Adirondak Loj & Heart Lake Program Center

Reviews

Reviews are sorted by relevance, with the most helpful and insightful feedback listed first for easy reference.

  Simonne N. Roy
3 months ago
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  Jackson Donnelly
7 months ago
One of the Premier gateways to the high peaks. So many amazing mountains accessible from this trailhead. Definitely fills up in the summertime, the secrets out. There are also campsites and cabins I'm lucky enough to live close enough I haven't had to Camp there. The information center is world class. If you forget any gear you can buy it there! They have rental safety equipment as well

  Dianne McCormick
7 months ago
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  Ethan Katerle
7 months ago
Campgrounds were perfect. With a firepit, picnic table, and plenty of space for tents, I couldn't have asked for more. The view of heart lake from the camp was very nice. The bathrooms were cleaner than most public bathrooms and included three showers which were also well cleaned.

  Chris Carson
6 months ago
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  Brooke
10 months ago
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  Victor Mendoza
a year ago
(DID NOT STAY AT LODGE)My friends and I went on a backpacking trip in the high peaks and it was amazing can't wait to come back. The staff throughout the park were always friendly and ready to help. Whenever we passed by one in the park they would always ask us If we knew where we going and if we had enough food and if there were any troubles down the trail. They were always making sure we were good and set. Parking fills up pretty quickly, that happened to us so we had to park a mile down the road and had to hike back up to start but it wasn't a big deal. Parking is also paid, they charge by night don't remember what it was but it was around $10-15 a night. Overall great place can't wait to come back.

  Jon Cohan
8 months ago
It's not glamping, but if you want to be in the heart of the Adirondaks for day (or days) hiking with easy access to Lake Placid.....and do not mind bunks and community sleeping arrangements ( there are a few private rooms), this is a a great place. Our hiking group ( 16 people) were able to stay ant the lodge ....and have a few more "hearty" souls camp in the woods. Highly recommended!

  Elizabeth Schmidt
a year ago
(Note: we did not stay at the Loj)Husband & I went here to go for a backpacking trip to Mt. Marcy. Great location and very well maintained! Parking is not particularly expensive ($15/day); be sure to get there really early or mid-afternoon to ensure you find a spot. We used the Dack Maps to keep an eye on the availability. Rangers in the park are all friendly and very thorough about checking to ensure you have an appropriate bear container. The info center is great and provides bathrooms & clean drinking water.Great place to begin (and end) our backpacking adventure :)

  Ulric Gaudette
10 months ago
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  Dan S
a year ago
I've only ever used it for parking. The hikes are the best in the northeast, but parking is fairly expensive and fills up fast. If parking is full (sometimes by 8 or 9 am), you have to park at least a mile down the road (unless that option is gone too) and walk, which adds another 2 miles to an already long high peaks hike. The mountains are 10/10, getting to them is a pain. The parking situation is even worse over by the ausable club, and there is no shuttle service or similar from downtown lake placid.

  Keana Hoyte
a year ago
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  Greg Hirtzel
2 years ago
Perfect place to begin a day of hiking and adventuring! This is the trailhead for a number of trails in the High Peaks. Plenty of parking, assuming you get there before 10am. Parking costs $15 which is worth it considering they use the money to help maintain the trails. There is a cute apparel and gear shop, a snack bar, restrooms, and staff who are helpful and knowledgeable about trail conditions.

  Paul Jarris
a year ago
Beautiful 100 year old lodge in the heart of the High Peaks. Wonderful staff. Interesting guests with lots of conversation over group meals. I loved sitting by the fire under the bull moose head!

  Jeri Dube
3 years ago
Great place for lots of types of hiking and a nice store with a variety of hiking/outdoorsy products. We took the Mt. Jo hike -- the long route, which was less steep than the shorter route. While the hike was steep it was challenging with lots of spots where we need to scramble over rocks and such. It may be an easier hike in drier conditions but there was lots of mud that we found alternative routes around. Since it was late November we had a number of nice views along the way. We did find the exposed tree roots slippery and I fell at one point. Luckily my knee landed safely in a mud puddle so I wasn't hurt at all. I was grateful it didn't hit one of the many nasty rocks on the path. It was a fun hike that kept you engaged to find the best way forward. We saw lots of family groups and people with dogs along the way.

  Bob C
a year ago
Great location for hiking in High Peak region and a short distance to Lake Placid. Stay at campground. Very well maintained. Clean bathrooms. Friendly campers. Beautiful mountain lake. Cool swim area. Visitor center was well stocked and the Hungry Hiker eatery had good options.

  Davis D. Janowski
a year ago
I visited here several times through the 1990s and early 2000s and just returned in Feb 2023. In warm months I've always found it far too crowded for my tastes. But this trip I brought my wife, daughter and pup for some microspikes walking. If I survive healthy to retirement I plan to come back in winter with snowshoes and crampons and stay at the Loj. This trip we walked around Heart Lake, a storm was on the way later in the day and it was just gorgeous with the lake frozen over. The last time I came through was August 25, 2010, when my wife dropped off my dog Nixie and I. We tried to climb up Wright Peak but there was a steady downpour all that afternoon and we made it up to the last steep pitch before the summit. Just a fantastic place any way you cut it.

  Robert Matthews
8 months ago
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  Cheryl Hadrych
2 years ago
Gorgeous place! The LOJ is a perfect, no frills, home base for hiking this area. It's less expensive than a place in Lake Placid. I enjoyed the family style meals with strangers. Kyack rentals on Heart Lake are also available for only $10/hour. You can take a gentle walk around the lake or a rigorous one up to a High Peak!

  Daniel Garatea (Dan)
5 years ago
Great place to stay if you're hiking in the area, and hankering for a bed and someone else cooking over staying in a tent. Awesome friendly staff, and a great community of people visiting from all over the world. Definitely a rustic option, for backpackers and hikers. With communal rooms and some private rooms as well. Was a really good break from camping for several weeks. Like a vacation from a vacation. It was great having someone else cook breakfast before I finished off my 46 by hiking up Mt. Marcy the next day.

  Tracie Snyder
3 years ago
Great place to start hike. There a multiple trails and summits to choose from when starting at the Loj. As many have said, get here early because they limit the amount of cars allowed in the parking area, we watched the last car they allowed to enter go in front of us. We had to park about a mile down the road which wasn t terrible but added distance to an already long hike. I highly recommend hiking Marcy, the view from the summit is worth it.

  Scott Wolff
a year ago
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  Allison LaLima
5 years ago
I adore the ADK Loj so much so for a variety of wonderful memories. So much so in fact that I had my wedding there. I have camped there (little overpriced, but a great way to introduce children to lean-to sleeping), stayed in private rooms, and stayed in the loft. The food is excellent- particularly after a long winter hike; though I would like to request that as a place with communal sleeping arrangements sauerkraut be removed from the menu. The staff is super laid back and friendly. You cannot beat the location for jaunts in the HP region.

  Stefanie Danielsen
2 years ago
A few friends & I rented the Birch Camp for the weekend - everything was wonderful. We loved that we were so close to the trail heads & that when we finished out 16 mile hike we were able to jump into the lake!We cannot wait to go back next summer!

  Bill Wicker
5 years ago
Nice campground with direct access to several of the high peaks. I camp here a couple times a year with a large group of friends. The information center sells most camping equipment that might be needed in case you forgot to bring something. They also serve burgers and sandwiches including gluten free buns. A full serve cafe is being built now which will be a great addition.

  CJ Rudy
11 years ago
I've stayed at the campsite several times so far. I've never had a bad experience. I love the accessibility of the hiking trails from out of the tent flap. The amenities are the best one could ask for in regards to camping. They have two of everything so there might be a line every once in a while. If one books early enough, the ADK site will ask if there's a site wanted. It's truly a place to stay if a group were looking to stay fairly deep in the woods living on old-style life. The Loj rents out boats by the hour for Heart Lake, and there are easy hikes extremely close by. There are also big named hikes right out the backdoor. I think sometimes it can get kind of loud at the site. They say quiet hours are from 10pm to 7am, but I've been awoken several times with barking dogs, people chopping wood, and loud talking at all hours. Mind you, it's nominal the trade off if one were to consider the alternative (read my review about Whispering Pines Campground across the street). This is definitely a location that should be explored at least once.

  Buster Doney
6 years ago
Great home base for hiking around the Adirondacks. Stayed in the campground for two nights during a cold, snowy weekend in February. We were welcome to warm by the fireplace in the main lodge and were able to rent snow shoes from there as well. Staff were very knowledgeable about local hikes and conditions.

  Ben Lang
a year ago
Absolutely love it here. The place is extremely clean and beautiful. Staff is very friendly and willing to help with anything. Parking can be difficult if you are not renting a campsite

  G M
4 years ago
Good place to set off on a hike to a few of the high peaks. Fresh water provided on site at no cost, rangers on site to answer questions and provide guidance. Parking fills up quickly so arrive early or you risk having to park farther away on a seasonal road which requires a ~1 mile walk to get to the Loj.

  J Ellis
3 years ago
The Campground Cabin cost is $179.00 a night. For that price it was a total disappointment! First of all, it s tiny! You can t even open the fridge without bumping into the dining room table. It comes complete with a broken toaster, coffee pot with no filters, no linens (which we expected, but still, for that price linens would be nice) and the location is terrible. It is right next to a campsite. It doesn t even have a view! The picnic table and fire pit are right behind the cabin next to the propane tank for ambiance. The lake is nice, but the beach area is very small and there is no dock as pictured above. You could book a much nicer accommodation for this price. It was a huge rip off. Also- it was incredibly loud! There was a group of about 10 boys in the campsite next to ours and they were loud all night. We were exhausted when we left.