Enjoy the Adirondack Experience

There is nothing like a mountain landscape to make you appreciate the beauty of nature, and the Adirondack Mountains are some of the most mesmerizing on earth. The emerald green of the forests, and the sapphire blue lakes are scenes taken straight out of a fairytale. 

The Adirondack Region is a land full of resources, history, and culture, making it the hidden gem of New York State. To truly comprehend the beauty and significance of the region, you have to experience it for yourself. Lucky for you, The Adirondack Experience is a museum near Blue Mountain Lake designed just for that.

Where is the Adirondack Region?

The Adirondack Mountains stand in Northeastern New York, in Hamilton County. The Mountains form a circular dome around 160 miles wide and cover roughly 6 million acres. The entire region was destinated as a protected state park in 1892, making it one of the first “forever wild forest preserves” in the contiguous United States.

It is also one of the largest protected areas in the nation covering an area larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, The Grand Canyon, and Glacier Parks combined. It’s within this vast area where you can find Blue Mountain Lake and The Adirondack Experience located on NY-30.

The Adirondack Experience Museum looks down above the eastern shore of Blue Mountain Lake. The museum rests on the location of a historic hotel called “Blue Mountain House”, in the hamlet of “Blue Mountain Lake”, near the peak of (you guessed it) Blue Mountain. The Adirondack Experience does note that the land is situated on the aboriginal territories of the Mohawk and Abenaki communities. They emphasize this, as they believe it is their responsibility to acknowledge the area's historical context.

A Brief History of the Region

The first Iroquoian peoples (the Mohawk and the Oneida) arrived in this region between 4,000 and 1,200 years ago. The space was often left blank and nameless on European maps until the later 1700s when the natural beauty and resources of the area began to attract attention. 

The region became popular with tourists, spurring the building of hotels such as the Blue Mountain House. This log hotel is still standing on the grounds of the Adirondack Experience. The Prospect House is another popular hotel in the region and is the first hotel in the world to have an electric light in every room! To protect the land, the Mountains were designated as a Protected State Park in the early 1890s, officially establishing the area as Adirondack Park.

What is the Adirondack Experience?

The Adirondack Experience, formally the Adirondack Museum, is a Museum that celebrates the history, art, culture, and natural beauty of the region. This museum aims to build reciprocal relationships within the communities of the Adirondack, including the Indigenous nations of the region. Once called “the best [museum] of its kind in the world” by the New York Times, The mission of the Adirondack Experience (formally Adirondack Museum) is to: 

“preserve and interpret the diverse stories of Adirondack history, culture, and people to spark thoughtful dialogue and help shape the Adirondacks of the future.”

The Adirondack Experience is an open-air campus made up of 20+ buildings on 120 acres of land. 

The campus includes but is not limited to:

• Museum
• Boathouse with a nearby lake and pond
• Perennial Garden
• Firetower
• The Adirondack Lake Center for the Arts (nearby)
• Large lawns 
• And more!

What Can You Do?

There is no shortage of ways you can enjoy the Adirondack Experience during your trip. You can steep yourself in the cultural history at the museum, by learning about the 30,000 artifacts. As part of the tour, you can experience a Storywalk™ in which you read Adirondack tale page-by-page as you tour the museum campus.

If you enjoy art, you could watch local artists-in-residence demonstrate their craft, and even make some art yourself! The nearby Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts hosts galleries, live entertainment, and workshops throughout the year. For a calendar of events, see here!

If you are more of an “outdoorsy” type, the Adirondacks are the perfect place to spend your vacation. The more adventurous types can enjoy hiking the mountains and climbing the Whiteface Mountain Fire Tower. More laid-back visitors may enjoy a stroll through the perennial gardens or playing lawn games on the green. Regardless of your speed of outdoor fun, the Adirondacks have an experience that’s perfect for you. 

Stay with Us

Make the most of your Adirondack Experience by staying at Covewood Lodge. Our historic main lodge and 19 cottages embrace the rustic comfort of the Adirondack lifestyle. 

Our lodge rests among the balsam firs, spruce, and cedar trees along the shores of Big Moose Lake. We host guests of all ages to reconnect with nature and enjoy the beautiful mountain landscapes. Whether you are a single traveler looking for some rest and respite, or a full family looking to create generations of memories, we welcome you to Covewood Lodge.