The Best Hotels in Saranac Lake

There's no sign at the end of the drive, which tells you something about the clientele. This Forbes Five Star Adirondack camp resort sits on a private peninsula of Upper Saranac Lake, stone fireplaces and twig furniture in every room, and guests dress for black-tie dinner twice a week around a communal table. Snowshoeing, croquet, and champagne at 4 a.m. are all equally on offer, which is roughly the point.

Lake Flower practically laps at the lobby of this contemporary lakeside lodge on the shores of Saranac Lake, a town the Adirondacks' mid-century eclipse left more or less unspoiled. The Saranac Waterfront Lodge reads as a grand lakeside hotel updated for now, with the activities and amenities that formula implies. Hikers, paddlers, and people who just want to stare at water from a comfortable chair all seem equally at home here.