Great Camp

A Great Camp is a category of resort accommodation set in deep forest, born in the Adirondacks of New York between 1870 and 1930 and originally designed for the Vanderbilt, Rockefeller and Morgan families. The architectural style blends logs, birch bark, rough stone and overhanging roofs, drawing on Alpine chalet and Algonquian traditions. The contemporary hotel model turns these heritage estates into ultra-confidential venues, often privatisable, where total seclusion remains the watchword. A lesser-known feature : half of the active Great Camps are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which imposes strict restoration rules and caps the expansion of room count. Guests favour stays of four nights minimum, under full concierge management.