Getting ready to film in the Adirondack’s 6 million acres.

From HBO dramas and Netflix thrillers to reality television adventures and award-winning independent films, the Adirondacks have quietly become one of New York's most compelling on-screen stars.

The region's six million acres offer filmmakers something increasingly difficult to find: authentic wilderness, historic Great Camps, mountain villages, pristine lakes, and a sense of remoteness that can't be recreated on a soundstage.

Whether a production needs a luxury retreat for billionaires, a frozen borderland, or a mysterious summer camp hidden deep in the woods, the Adirondacks deliver.

That cinematic appeal is about to grow even stronger. In summer 2026, Netflix begins filming portions of its adaptation of Liz Moore’s bestselling novel The God of the Woods in Bolton Landing, bringing another major production to a region that continues to attract filmmakers searching for atmosphere, authenticity, and unforgettable scenery.

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For travelers, movie buffs, and curious locals, these productions offer a unique way to experience the Adirondacks through a different lens.

dramatic views from high falls gorge in wilmington, ny — Scenes from and episode of the hit HBO series, Succession, were filmed at High Falls Gorge near Wilmington.

Why filmmakers keep returning to the Adirondacks.

The Adirondack Park is larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, Glacier, Grand Canyon, and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks combined. It contains more than 3,000 lakes and ponds, thousands of miles of rivers and streams, historic hotels, Gilded Age estates, mountain highways, forests, and small towns.

For filmmakers, that variety means multiple worlds can exist within a few hours' drive.

For viewers, it means there's a good chance you've seen the Adirondacks on screen without realizing it.

The next big Adirondack production: Netflix's The God of the Woods.

If there is one project likely to put the Adirondacks back into the national spotlight, it's Netflix's upcoming adaptation of The God of the Woods.

Based on Liz Moore's bestselling novel, the series is a multigenerational mystery set in the Adirondacks. The story centers on the disappearance of 13-year-old Barbara Van Laar from a family-owned summer camp, unraveling decades of secrets, privilege, and tragedy hidden beneath the surface of a wealthy Adirondack dynasty.

Black and white image of Lake George shrouded in mist. — Lake George gives great atmosphere.

Netflix has announced a cast that includes Maya Hawke and Kerry Condon, with filming beginning in New York during 2026. Portions of the production are scheduled for Bolton Landing on Lake George, where casting calls have sought local residents for background roles.

For readers who loved the novel, seeing familiar Adirondack landscapes appear on screen will be one of the series' biggest attractions.

Escape at Dannemora: A tense, true-crime drama in the Northern Adirondacks.

Few productions have captured the rugged, isolated character of the northern Adirondacks as effectively as Escape at Dannemora.

Directed by Ben Stiller, the acclaimed Showtime limited series dramatizes the real-life 2015 escape from Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora. Patricia Arquette, Benicio Del Toro, and Paul Dano deliver powerhouse performances in a story that feels almost too unbelievable to be true.

What makes the series especially compelling for Adirondack viewers is its commitment to filming on location. Production crews worked in Dannemora, Malone, Plattsburgh, and at the actual correctional facility involved in the escape.

Benicio Del Toro appears in the compelling drama, Escape at Dannemora, filmed in the Adirondacks.

The result is a drama that captures the stark beauty, long winters, and geographic isolation of New York's northernmost Adirondack communities.

Today, the series remains one of the most acclaimed productions ever filmed in the region.

Frozen River: An Adirondack masterpiece.

Long before prestige television arrived in the Adirondacks, Frozen River proved the region could anchor award-winning cinema.

The movie frozen river filmed in the Adirondacks. — “Frozen River” depicts a family’s struggle to survive.

Shot near Plattsburgh and along the U.S.-Canadian border, Courtney Hunt's 2008 independent drama follows two women struggling to survive economically while smuggling immigrants across the frozen St. Lawrence River.

Melissa Leo's Oscar-nominated performance grounds the film in emotional realism, while the icy landscapes become characters in their own right.

The Adirondacks portrayed here aren't vacation postcards.

They're working-class communities confronting harsh winters, economic uncertainty, and impossible choices.

The film won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize and remains one of the most important movies ever filmed in northern New York.

The film follows two women as they make perilous car journeys across the ice of a frozen river. Along the way, they encounter unsavory characters on both sides of the border and transport human cargo in the trunk of their car.

Watch the trailer for “Frozen River.”

With several plot twists and turns, this gripping drama tells the story of lives caught in economic hardship, featuring two brave and resourceful women willing to do whatever it takes. The narrative does not take sides; it isn’t solely about illegal immigration or smuggling. Instead, it highlights the effort to replace popcorn and Tang with a warm meal.

You can stream Frozen River on Amazon channels.

Succession: Billionaires behaving badly in Lake George and Lake Placid.

Perhaps no recent series showcased Adirondack luxury more effectively than HBO's Succession.

The first Adirondack appearance comes during Kendall Roy's daughter's birthday celebration, filmed at The Great Escape in Lake George. Local viewers immediately recognized the roller coasters, pathways, and unmistakable Storytown-era atmosphere.

Later that season, the show returns to the Adirondacks for one of its most memorable episodes: "Argestes."

The fictional media conference unfolds in Lake Placid, with scenes filmed at the Lake Placid Lodge, Whiteface Lodge, High Falls Gorge, and the Palace Theatre.

Get an inside view of the Succession episode filmed at several locations across the Lake Placid Region.

Whiteface Mountain rises in the background while media moguls, billionaires, and power brokers maneuver behind closed doors.

The contrast feels uniquely Adirondack: extraordinary natural beauty serving as a backdrop for extraordinary human dysfunction.

Billions and White Pine Camp.

Not to be outdone, Showtime's Billions brought its own gathering of elites to the Adirondacks.

The episode "The Owl" uses White Pine Camp near Paul Smiths, NY, as the setting for a secretive retreat inspired by California's Bohemian Grove.

White Pine Camp may be one of the most cinematic properties in the Adirondacks. Its handcrafted cabins, lakeside setting, tea house, and historic buildings provide exactly the kind of atmosphere producers love.

Nearby Paul Smith's College also appeared in the episode, demonstrating how the region's architecture can double as everything from wilderness retreats to exclusive private compounds.

Running Wild with Bear Grylls and Shaquille O'Neal.

After “Frozen River” and “Escape at Dannemora,” one might be ready for something a little lighter and life-affirming.

Not every Adirondack production involves scripted drama.

One of the most entertaining examples arrives in an episode of Running Wild with Bear Grylls featuring NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal.

Over two days in the Adirondack wilderness, Shaq rappels from cliffs, sleeps outdoors, navigates dense forests, and confronts a variety of challenges specifically designed to test someone seven feet tall.

It’s Shaq vs a cliff on a very special episode of Running Wild with Bear Grylls.

The episode also highlights something many visitors discover for themselves: the Adirondacks can feel genuinely wild.

Even celebrities aren't immune.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey run wild in Lake George.

Reality television found its way to the Adirondacks, too.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey visited the Lake George region on multiple occasions, including a memorable stay at the historic Inn at Erlowest.

The lakeside castle, dramatic winter scenery, and inevitable interpersonal conflicts made for excellent television.

The Real Housewives bring the drama to Lake George in winter. Experience the mayhem.

Years later, cast members returned to the southern Adirondacks, visiting Bolton Landing restaurants, local boating excursions, and waterfront properties around Lake George.

The scenery remained gorgeous.

The conversations, perhaps less so.

ADK Taste insight.

The Adirondacks have long attracted filmmakers because they can play so many different roles.

One day, the region becomes a luxury retreat for media moguls. The next, it's a prison town, a frozen border crossing, a survival challenge, or a mysterious summer camp hiding dark secrets

That versatility continues to attract productions large and small. Organizations such as Adirondack Film actively promote the region to filmmakers and support productions throughout the Adirondacks

With The God of the Woods now filming and new productions continually scouting locations across northern New York, the Adirondacks' role as a filming destination appears stronger than ever.

Foot bridge at White Pine Camp to Japanese tea house in the Adirondacks. — White Pine Camp was once known as the Summer White House.

ADK Taste recommendations.

Want to create your own Adirondack film-location road trip?

Start with:

The Great Escape near Lake George Village(Succession)
Lake Placid Lodge (Succession)
Whiteface Lodge in Lake Placid (Succession)
High Falls Gorge in Wilmington near Whiteface (Succession)
White Pine Camp near Paul Smiths (Billions)
Inn at Erlowest on Lake George (Real Housewives of New Jersey)
Bolton Landing, where The God of the Woods is filming during summer 2026.

Together, they offer a fascinating way to experience the Adirondacks beyond the hiking trails and lakefront beaches.

ADK Taste perspective.

The Adirondacks rarely play themselves on screen.

Sometimes they're a billionaire playground. Sometimes they're a crime scene. Sometimes they're a place where people get lost, disappear, escape, or reinvent themselves.

Yet the reason filmmakers keep returning remains remarkably simple: few places in the Northeast offer this combination of wilderness, history, mystery, and visual drama.

And while cameras eventually leave, the landscapes remain.

The best part? Unlike the characters in many of these productions, visitors can experience the Adirondacks without a script.

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