Rail connections from the Big Apple were easy and steamboats plied the many lakes to deliver vacationers to grand hotels built in the woods. One of the grandest was Blue Mountain House, overlooking Blue Mountain Lake. Today, only the Log Hotel built in 1876 remains on the grounds, and now houses the outstanding Adirondack Museum. A full-scale boatbuilder's shop demonstrates the skills needed to craft one of the beautiful Adirondack guide boats. A quiet pond reflects the intense colours of the Adirondacks in autumn.
Canoeists practise their dip, dip and swing across the lake on a crisp, clear day.
These camps, designed and built mostly by William W. Durant, featured the most opulent amenities in a rustic style of peeled birch logs and intricate stonework. Today's most famous great camp is Sagamore Lodge on Raquette Lake. Once owned by Alfred Vanderbilt, Sagamore today is run by the Sagamore Institute of the Adirondacks and is the site of numerous educational programs. It became the focus of national attention for 11 weeks in 1926 as the Summer White House for President Calvin Coolidge. In its heyday, White Pine was the ultimate in rustic luxury.