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Don't let the word wilderness make you think only tents and backpacks are allowed. The region also includes charming hamlets on well-maintained highways. Here are some "can't miss" driving routes with vistas featuring mountains, lakes and woodlands.
One of the most famous views in the northeast is located on Route 86, north of Saranac Lake at its intersection with Rt. 186. Here the expansive Bloomingdale bog opens below you, providing a wide panorama of the Adirondack High Peaks in the background.
Unless you climb a peak, there is no better view of the tallest mountains in New York, including Mt. Marcy, 5,344 feet high. There are several narrow, unofficial pull-offs along the north-bound lane.
Barbara and David Kramer of Union Vale, NY, pulled to the side of the road to take pictures.
"We try to get up here every year [from the Hudson Valley]," she said. "It's so dramatic, especially in the fall."
"There's so much space and it's so uncrowded," David added. He explained that he commuted daily to a job in the Bronx. "I probably see more people in a day than you see all month up here."
Fall foliage dresses the Rt. 86 view in gold and crimson. In the winter, the setting sun paints snowy peaks pink, an effect known as Alpenglow. And in the summer, you can savor the view and the area's best soft ice cream at Donnelly's.
Families make regular pilgrimages to Donnelly's, sometimes traveling for hours. There is a single flavor offered every day, always twisted with vanilla. The ice cream is exceptionally rich, boasting higher butterfat content than average soft-serve. Couple that with the view, and you have the perfect excuse for a road trip.
Continue north along Rt. 86 to Paul Smiths and you'll pass through open fields in the hamlet of Gabriels, which provide more panoramic views of mountains. If you stop, look south for the best view of Moose Mountain with its scar of naked rock.
A classic drive that starts in the farmland of the Mohawk Valley and bisects most of the Adirondack Park originates on Rt. 10 in Canajoharie off Rt. 90, the NYS Thruway, and ends 144 miles later in Saranac Lake.
Rt. 10 moves north through Stone Arabia and Palatine Bridge into the Adirondack foothills, entering the boundary of the Adirondack Park just south of Caroga Lake. Follow the winding route through the hamlets of Canada Lake, Pine Lake and Arietta. The huge hardwoods create a cathedral arch overhead.
Rt. 10 ends at Rt. 8. Make a right and continue through the hamlets of Lake Pleasant and Speculator, with views across Lake Pleasant. Driving north from Speculator on Rt. 30, you will soon see 4,365-acre Indian Lake on your right. The mountains really begin here and the lake backed by mountains is stunning in any season.
In Indian Lake village, continue on Rt. 30 to Blue Mountain Lake, home of the Adirondack Museum, sometimes referred to as the "Smithsonian of the Adirondacks." The museum is open daily from Memorial Day weekend through the weekend after Columbus Day.
Rt. 30 continues to Long Lake, passing along the sandy shore of its public beach and one of the last of the old-time wooden hostelries, the Adirondack Hotel, which is still welcoming restaurant and overnight guests.
There are long stretches of wilderness with no services between hamlets, so plan your food and gas stops accordingly.
Such is the case with the 23-mile stretch from Long Lake to Tupper Lake. You'll enjoy expansive views across wetlands before Tupper Lake (the body of water) comes into view. Shortly before entering the Village of Tupper Lake, you'll find a state-of-the-art boat launch, where you can pause to appreciate the wild, undeveloped far shore. The lake is a favorite with fishermen.
The Wild Center is located in Tupper Lake. This world-class natural history museum delves into the reasons the Adirondack ecosystem is unique and features dozens of interactive exhibits, a crackling glacier, live otters and a trail system; open daily from Memorial Day through Oct. 31, and Thursday through Sunday the rest of the year.
The final leg of the journey continues on Rt. 30 for several miles before bending gently to the right on Rt. 3. Before that junction is a newly refurbished parking lot and launch into the Raquette River. The winding river is a favorite with canoeists and kayakers.
Rt. 3 threads among the Saranac Chain of Lakes and includes views of Lower Saranac Lake. Before entering the village of Saranac Lake (which actually breasts Lake Flower) you'll see a yellow-on-brown sign for State Bridge, the parking area that marks the jumping off point for Saranac Island Camping.
Saranac Lake is the largest village inside the Adirondack Park, with restaurants, lodging and shopping. Its fledgling artists' colony means you will find galleries and Pendragon Theater.
The final drive features a view of the High Peaks that is best known by locals and rarely found by casual sightseers. It includes Whiteface Mountain, site of 1932 and 1980 Olympic Alpine events.
If approaching the Adirondacks from the north, take Rt. 3 south from Plattsburgh. You'll pass through small hamlets like Cadyville and Saranac (not to be confused with Saranac Lake) before reaching Vermontville in about 30 minutes. Look for Norman Ridge Road and turn left. The view is heart-stopping.
Norman Ridge Rd. is short. Follow it to Fletcher Farm Rd., make a right to rejoin Rt. 3 and continue to Bloomingdale and then Saranac Lake.
There is beauty wherever you turn in Adirondack Lake Country.
