About Great Camp Sagamore

Great Camp Sagamore was built in 1897 by visionary Great Camp designer William West Durant on 1,526 acres of remote wilderness in the Adirondack Park. The Camp was a wilderness retreat for the Vanderbilt family for half a century.  It is now a National Historic Landmark managed by a non-profit educational institution as a public trust open to all.

Our Mission

“To steward historic Great Camp Sagamore as a welcoming place for education and connections to history, nature, and community.”

Land Acknowledgment

Great Camp Sagamore sits on lands and waters cared for by the Algonkian people known as the Mahican for over ten thousand years and more recently by the Iroquoian-speaking people we now call the Mohawk, and the Algonquian-speaking Abenaki people. We remember their connection to this place and recognize the many hardships they continue to endure. In the 19th century, Native people from these nations began to work as guides and artisans in the Sagamore region. Many of Mahican, Mohawk, and Abenaki descent still live in the Adirondacks to this day. We give thanks for the opportunity to share and protect this place and to better incorporate at the Sagamore, Native values of land management and conservation ethics. We hope that this is an opening to learn more.

Please read our entire land acknowledgement to better understand the deep Native connections to this area--past, present, and future.

Our Objectives

Stewardship: Preserving, protecting and enhancing the quality, aesthetic and historical value of Great Camp Sagamore, a state and national treasure, in recognition of its historical, cultural and environmental significance, and its capacity to motivate others.

Education: Providing multifaceted tours and programs grounded in the natural, cultural and historic resources of the Adirondack great camp tradition that offer enjoyable and thought-provoking intersections for individuals and families to share ideas and camaraderie.

Recreation: Offering individuals and families hands-on opportunities to experience the Adirondacks, learn new skills, and connect with others.

Renewal: Providing space to balance the mind, body and spirit in an inspirational, relaxed natural environment