Adirondack Great Camps
[Click on Photo For Full Size Image]
In 1869, a minister from Boston, William Murray, published
"Adventures in the Wilderness," an account of his hunting, fishing
and boating experiences in the region. The book soon became a hit
and changed the region forever.
Families came for the entire summer, bringing along chests full of
their finest china, linens and silk dresses. The fashionably dressed
guests, being treated like royalty (a few of them were), served in
marked contrast to the harsh life of the lumbermen in the region. 
Unfortunately, only a few of these rustic wonders have survived, with
the majority succumbing to fire, as did most of the major hotels in
the region. And only two--Camp
Sagamore in Raquette Lake and White Pine Camp in Paul Smiths--are open to the public on a regular basis. Vanderbilt's Camp Sagamore is now a non-profit institution that hosts workshops and seminars on the history of the Great Camps movement, including tours of Camp Pine Knot and Uncas. Pine Knot, which has about 3 dozen buildings connected by covered walkways, was maintained but not inhabited, so it is a virtual museum of turn-of-the-century culture.
White Pine Camp was built in 1907 for financier Archibald White and later served as the Summer White House for Calvin Coolidge in 1926. The complex was in serious disrepair in the early 1990's, when it was purchased by University of Rochester Professor Howard Kirschenbaum, who hoped to restore it as a museum and historic site. (Kirchenbaum also owns Camp Uncas.) It quickly became clear, however, that ticket sales alone would not be neatly enough to finance the renovation, which will probably take another eight of ten years; so, reluctantly, Kirschedbaum agreed to turn some of the cottages back into lodgings. Now you can stay in one of several cabins with fireplaces, clawfoot tubs and kitchens; admire the Japanese tea house on its artificial island or use the bowling alley down by the pond.
In the two years since White Pine began renting out cottages, says manager Lyn White, "it has reallytaken off. We've had visitors from 30 different states, some as far away as California and Texas."
Visitors can also enjoy the Rockerfeller way of life at The Point, on Upper Saranac Lake, which was orginally William Rockerfeller's Camp Wonumdra. There, for a mere $850-$1,350 a night (inclusive), you can have breakfast in bed, order a picnic lunch, sip unlimited champagne on the cocktail criuse, and dine on foie gras and roast pheasant with fine wine.
Only slightly less comfortable accommodations at Lake Placid Lodge, which dates to 1882, range from $300 to $650 a night. Fine Adirondack furnishings, many made by the current owner, David Garrett, in a lovely lakeside setting, are definitely worth seeing. Amenities include biking and canoeing. The place has a fine restaurant for dinner, pricey but worth it. Lunches are a bargain (luncheon plate $15, July '99) and a fun way to see the place.
For those looking for an affordable destination for wilderness getaways just hours away,
The Fourpeaks resort complex, on the East Branch of the AuSable River, maintains the Great Camp tradition with six secluded backcountry camps in early-nineteenth-century farm settings on a large property with private hiking trails (gas lighting, hand pumps and authentic Adirondack camp furnishings) for from $750 to $1100 per week. 
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. But one thing has changed dramatically: the "commute." No longer a journey of many days by rail, steamboat and carriage, the Adirondack Wilderness is a morning drive from New York and Boston, and not much longer from other cities farther down the Eastern seabord and the hinterlands of the American midwest. Greater accessibility has brought the adventuring family, honeymooners and weekenders in great numbers. Welcome to the Adirondacks Great Camps! 
DEDICATION
(A magazine article about the Great Camps and Fourpeaks is in it along with the biggies.) "I had the idea for a Great Camps page early on, but when a freelancer working for Forbes and a Times staff writer called one right after the other back in March, I knew the time was right for Fourpeaks visitors to hear how our place fit in with the Great Camp tradition."[MS]
[Click on Photo For Full Size Image]An Adirondack Miscellany Newspaper and Magazine articles, Books and lots more. 
Inquire about a Fourpeaks Adirondack Vacation/Getaway. (Easy Inquiry Form.)
(Easy Email form.)
Tollfree or 
Cell phone contact any time.
Keep up with us through occasional newsletters. CLICK for sample.
to Tell a Friend! (Easy popup Email form.)
Please Rate Our Fourpeaks Website.
Whether you're an experienced webmaster or just a novice surfer, you may have feedback or suggestions to help us improve. We well remember the visitor a year or so ago who complained about the unpleasant glare from the HTML default royal blue links. That lead us to entirely revamp our background and link colors, making them softer, more eye pleasing. And the Florida expert who warned us about frustrating visitors with blind links. We followed his advice and now carefully identify each link so visitors know before they "click" exactly where they're clicking to.
