Three Winter Weekend events will be held for the sixth consecutive year at Camp Santanoni in Newcomb.

The events will take place during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, January 19-21; Presidents Day holiday weekend, February 16-18; and the weekend of March 16-17.

These Winter Weekends have grown in popularity in recent years as cross-country skiers and snowshoers access the historic great camp property to rest, tour the buildings, and view interpretative displays.

A 9.8-mile round trip cross-country ski or snowshoe excursion traverses from Camp Santanoni’s Gate Lodge complex to the remote lakeside main lodge complex. The trip provides a moderate physical activity and a great opportunity to enjoy the outdoors.

During the three Winter Weekend events, cross-country skiers and snowshoers will be able to visit both the Gate Lodge and Main Lodge of Camp Santanoni, view displays about the great camp, and take interpretive tours with AARCH staff. While people may visit Camp Santanoni 365 days a year, the buildings are not typically open to the public during the winter months.

The wood stove heated Artist’s Studio, a log and stone building near the main lodge on the shores of Newcomb Lake, will be open as a warming hut. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own cup to enjoy free coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. The Adirondack Interpretive Center will provide snowshoes at the Gate Lodge for any visitors without their own.

Staff from ESF’s AIC will be hosting a Wildlife Animal Tracking program at the Farm Complex from 1 to 2 pm on Saturday, January 19. This is a fun learning experience for families and children of every age.

In addition to the popular trip from the Gate Lodge to the Main Lodge, cross-country skiers and snowshoers are encouraged to take the half mile-trail that connects Camp Santanoni to the nearby AIC’s 3.6-mile trail system. The center’s buildings will be open 10 am to 4 pm during the Winter Weekend Events.

Construction of Camp Santanoni began in 1892 by Robert and Anna Pruyn and eventually consisted of more than four dozen buildings on 12,900 acres, including a working farm, the Gate Lodge complex, and a huge rustic Main Lodge and other buildings situated on Newcomb Lake. Camp Santanoni was in private ownership until 1972. Over the last several decades of state ownership, the camp has been restored through a partnership between DEC, AARCH, and the town of Newcomb. Santanoni is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark. Camp Santanoni is considered by many to be the classic Adirondack Great Camp.

Reservations are not required. Amenities are provided in the nearby community of Newcomb. The three Winter Weekend events are being hosted by the Friends of Camp Santanoni and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry’s (ESF) Adirondack Interpretive Center (AIC). The Friends of Camp Santanoni is a partnership between DEC, Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH), the Town of Newcomb.

Contact AARCH at (518) 834-9328 for more information on the Winter Weekends. Additional information about Camp Santanoni, the AIC, and the Newcomb area is available at the DEC Camp Santanoni website, Adirondack Architectural Heritage website, Adirondack Interpretive Center website, and the town of Newcomb website.

Photo of Camp Santanoni  provided by DEC.