Glamping & Camping

Sometimes we like to rough it, sometimes not so much. The ADK is all about options.

In 1869, William H.H. Murray’s “Adventures in Wilderness” was a runaway bestseller. Many consider it now to be the first guidebook about recreational camping.

Murray based his book on his experiences camping in the Adirondacks. So, you might say that camping for fun (not for fighting wars or hunting and gathering for essential food) was born in the ADK.

Murray's guide included instructions on pitching a tent, creating a bed out of balsam boughs, and repelling beasts and insects. He suggested campers pack a felt hat, rubber blanket or coat, buckskin gloves, and stiff pantaloons.

As the saying goes, "We've come a long way, baby" since Murray's days. With today's modern camping equipment, visitors to the ADK can pitch a tent on one of the thousands of campsites in the Park. We haven't visited them all, but you can find extensive listings online or visitadirondacks.com for more camping info.

Or, if full-on camping is not your bag, glamping facilities are popping up all over the ADK. What's glamping? In general, it's staying in a pre-erected tent on a platform, with electricity, a legit bed with a mattress, often with hot and cold water, and possibly a private shower and toilet.

Several hotels and inns also have camping facilities for those who want more amenities.

We think that's about as close as one can get to having their cake and eating it, too.