was already built on the site and the estimated conversion cost was $18,650. It was also almost 10 degrees cooler than Washington. The camp for federal employee's families became the camp of one federal employee, the President of the United States. Roosevelt quickly renamed the camp to "Shangri-La" from James Hilton's 1933 novel, Lost Horizon.

At the close of World War II, there was some debate over the future of Shangri-La. Should it be returned to the National Park Service? Should it be maintained as a national shrine or monument? Should it be transferred to the Maryland State Forest and Park System as was the original plan of the demonstration area? In 1952 Truman approved a compromise under which the land north of Maryland Route 77 would remain Catoctin Mountain Park operated by the National Park Service and the land south of Maryland Route 77 would become Cunningham Falls State Park. The official transfer took effect in 1954. President Eisenhower renamed the retreat, after he took office in 1953, "Camp David," after his grandson.

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"I'd rather continue tent camping and Ed wants a cabin." (An Email Exchange.)

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Date: Tue, 23 May 2006 21:36:03 -0700
From: Diane Ko**** basic***@adelphia.net
To: martin@4peaks.com
Hi! We are thinking about a vacation in your area--my
first--and I have three questions. I'm a tent camper but three years
ago I agreed to a cabin at Alheganny state park in NY. It was
horrible--spiders, bed bugs--we were covered in bites within a day
and one of our dogs had a severe allergic reaction to all the bites.
So, I'd rather continue tent camping and Ed wants a cabin. I'm gun
shy. What would I expect at your cabins?
And we are looking at something late June or July. What's the better
time?
And, if we make reservations, what do you need as a deposit?
Thanks, Diane

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Subject: I'd rather continue tent camping and Ed wants a cabin.
Date: Wed, 24 May 2006 08:32:59 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Martin (Your Adirondack Guide)"
To: basic***@adelphia.net
Diane--
Thanks for your email. LOOK FOR a response to your questions
and some comments INTERLEAVED IN CAPS BELOW.
Hi! We are thinking about a vacation in your area--my
first--and I have three questions. I'm a tent camper
TENT CAMPING IS THE CHEAPEST AND YOU HAVE YOUR OWN CLEAN GEAR. WHY SWITCH?
WHAT'S ED'S PROBLEM?
but three years ago I agreed to a cabin at Alheganny state park in NY. It
was horrible--spiders, bed bugs--we were covered in bites within a day
and one of our dogs had a severe allergic reaction to all the bites.
WHAT WOULD YOU EXPECT IN A PUBLIC CABIN THAT NOBODY CARES FOR? SUCH CABINS
ARE FOR COLLEGE BEER PARTIES AND THEY DON'T CARE.
So, I'd rather continue tent camping and Ed wants a cabin. I'm gun shy.
FIND A NICE CLEAN CAMPGROUND. CHAIN CAMPGROUNDS LIKE KOA ARE THE SAFEST BUT STATE
CAMPGROUNDS ARE PRETTIER THOUGH LACKING IN AMENITIES. SEE ABOVE.
What would I expect at your cabins?
VERY PRIVATE AND PRETTY AND WELL-CARED FOR. FULL KITCHENS WITH COMPLETE
DISHES, UTENSILES, ETC.
MOUNTAIN VIEWS, SECLUDED LOCATIONS. BUT TOO EXPENSIVE, NOT WORTH THE MONEY FOR YOU. SEE ABOVE.
LOOK FOR SEPARATE EMAIL WITH RENTAL OFFER AS AN EXAMPLE.
> > And we are looking at something late June or July. What's the better time?
I LIKE 'EM BOTH. JUNE IS BETTER AND LESS CROWDED IF YOU WANT TO CHECK OUT
THE TOURIST TRAPS, T-SHIRT PARLORS AND SHOPPING.
> > And, if we make reservations, what do you need as a deposit?
DON'T WORRY ABOUT THAT. SEE ABOVE.
> > Thanks, > > Diane
BEST WISHES, MARTIN
PS I ENJOYED GETTING YOUR FUN EMAIL. I HOPE MY RESPONSE IS HELPFUL.

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Are you in this picture? Fourpeaks hosts now welcome paying guests to a 700-acre rest and playground for vacations in the Adirondack Great Camp tradition. Couples appreciate Fourpeaks secluded settings. Adventure families have fun exploring our accessible wilderness. Folks with dogs enjoy the open spaces to run their pets. A private nature retreat, a place for restoring personal energies. Are you in this picture?  CLICK HERE to find out!    [More about this at Frequently Asked Questions.]

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