Days Three, Four, and Five: Keene to St. Regis (25 Miles)
Paddling New York's Adirondack State Park (518.846.8016; www.adk.com) has always been the best way to savor this vast wilderness. Guideboats, a little larger than rowboats, were used in the 19th century to escort visitors on the network of waterways that form a vast web of blue throughout the Adirondacks. Today, these routes are still being used by avid paddlers in search of much-needed solace.

Take a two-night retreat on a deserted island in the Adirondack waterways that includes countless ponds and the Saranac Lakes. Creeks, inundated with beaver dams and lily pads, connect the placid waters of the ponds. Mountains hovering over 2,500 feet surround the lakes.

St. Regis Canoe Outfitters (518.891.1838; www.canoeoutfitters.com) will help plan an itinerary and provide all the necessary amenities for a canoe trip, including canoe, paddles, maps, tents, backpacks, and sleeping bags.