Hotels

Accommodations range from tiny lakeside motels of varying quality to chains to exclusive getaways and secluded campsites. In Lake Placid, room rates are not set in stone. The village hosts many events, such as major hockey tournaments, so even in the off season, you could find rates on some days that rival those of the summer season. Chains offer good value for families. The Best Western Mountain Lake Inn, 487 Lake Flower Ave., Saranac Lake (tel. 800/780-7234 or 518/891-1970), provides clean, spacious rooms and has an indoor pool.

Campgrounds

For a truly unique experience, canoe out to one of the solitary sites on Saranac Lake Islands, Saranac Lake (tel. 518/891-3170; www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/24496.html), and pitch your tent away from the crush of car campers. Sites cost $18. Open mid-May to Columbus Day. Whispering Pines Campground, Route 73, Lake Placid (tel. 518/523-9322), is a sprawling campground right on the outskirts of Lake Placid. You can set up deep inside the woods, but be prepared for loud partyers in RVs. If you're one of them, you'll love it here. Tent campers in search of a back-to-nature experience will want to look elsewhere. Tent sites are $19; water and electric hookups are $25 to $29. Ausable Point Campground (tel. 518/561-7080; www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/24452.html) sits on a stunning patch of land overlooking Lake Champlain with 123 sites. There's a shoreline of natural sand, and the campground borders a wildlife management area with a hiking trail. Open mid-May to mid-October, Cranberry Lake Campground, off Route 30 in Lake Cranberry (tel. 315/848-2315; www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/24460.html), sits on a lake in one of the most undeveloped parts of the park, yet the campground is easily accessible.

Backcountry Blunders: Do's & Don'ts -- Don't camp within 150 feet of roads, trails, or bodies of water.

Lean-tos are for everyone; yes, you must share!

No outhouse? No problem: Dig a hole 6 to 8 inches deep and at least 150 feet from water or campsites. Cover with leaves and soil.

We like you smelling fresh, but no soap within 150 feet of water.

Giardia is one bug you can avoid: Boil, filter, or treat water.

Use only dead and down wood for fires.

Carry out what you carry in.

Leave wildlife and plants undisturbed -- doing otherwise is not nice and it's illegal.