A 3.5-mile hike into the backcountry takes you to ADK’s Johns Brook Property, home to Johns Brook Lodge (JBL), Grace Camp, Camp Peggy O’Brien, and three lean-tos.
Accessible only by foot, these spots offer an opportunity to experience a remote wilderness setting with some frontcountry comforts. It’s a popular base camp for trips up many High Peaks, including Big Slide, Marcy, Gothics, and others in the Great Range.
Johns Brook Lodge
Johns Brook Lodge sleeps twenty-eight people in co-ed bunk rooms. There are two four-person bunks rooms and two ten-person bunk rooms.
Pillows are provided. Guests must bring sheets, pillowcases, blankets, sleeping bags, and towels. Propane is used for all cooking and lighting. There is a woodstove in the living room. Coffee is provided. The lodge features two vaulted toilets, but not showers.
Full-service Season
From mid-June to Labor Day, meals are included in the reservation rate beginning with dinner on the day of arrival and ending with a packed lunch on the day of departure.
Breakfast is served from 7:30–8:30 a.m. Trail lunches are prepared in advance and available to take on the trail. Dinner is only available at one seating beginning at 6:30 p.m. Food is served family-style and there is rarely remaining food available to late-arriving guests.
Meals for those with dietary restrictions (gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, and allergies) are available. To prepare them, Johns Brook Lodge staff need to know at least 24 hours in advance.
The kitchen and refrigerators are not available to guests during full-service season. The lodge does have a place to store food that doesn’t need to be refrigerated, so feel free to bring a few snacks.
Caretaker Season
From Labor Day to late-June, the lodge operates under caretaker service. The caretaker is available to provide trail information and oversee the lodge. There is no crew to serve meals. However, the kitchen is available for guests to prepare the food that they pack in.
The kitchen includes refrigerator space, pots, pans, dishes, and cutlery. The JBL kitchen is outfitted to prepare and serve twenty-eight guests during full service. Guests are expected to do their own dishes and clean up after themselves. Guests should bring closed-toe cabin shoes.
Cabins
The backcountry cabins at ADK’s Johns Brook Property offer a unique experience in the Adirondacks. Both cabins have a full set of kitchenware, propane stove, and sink.
There is no running water inside the cabins—guests will need to either collect water at Johns Brook Lodge or boil water from a nearby brook. During the colder months, the cabins are heated with propane heaters.
Both camps feature vault privies. Toilet paper is not provided. Do not throw trash into the drums.
Grace Camp
Grace Camp provides a convenient base camp for hikes in the Central High Peaks. The cabin accommodates six people in one room.
Guests must bring sheets, pillowcases, sleeping bags, and towels. Propane is used for all cooking and lighting. Mattresses are provided.
Camp Peggy O’Brien
Camp Peggy O’Brien offers a convenient base camp for hikes in the Central High Peaks. The cabin accommodates twelve people in one room.
Guests must bring sheets, pillowcases, sleeping bags, and towels. Propane is used for all cooking and lighting. Mattresses are provided.
Lean-tos
ADK’s lean-tos in the Johns Brook Valley offer a private and tranquil Adirondack camping experience. During the summer (June through September) guests can borrow bear-resistant food canisters and obtain potable water from Johns Brook Lodge.
Outhouses are located near each of the lean-tos. Fires are not permitted.
Additional Information About JBL
All facilities on the Johns Brook Property are carry in, carry out. Guests must remove their own garbage.
Water is available at a spigot outside Johns Brook Lodge from Memorial Day Weekend through Indigenous Peoples’ Weekend. Otherwise, water should be filtered, chemically treated, or brought to a rolling boil for a minimum of two minutes, as recommended by the New York State Department of Health.
Please visit our Lodging and Camping Information page for further information about our facilities.