Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake
Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake
1002 Adirondack Loj Rd Adirondak Loj, Lake Placid, NY 12946-4206
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The Adirondack Mountain Club's Wilderness Campground offers a variety of primitive camping opportunities. The seasonal washhouse is available during the spring, summer, and fall; this facility has men and women's washrooms with showers, toilets, and sinks. During the winter months guests are able to use the facilities in the High Peaks Information Center. All food must be stored inside a vehicle to avoid attracting wildlife. Firewood must be purchased on site to prevent the spread of invasive species.
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1002 Adirondack Loj Rd Adirondak Loj, Lake Placid, NY 12946-4206
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Note that this review is for the Adirondak Loj Wilderness Campground ('Adirondak' is the correct spelling in this instance) which is adjacent to the Adirondak Loj main building. Whereas the Loj building includes private and bunk rooms, the campground is for tent camping.
The main attribute of the campground is its location among some of the most beautiful of the Adirondack High Peaks and its proximity to a network of mountain trails - aspiring 46ers (climbing all 46 High Peaks originally mapped at 4000' and above) begin many hikes from the Loj. The site is also convenient to downtown Lake Placid (15-20 min drive), so it is very popular.
Each of the 40 or so campsites is similar to a typical state park-like site - about 75' between sites with some tall pines and green space; room for a couple cars and tents; a picnic table and fire pit (note that firewood in New York must be purchased within 50 miles of use to minimize invasive species – the Loj sells firewood). There is a basic wash house with a few bathroom stalls and showers, and numerous fresh water spigots along the campground's ring road. A short walk from the grounds is gorgeous Heart Lake for swimming and a tremendous view.
Unfortunately, like many public campgrounds, the Loj's wilderness area often includes late-night revelers and first-light risers (there tends to be a younger camper population rather than families). Although the campground has a ‘quiet hours’ policy, it isn’t posted at the sites or mentioned during check-in (I haven’t witnessed any enforcement during many stays). During my last stay, the adjoining party (pun intended) arrived at dark and talked/drank/laughed until 1:30 am. Another nearby site began packing their cars and talking at 4:30 am, oblivious to others. As mentioned, this isn’t necessarily different from any public campground, but simply a tip that a quiet night is not the norm at the Adirondak Campground, especially during weekends.
I always bring earplugs and patience since with all it's flaws, the campground is still a great location to begin a hike in the Adirondacks. Some simple noise monitoring would go a long way toward making the campground much more enjoyable and in keeping with its wilderness location.
The main attribute of the campground is its location among some of the most beautiful of the Adirondack High Peaks and its proximity to a network of mountain trails - aspiring 46ers (climbing all 46 High Peaks originally mapped at 4000' and above) begin many hikes from the Loj. The site is also convenient to downtown Lake Placid (15-20 min drive), so it is very popular.
Each of the 40 or so campsites is similar to a typical state park-like site - about 75' between sites with some tall pines and green space; room for a couple cars and tents; a picnic table and fire pit (note that firewood in New York must be purchased within 50 miles of use to minimize invasive species – the Loj sells firewood). There is a basic wash house with a few bathroom stalls and showers, and numerous fresh water spigots along the campground's ring road. A short walk from the grounds is gorgeous Heart Lake for swimming and a tremendous view.
Unfortunately, like many public campgrounds, the Loj's wilderness area often includes late-night revelers and first-light risers (there tends to be a younger camper population rather than families). Although the campground has a ‘quiet hours’ policy, it isn’t posted at the sites or mentioned during check-in (I haven’t witnessed any enforcement during many stays). During my last stay, the adjoining party (pun intended) arrived at dark and talked/drank/laughed until 1:30 am. Another nearby site began packing their cars and talking at 4:30 am, oblivious to others. As mentioned, this isn’t necessarily different from any public campground, but simply a tip that a quiet night is not the norm at the Adirondak Campground, especially during weekends.
I always bring earplugs and patience since with all it's flaws, the campground is still a great location to begin a hike in the Adirondacks. Some simple noise monitoring would go a long way toward making the campground much more enjoyable and in keeping with its wilderness location.
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Date of stay: June 2011Trip type: Travelled with friends
Value
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed two nights in the tent cabins at the Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake. Paid $45 for each night for a family of four. The tent cabins were perfect for those of us who like to camp but dread setting up the tent after driving 5 hours and taking it all down when it is time to go. They were spacious, slept 6 (3 bunk beds) and clean. All we had to do was roll out the sleeping bags and bring out the pillow. We were able to have dinner and breakfast one day at the Adirondack Loj, located in the campground (meals there are typically for the Loj guests but if they have availability, campground people can make a reservation). We paid $19 per adult for dinner (half of that for the kids 12 and under) and $8 per adult for breakfast (half price for kids). Food was good but the staff serving it seemed a bit overwhelmed. Had to ask for napkins, forks, etc. and the menu wasn't exactly what they had listed (vegetable soup instead of corn chowder; red potatoes in the vegetable mix instead of mashed potatoes; pot roast instead of roast beef). Everything was delicious but we were a little disappointed in the menu change (staff did not seem to be aware what was posted). The price was maybe a little steep for what we got but it was worth not having to cook over a fire or drive into Lake Placid. The campground is located at the base of several trail heads and the staff in the Info Center were more than helpful in answering our questions about what hikes to take given our group's age ranges and abilities. Bathroom facilities were consistent with this type of campground - hot showers were free and the bathrooms were reasonably clean. I would not stay here if I were looking for a family campground with lots to do in the campground area. The campground sits on a lake and has a small swimming area. I would definitely stay here if I were looking for a place to have a base to hike in the Adirondacks, or to set out from to further explore the area. Overall, a very good experience and well worth the accommodation price!
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Date of stay: August 2011Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I've stayed here a couple of times, and always enjoy it. It's a no-frills campsite - there isn't a swimming pool, playground or activities planned for you. It's also a little back country feeling, as it's next to impossible to get a signal for your phone, although you can get free wifi near the Loj.
There is a comfort station for campers - the toilet stalls are as clean as can be expected (this is a campsite, bugs included), as are the sinks and showers. (Showers are small, though!)
There is swimming at Heart Lake by the Loj, and the small tuck shop in the Info Centre sells a few necessities, as well as ice and fire wood. Several of the 46 High Peaks have their trailheads here, so it's a great place to stay if you're trying to hike them.
You can also reserve breakfast, trail lunches, and dinner at the Loj, if you don't feel like cooking. The Info Centre also sells coffee.
There is a comfort station for campers - the toilet stalls are as clean as can be expected (this is a campsite, bugs included), as are the sinks and showers. (Showers are small, though!)
There is swimming at Heart Lake by the Loj, and the small tuck shop in the Info Centre sells a few necessities, as well as ice and fire wood. Several of the 46 High Peaks have their trailheads here, so it's a great place to stay if you're trying to hike them.
You can also reserve breakfast, trail lunches, and dinner at the Loj, if you don't feel like cooking. The Info Centre also sells coffee.
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Date of stay: August 2013Trip type: Travelled with friends
Value
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our family of four camped here for one week in July. It was the best camping trip we have ever had (and we camp at least 6 times a year!). The forest is a magnificent escape from the noise, smells and crowds of everyday life.
The property was beautifully maintained. The spaces were large and well spaced. The bathhouse was clean and functioned well. Heart Lake is a lovely place to swim. And, there are tons of hiking trails on hand.
And, the staff were fabulous. We really enjoyed taking naturalist tours around the lake, talking with staff about prospective hikes in the store, and chatting with the Mt. Jo naturalist about the surrounding area.
I'm already ready to book again for next year!
The property was beautifully maintained. The spaces were large and well spaced. The bathhouse was clean and functioned well. Heart Lake is a lovely place to swim. And, there are tons of hiking trails on hand.
And, the staff were fabulous. We really enjoyed taking naturalist tours around the lake, talking with staff about prospective hikes in the store, and chatting with the Mt. Jo naturalist about the surrounding area.
I'm already ready to book again for next year!
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Date of stay: July 2016Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
Cleanliness
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our family of four camped here for a week in July 2016. The last few years we have camped at many different campgrounds from Georgia to the Canadian Rockies. The Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake was a mixed bag.
First the positives. The location is amazing for hiking the high peaks with so many trails just a few hundred feet from the campground. We were able to be on the trail at 6am a couple of times, which is great. In the loop with sites 7-15 there is a decent sized field where kids played in the evening and people watched the stars at night. Our neighbors were friendly. Our site #8 was good sized, though sites #7 and #9-11 seemed even bigger. It would be difficult to fit a big tent (we have a Kingdom 8) in many of the other sites in the campground. Despite the activity in the field everyone followed quiet hours. It was generally quiet well before 10 pm--even on July 4 weekend. Being able to walk over to the High Peaks Information Center at 8 am for $1 coffee was nice.
Despite many positives, they are still some significant issues with the campground. This is an expensive place to camp, with summer rates between $40-45 a night for two people and $5 for an additional adult and $2.50 for children. This is more than you pay for most campgrounds, even ones with equally good locations in other parts of the country. The most disappointing thing here considering the price was what the website called their "Amenities".
The wash house is entirely inadequate.There are 32 campsites, 6 canvas tents, 16 lean-tos, and a group camping area. While the lean-to areas have a few pit toilets, that leaves one wash house for potentially a few hundred campers (You can also use the High Peaks Information Center bathrooms, but that adds hundreds of hikers to the mix and I saw a line of ten people waiting to get into a bathroom there). The wash house has three toilets for women and two toilets & two urinals for men--each side also has two sinks. People were regularly waiting to use a toilet or sink. They simply need more facilities for the number of people.
The wash house was also disappointing in other ways. We have stayed in many campgrounds with neither hot water nor showers and are fine when those are the expectations. The Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake advertises showers and hot water, but at best we got lukewarm showers and often they were freezing. A few hundred yards away the High Peaks Information Center showers always had steaming hot water for its pay showers--of course, we were already paying $50 a night for a camp site that was supposed to come with hot showers.
Many of the issues just seemed to be lack of thought or attention to detail. The soap dispenser in the Women's room was often empty and on both sides the trash cans were regularly overflowing with used paper towels (as an aside, considering how much the ADK talks about environmentalism why are there not hand-dryers instead of paper towels?). The showers have curtains, but the changing area in front of the small showers is open to the public--with $50 and an afternoon it would be easy to install a second set of curtains for some privacy. Likewise, there is a dish washing sink behind the wash house, but no counter to hold dishes making it difficult to clean them, something that could be fixed with little effort or money.
There were also other minor annoyances. The fire pit at our campsite was not clean when we arrived and no one cleaned it while we were there. The little dock for the swimming area is nice, but on hot afternoons the six chairs and the little dock were entirely inadequate for the dozens of people there.
Overall, the Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake is a great choice if you are primarily going to hike the trails in the immediate area. Otherwise, I would look for other options that are cheaper and have better facilities.
First the positives. The location is amazing for hiking the high peaks with so many trails just a few hundred feet from the campground. We were able to be on the trail at 6am a couple of times, which is great. In the loop with sites 7-15 there is a decent sized field where kids played in the evening and people watched the stars at night. Our neighbors were friendly. Our site #8 was good sized, though sites #7 and #9-11 seemed even bigger. It would be difficult to fit a big tent (we have a Kingdom 8) in many of the other sites in the campground. Despite the activity in the field everyone followed quiet hours. It was generally quiet well before 10 pm--even on July 4 weekend. Being able to walk over to the High Peaks Information Center at 8 am for $1 coffee was nice.
Despite many positives, they are still some significant issues with the campground. This is an expensive place to camp, with summer rates between $40-45 a night for two people and $5 for an additional adult and $2.50 for children. This is more than you pay for most campgrounds, even ones with equally good locations in other parts of the country. The most disappointing thing here considering the price was what the website called their "Amenities".
The wash house is entirely inadequate.There are 32 campsites, 6 canvas tents, 16 lean-tos, and a group camping area. While the lean-to areas have a few pit toilets, that leaves one wash house for potentially a few hundred campers (You can also use the High Peaks Information Center bathrooms, but that adds hundreds of hikers to the mix and I saw a line of ten people waiting to get into a bathroom there). The wash house has three toilets for women and two toilets & two urinals for men--each side also has two sinks. People were regularly waiting to use a toilet or sink. They simply need more facilities for the number of people.
The wash house was also disappointing in other ways. We have stayed in many campgrounds with neither hot water nor showers and are fine when those are the expectations. The Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake advertises showers and hot water, but at best we got lukewarm showers and often they were freezing. A few hundred yards away the High Peaks Information Center showers always had steaming hot water for its pay showers--of course, we were already paying $50 a night for a camp site that was supposed to come with hot showers.
Many of the issues just seemed to be lack of thought or attention to detail. The soap dispenser in the Women's room was often empty and on both sides the trash cans were regularly overflowing with used paper towels (as an aside, considering how much the ADK talks about environmentalism why are there not hand-dryers instead of paper towels?). The showers have curtains, but the changing area in front of the small showers is open to the public--with $50 and an afternoon it would be easy to install a second set of curtains for some privacy. Likewise, there is a dish washing sink behind the wash house, but no counter to hold dishes making it difficult to clean them, something that could be fixed with little effort or money.
There were also other minor annoyances. The fire pit at our campsite was not clean when we arrived and no one cleaned it while we were there. The little dock for the swimming area is nice, but on hot afternoons the six chairs and the little dock were entirely inadequate for the dozens of people there.
Overall, the Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake is a great choice if you are primarily going to hike the trails in the immediate area. Otherwise, I would look for other options that are cheaper and have better facilities.
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Date of stay: July 2016Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip: Campsites 7 through 11 are among the biggest and most private, with easy access to the field and...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our camping experience at the Wilderness Campground had pros and cons. While we have camped throughout our lives in Canadian National and Provincial parks, we may have come with high standards. The property features many great amenities including spacious sites, a convenient location (close to trail heads and Lake Placid) and a relatively clean bathroom to share among the 32 campsites. We appreciated and took advantage of inexpensive canoe/kayak/paddleboard rentals from the loj. The parking spot at our site (C-24)had a 5-6 inch drop, which was difficult to navigate with our small car. A truck or SUV wouldn't have a problem parking on this site. Water taps were plentiful throughout the campsite. With the exception of the camp hostess who was friendly and offered good knowledge about hiking in the area, we found other staff working in the loj and the information center to be less friendly and helpful than we would expect at a facility like this. The road leading to the campground is also very rough, has many, deep pot holes and seem poorly maintained. Firewood is available at the information center and from the camp host/hostess but was the wood was still green (thus fast, smoky fires)-- we picked up less expensive better quality wood from a local corner store, nearby. Next time we would likely try a state park but are also open to returning to the Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake.
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Date of stay: September 2015Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AMC owned and managed. Bathrooms were clean. Loj is for guests only but firewood and ice are available for anyone. Campsites are reasonably well placed apart. We had booked a lean-to fortunately. It torrentially poured and it made the camping experience a little more bearable for my wife! However, the lean-to is a low profile so don't expect to get your tent to stand within it!
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Date of stay: July 2014Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A small group of us stayed here for 2 nights in one of the canvas cabins. It was clean inside and the bunks were comfortable. The bunks were noisy when you move around though. Earplugs are an excellent idea for the bunk bed noise and the idiots who sit around the campfire smoking who knows what and laughing loudly until 1 am.
The campground overall was clean but the restrooms and shower area apparently do not get attended to often. The sinks were dirty, trash overflowing and trash laying in the shower area.
Having said some negative comments, we would definitely use this place again. The location is perfect to Lake Placid and hiking trails. Just don't forget earplugs, some adult beverages and some thick skin. It is a campground, not a four-star hotel.
The campground overall was clean but the restrooms and shower area apparently do not get attended to often. The sinks were dirty, trash overflowing and trash laying in the shower area.
Having said some negative comments, we would definitely use this place again. The location is perfect to Lake Placid and hiking trails. Just don't forget earplugs, some adult beverages and some thick skin. It is a campground, not a four-star hotel.
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Date of stay: July 2014
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed three nights in both a lean-to and a campsite (our group was big and had to be dispersed), and both sites had the perfect amount of privacy. Potable water spigots are placed thoughtfully throughout the campground, so you won't have to travel far to get fresh water. Same goes for pit toilets, but if you make the trek up to the main bathhouse, you'll find impeccable facilities and a nice hot shower. We're faithful to this campground when staying in the high peaks region.
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Date of stay: September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed here for four nights with PUP (which they no longer allow as of this summer)..
Sites were very shady and pretty clean of debri. There was a picnic table and fire ring at each site.
There was ONE washroom which was VERY outdated. Three toilets, two sinks, three shower, and practically nowhere to put your crap while you brush, pee, shower, or anything else someone does in a washroom. I really hope they update this soon. It's just not enough for all the campsites. The dishwashing station was a joke. Cold water and no where to put dishes. A small table next to sink would suffice.
The lake was beautiful but the "swim/beach" area was very tiny. Good thing you're allowed to wander around the lake on your own. My girls loved wading along the shore.
Staff was very friendly.
We did do breakfast one morning at the LOj but that was disappointing. We got there 15 minutes into breakfast and could barely find a place to sit and most of the food was gone. We should have bailed at that point and asked for a refund. Ugh.
Not sure we will stay here again.
If you like super duper rustic then this place is for you. A bit pricey for the accommodations though.
Next time I'll just become a member and support the LOJ that way.
Sites were very shady and pretty clean of debri. There was a picnic table and fire ring at each site.
There was ONE washroom which was VERY outdated. Three toilets, two sinks, three shower, and practically nowhere to put your crap while you brush, pee, shower, or anything else someone does in a washroom. I really hope they update this soon. It's just not enough for all the campsites. The dishwashing station was a joke. Cold water and no where to put dishes. A small table next to sink would suffice.
The lake was beautiful but the "swim/beach" area was very tiny. Good thing you're allowed to wander around the lake on your own. My girls loved wading along the shore.
Staff was very friendly.
We did do breakfast one morning at the LOj but that was disappointing. We got there 15 minutes into breakfast and could barely find a place to sit and most of the food was gone. We should have bailed at that point and asked for a refund. Ugh.
Not sure we will stay here again.
If you like super duper rustic then this place is for you. A bit pricey for the accommodations though.
Next time I'll just become a member and support the LOJ that way.
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Date of stay: August 2017Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Rachel K, Manager at Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake
Responded Aug 8, 2017
Hi Sarah C, Thank you for your feedback, we appreciate the honest response and I certainly understand your concerns with the current wash house facility. We are in the beginning stages of our construction/renovations for a brand new wash house with showers for our campground and we will be doing renovations on our current wash house this fall. So by 2018 we will have new and updated facilities for our campground guests. Thank you for staying with us and thank you for your support of the Adirondack Mountain Club.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Yes, it is a maximum of 3 tents and a maximum of 6 people. Our sites vary in size but most sites will fit 2-3 small/medium tents.
Hi Hollie, Yes, there is a dish washing sink behind the wash house for campground guests to use.
"Campsites 7 through 11 are among the biggest and most private, with easy access to the field and swimming area."Read full review
"The good lean-tos book up very quickly so if you're interested in that I recommend reserving one early."Read full review
LOCATION
United StatesNew YorkLake Placid
NUMBER OF ROOMS
54
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Frequently Asked Questions about Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake
Which popular attractions are close to Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake?
Nearby attractions include Mount Jo (0.5 km), John Brown Farm State Historic Site (7.3 km), and Bobsled and Luge Complex (4.7 km).
Is parking available at Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
Are pets allowed at Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake?
Yes, pets are typically allowed, but it's always best to call ahead to confirm.
Are there any historical sites close to Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake?
Many travellers enjoy visiting John Brown Farm State Historic Site (7.3 km).