Summer Getaways: Southern Adirondacks

The great north woods are good for more than sunburns and mosquito bites

Good news: You don’t have to be a wealthy New York City financier or have tuberculosis to enjoy the Adirondacks anymore. In fact, now that the economy’s tanking and the lakeside TB wards of yesteryear are long gone, the ’Daks are a great summer destination for those of able-body and modest means. Maybe you already knew this. With so many mountains, lakes and rivers within a day trip of Albany, though, it’s a wonder that the Capital Region isn’t an outdoor mecca. In fact, fellow Albanians, there’s a dirty little stereotype about us that the folks up in Tupper Lake have going that’s due for some revision. See, they think we’re gasp—soft. And, well, they’re right. So, next time you’re tempted to bowl away a sunny day, or soak in the AC at a summer matinee, put on your cut-offs, zinc up your nose, and head north.

Spread over 6.1 million acres, the Adirondack Park is an effing big place. Unlike many wilderness areas, more than half of the land is privately owned, so there’s no shortage of roads and towns sprinkled in with all those rocks and trees. While there’s plenty of low-key cultural stuff to do in the Southern Adirondacks, Adirondack culture has always been inextricably tied to the land, so when making a trip there remember that the landscape is the destination. The “world’s largest” annual garage sale in Warrensburg is probably the closest thing to Lake George-style vacationland you’re going to find, but a trip to the ’Daks should be considered an escape from that kind of kitsch anyway.

This year’s seen the largest boom in camping reservations in some time, but you still shouldn’t have any trouble finding space at the many area campgrounds. Consider Northhampton Beach, Caroga Lake, Sacandaga, or the inviting Point Comfort. Most of these spots (and there’s dozens more) offer tent and RV sites, hiking trails, swimming, boat launches, and even Junior Naturalist programs. Bring a canoe, fishing pole and the kids.

For those of a heartier (nay—woodsmanlike) constitution, there are plenty of adventure sports to be endeavored. Book a white water rafting trip with Wild Waters Outdoor Center in Warrensburg or Hudson River Rafting Company in North Creek. View the area from above in a seaplane chartered from Adirondack Air, Inc. or Helms Aero Service in Long Lake. If you’re willing to venture as far north as Keene Valley or west as Little Falls, there’s world-class rock climbing, and Albany’s Indoor Rock Gym and the EMS Climbing School run regular guided trips and clinics.

There’s no shortage of mom-and-pop shops and eateries to stop at along the way, but Blue Mountain Lake is about as good an Adirondack destination as you’ll find within a couple hours’ drive. Moreover, it’s home to the Adirondack Museum. In addition to permanent exhibits detailing the history of the region’s rail system, forestry, mining, trapping, and boating, there are ongoing woodworking demonstrations, kids programs, and current exhibitions on coopering, basket weaving, and quilting.

And if you’ve made it this far, you might as well continue on to Old Forge, where you can binge on the rustic until you’re bark in the face. It ain’t no Great Escape, but they do have a little place called Enchanted Forest/Water Safari, and word on the street is that the fun never stops (dun! dun!).

—Josh Potter

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