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Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake

Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake, near Saranac Lake, New York, is a fantastic spot for those looking to immerse themselves in nature while enjoying some solid amenities. With a mix of tent sites, cabins, and lean-tos, it caters to various camping styles, making it a great base for adventures in the High Peaks Wilderness.

The campground is known for its clean facilities, including hot showers and flush toilets, which visitors appreciate after a long day of hiking. One camper mentioned, “The area was perfect!” highlighting the beautiful surroundings and the well-maintained sites that offer a good amount of privacy. You’ll find plenty of opportunities for hiking right from your campsite, with trails leading to stunning views of the mountains and the lake.

For those who enjoy a bit of socializing, the campground can get lively on weekends, but weekdays tend to be quieter, allowing for a more peaceful experience. As one reviewer noted, “Solid 10/10 would camp again!” This place is not just about the camping; it’s about the whole experience, from the breathtaking scenery to the friendly atmosphere. Whether you’re here for a weekend or a longer stay, Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake is a spot you won’t want to miss.

Description

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. Campsites There are 32 campsites located in the Wilderness Campground. Each campsite has a fire pit and picnic table. A limited number of sites are large enough to accommodate a pop-up camper or small trailer. A maximum of 6 people and a maximum of 3 tents are allowed per site. These sites are open year-round. Lean-tos The Wilderness Campground has 16 lean-tos, several are located adjacent to Heart Lake. Lean-tos are a traditional three-sided Adirondack shelter, they offer protection from weather but have the feel of sleeping out in the open. Each lean-to has a fire pit and picnic table. The lean-tos are open year-round. Canvas Cabins There are six canvas cabins in the Wilderness Campground, each sleeps six people in three bunk beds. The canvas cabins have mattresses but no pillows or linens are provided. Each canvas cabin has a fire pit and picnic table. They are open from the weekend prior to Memorial Day through Columbus Day.

Location

Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake is located in New York

Detail location of campground

Directions

FROM THE SOUTH: Take the Northway (Rt. 87) to Exit 30, Turn left on Rt. 73 toward Keene and Lake Placid. Continue on Rt. 73 for 26.5 miles. One mile before the Lake Placid ski jumps; turn left on Adirondak Loj Road (High Peaks Wilderness Trailhead Sign), five miles to the Loj to the end of the road. FROM THE NORTH: Take the Northway (Rt. 87) to Exit 34, Keeseville. Follow 9N to Jay and Rt. 86 to Lake Placid. Turn left on Rt. 73 before going through Lake Placid. In three miles, look for High Peaks Wilderness Trailhead Sign (one mile past the Lake Placid ski jumps) and turn right onto Adirondak Loj Road, five miles to the Loj to the end of the road. FROM THE WEST: Rt. 3 or 86 into Saranac Lake. Continue on Rt. 86 through Lake Placid. At the third traffic light, turn right onto Rt. 73 towards Keene. In three miles, look for High Peaks Wilderness Trailhead Sign (one mile past the Lake Placid ski jumps) and turn right onto Adirondak Loj Road, five miles to the Loj to the end of the road. After passing the entrance station, take the first right and proceed to the Loj.

Coordinates

44.1816589 N
73.96492782 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.
  • Boat-In
    Sites accessible by watercraft.

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Fair
  • Verizon
    Unknown
  • AT&T
    Good
  • T-Mobile
    Good

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Group
  • Cabins
  • Tent Cabin

Features

For Campers

  • Market
  • Trash
  • Picnic Table
  • Firewood Available
  • Reservable
  • Showers
  • Drinking Water
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

Reviews

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5.0

out of 5

9 Reviews

Reviewed Oct. 4, 2023

Great place

Stayed in a campground for one night just so I could hike Mount Marcy in the morning! It was 40 dollars a night and it has a great hot shower and flush toilet. The area was perfect!

Sitecampground 34
Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake by Kevin L., October 4, 2023
  • Review photo of Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake by Kevin L., October 4, 2023
  • Review photo of Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake by Kevin L., October 4, 2023
  • (5) View All
Reviewed Jun. 13, 2022

Week at Heart Lake

Solid 10/10 would camp again! We stayed at the Heart Lake Campground for a week and a half utilizing it as our home base for adventures into the High Peaks Wilderness and the greater Adirondack region. We had a very pleasant stay here and personally found the weekdays to be best for “camp days” given there were few people—weekends are PACKED and there were more than a couple of party sites. It did appear that you would be able to drive in without reservation on a weekday and find yourself a site! Specifically, our site was fairly flat and most were like this but there were some that appeared to have a slope if you happened to be car camping. There are two wash houses with showering and bathroom amenities that are cleaned weekly (from what we observed). Multiple water fill stations sprinkled throughout the campground area. This campground is primarily tent centric, however, there are yurts, lean-to’s, and a handful of cabins available (and of course the ADK Loj has rooms). There is Wi-Fi at the Loj and meals are served but we believe these are for Loj guests only.

Site25
Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake by Alex & Lauren K., June 13, 2022
  • Review photo of Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake by Alex & Lauren K., June 13, 2022
Reviewed Mar. 26, 2021

Absolutely beautiful

My boyfriend and I visited in late March when there was still a decent amount of snow on the site. Despite the lake being frozen over, the views just steps away from our lean to were gorgeous. The staff were really friendly and someone is available 24/7 in case you run into issues. The bathrooms are really nice and warm, especially during the cold off season. It definitely gets a little muddy this time of year due to snow melt, but we found it completely manageable. We have already planned a trip later this year because we loved it so much. (Photos are of lean-to 5)

  • Review photo of Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake by Kayla M., March 26, 2021
  • Review photo of Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake by Kayla M., March 26, 2021
  • Review photo of Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake by Kayla M., March 26, 2021
  • (6) View All
Reviewed Nov. 2, 2020

Thus far, my favorite spot

There’s no explaining the views around here. The mountains are beautiful, Lake Placid is beautiful, and this campsite is amazing. It’s pretty secluded, and from what others have said.. yes, beware of the roads coming in. 40MPH is too fast for these torn up roads. The campsite itself is great. They have cabins, lean-tos, and tent sites. My boyfriend and I braved the 12° nights and pitched a tent. There were a lot of campers, but the sites are spaced out and people were very respectful of noise/lights/other campers. I was bummed out to see no wildlife, but we did see a moose print on the hike up Mount Marcy!! (Unfortunately I only made it about 3/4 of the way and had to come back down. Not in amazing shape, but working on it 😂)

This is really one of my favorite spots. The Adirondack Loj is warm and inviting. The facilities are clean and well kept. I will FOR SURE be visiting again soon.

  • Review photo of Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake by Laura Nicole A., November 2, 2020
  • Review photo of Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake by Laura Nicole A., November 2, 2020
  • Review photo of Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake by Laura Nicole A., November 2, 2020
  • (24) View All
Reviewed Oct. 6, 2020

Great hikes, and location!

Rode in on a motorcycle late at night expecting to not be able to get in, but you can take a parking pass and drop an envelope with your fee at the entrance booth. $15 for a full day $8 after 1PM. The parking fills up fast for Mt. Marcy hikes. Would recommend sleeping at the Mt. Marcy dam lean-to’s (~2 mile hike in) the night before your hike to beat the crowds. **Road going in is very rough use extreme caution on a motorcycle with street tires

Reviewed Jun. 24, 2019

Great times had here

We had a great time at this campground. It has some trail heads on the grounds and so much to do on the area it located. There’s a beautiful lake here for doing all sorts of things at. The camping areas are large enough to fit everything you need on them, we pitched a tent.

  • Review photo of Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake by Erica M., June 24, 2019
Reviewed Aug. 18, 2018

cozy, private, beautiful views

I had a great one night stay at this campground last summer. Reserving online was easy, checking in was very straightforward, and our campsite (#10) was perfect. Our site was spacious and relatively private, flat, and shaded. The campground hosts came and checked on us once. The whole campground was quiet and beautifyl to stroll around and see the lake and nearby mountains. You can hike Algonquin, Iriquois, Wright Peak, and Mt. Jo all right from the campground. There are only 32 sites so it never felt too crowded.

Site10
Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake by Hannah O., August 18, 2018
  • Review photo of Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake by Hannah O., August 18, 2018
Reviewed Aug. 1, 2018

Newly improved, off grid, amenity central!

I was tagging along on a family camping trip arranged at this campground. I was absolutely impressed with the restrooms, dishwashing station, and beach area. I didn’t spend any time inside the Loj by the lake because I was camping with my dog and intentionally stayed off the Wi-Fi the whole trip, but family made use of the connection option. Despite a rainy week we made the most of the easily accessible mountains and the onsite convenience shop was helpful! Perfect distance from Lake Placid proper for an enforced retreat with the option to reconnect. Despite rather high density of sites they are well designed and the campground is quiet and dark at night for good rest!

Loved it!

Site32
Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake by Tigan W., August 1, 2018
  • Review photo of Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake by Tigan W., August 1, 2018
Reviewed Jul. 3, 2018

Adk Heart Lake Wilderness Campground

Lean to camping at it's best! The lean to I had was right on the lake and on the edge of the campground. It's a bit of a trek to a bathroom but well worth it. You can sit and chill by the lake,hike a mountain or hike around the lake. You can even head into Lake Placid if you want! One of my favorite places to be!

  • Review photo of Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake by cj J., July 3, 2018

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How much does it cost to camp at Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake?

    Camping at Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake can cost between $25.00 and $55.00 depending on the site.

  • Are fires allowed at Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

  • Is there cell phone reception at Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake?

    According to campers on TheDyrt.com, Verizon signal is unknown, AT&T is good, and T-Mobile is good.