Lake Placid, New York

Lake Placid in the Adirondacks is a good place to get lost. Known for its sophisticated take on outdoor style – knotty pine logs, birchbark wallpaper, native stone fireplaces – the town seems to seamlessly harmonize with the woods that surround it. Encompassing more than two-thirds of wilderness land in the U.S., the Adirondacks provide outdoor adventures that go beyond skiing and skating (like nighttime sleigh rides across the softly lit Mirror Lake). There are also the luxurious lodges that turn roasting marshmallows over an open fire or going for a walk in the forest into irresistible winter activities. Head out of Lake Placid’s busy downtown core to these modern versions of the region’s Great Camps, each offering its own brand of wooded bliss.

– Craille Maguire Gillies

Hotels

Lake Placid Lodge

While I sip hot cider, resident cat Steamboat purrs in the lobby. When not napping in the gift shop – fortunately not on the $1,100 cable-knit sweaters – he’s invited to guests’ rooms to feast on bacon strips. (It shows.) Guests are treated equally well with nightly bonfires by the lake – with s’mores, of course. Early one morning, my waiter prepares the perfect cup of tea to go with my still-warm homemade doughnuts. Then I warm up in front of the fire with the delightfully fat Sunday New York Times. When it comes to meeting my needs, the staff reads my mind.

The Point

The Point is off the beaten track. Directions are so covertly given, I half expect them to go up in smoke. The old Rockefeller camp has 11 rooms. In winter, a bonfire is built by the lakeside lean-to and the fully stocked outdoor bar – there are several throughout the 65-acre grounds – is opened. Here camping out means sleeping in beds warmed by walk-in fireplaces. That afternoon, an old movie at the private pub and a bespoke dogsled ride through the woods are among the entertainment. The manager says that most people don’t leave the grounds until they check out. No wonder.

Whiteface Lodge

Opened last June, the facade of this lodge is lined with 875 tons of Quebec granite. It’s the area’s biggest construction project since the 1980 Olympics. Handcrafted decor riffs on the Adirondacks’ decadent camps, with most of the work done on site. There are six fireplaces in the dining room alone, a 60-seat movie theatre plus a three-lane bowling alley. Developer Joe Barile plans to build a year-round outdoor skating rink. Luxurious but not at all stuffy, Whiteface is for those who like to cap off a day outdoors in the comfort of a two-floor, 2,500-square-foot condo. Now that’s the great indoors.