THE great outdoors beckons, even in the dead of winter.

The Susquehannock Trail System is an 85-mile network of skiing, hiking and snowshoe trails through the Allegheny Mountains.

Camping Under a Mantle of Snow

Five spots in the Northeast ideal for the hardy lover of blissful winter solitude.

Yes, it is colder, windier. But the air is crisper, the views clearer, the animal tracks easier to see. And that blanket of snow on the ground and the glaze of ice on bare tree branches transform the woods. Here is the best part, though, hikers, skiers and snowshoers say: the abundance of blissful winter solitude.

So, it is the perfect time to go camping, right? Here are five spots in the Northeast ideal for the hardy lover of snow and cold. Accommodations range from lean-tos to campsites for your weather-ready tent, from modest cabins to rustic lodges. Spartan, yes. But it sure beats waiting in lift lines.

But before venturing too far, refer to the Trip Planner section of the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Web site — www.outdoors.org/recreation/snow/index.cfm. Included are tips on winter camping and activities, gear and safety information, suggestions on dressing for cold-weather recreation and a winter gear list.

NORTH-CENTRAL MAINE

The first of five wonderlands for winter camping is in north-central Maine. The Appalachian Mountain Club operates two traditional camps situated in the state’s 100-Mile Wilderness region, part of the magnificent Maine Woods. The 100-Mile Wilderness is a roadless corridor that includes part of the Appalachian Trail and the Gulf Hagas loop trail.

And there are cabins equipped with gas or kerosene lamps and wood stoves. The Little Lyford Pond Camps, built in the 1870s, are remote camps reached by a seven-mile cross-country ski route. There are a main lodge, where meals are served, a bunkhouse and seven cabins, each with a wood stove. Sorry, no spa or granite countertops.

According to the mountain club’s “Discover Maine” travel guide, written by Ty Wivell, the Little Lyford Pond Camps are surrounded by woods and trails ideal for skiing and snowshoeing. The Medawisla Wilderness Camps, also operated by the club, are in the 100-Mile Wilderness as well.

Of special interest near Little Lyford is Laurie’s Ledge Trail, which is good for snowshoeing and offers, on a clear day, a stunning view of Mount Katahdin. Gulf Hagas, often called the Grand Canyon of Maine, is to the southeast of Little Lyford Ponds and can be reached by the River Trail, which follows the Pleasant River Tote Road.

Daily rates for a cabin at Little Lyford and Medawisla for the winter season, which runs through March, is $100 a day for adults who are club members and $120 for nonmembers. The rate is $120; $140 on Saturdays. Bunkhouse rates are $69 and $89 every day but Saturday. Three daily meals are included, and few things beat a hot meal after an exhilarating day on the trails. Reservations are required at both Little Lyford and Medawisla, which is on Second Roach Pond and is surrounded by 35 miles of trails.


Little Lyford Pond Camps: www.outdoors.org/lyford. Medawisla Wilderness Camps: www.outdoors.org/medawisla.

WEST-CENTRAL NEW HAMPSHIRE

Mount Cardigan, in the state’s Lakes Region, is a relatively low mountain at 3,155 feet, but “Old Baldy” offers a range of terrain, from hardwood forests to a wind-swept summit. At the mountain’s base is Cardigan Lodge and a campground run by the Appalachian Mountain Club. Another rustic retreat, High Cabin, is on the mountain.

Cardigan Lodge is in a 1,200-acre reservation, also owned by the mountain club. There are about 50 miles of trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. The lodge is heated in winter and has 13 coed bunk rooms that sleep two to six. Rates range from $35 per adult in the off-season for a shared room to $41 for a private room.

High Cabin, also owned and managed by the mountain club, is a rustic retreat near the summit that was built in 1931 and renovated in 2004. High Cabin specializes in scenic views and solitude. Rates range from $69 to $125 per night for full rental of the cabin, which can accommodate up to 12 people. Club members get a discount.

Tom Fisher, who manages Cardigan Lodge, recommends a snowshoeing trip that starts and ends at the lodge. It is a 3.8-mile loop over the Manning, Holt, Vistamont, Clark and Woodland trails, and there is an ascent and descent of about 1,000 feet, but it goes through grand, open beech woods and offers a lot of afternoon sun.

Mr. Fisher recommends a four-mile loop to cross-country skiers: Leave Cardigan Lodge, go down the Lower Manning Trail to the 93Z Ski Trail. Follow the 93Z Ski Trail to the Duke’s Ski Trail, which opens to a meadow. The Manning Trail, named after three brothers who were killed while hiking in 1924, takes a skier back to the lodge.

Cardigan Lodge: www.outdoors.org/cardigan. Appalachian Mountain Club reservations, (603) 466-2727; Mondays through Saturdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; or www.outdoors.org/reservations.

NORTHWEST CONNECTICUT

Just two hours north of New York City awaits an expanse of woods that looks as if it could be in northern New England. J. T. Horn, a project manager for the Trust for Public Land, a conservation group, recommends a part of the Appalachian Trail to cross-country skiers and snowshoers that offers a big climb, a big descent and a big river.

The route starts near Kent, Conn., a small town on Route 7. Turn onto Route 341, then right onto Skiff Mountain Road, which crosses the Appalachian Trail, the start of the tour. The trail climbs about three-quarters of a mile to the top of Caleb’s Peak. Continue another three-quarters of a mile and you reach St. John’s Ledges, with a view of Kent and the Housatonic River Valley.


Ski poles can help on the half-mile descent to River Road, which is not plowed. Pass through a gate to continue north on the Appalachian Trail, along the bank of the Housatonic River as it passes below Skiff Mountain. This section, Mr. Horn said, is nearly flat and ideal for cross-country skiing. The trail passes the Stewart Hollow Brook Lean-To and the Stony Brook Campsite, then crosses open fields before intersecting with River Road, 6.6 miles from the start of the journey.

The Stewart Hollow Brook Lean-To and the Stony Brook Campsite are both official Appalachian Trail campsites and are free to use on a first-come first-served basis. Lean-tos are three-sided structures with roofs. Campsites are for tents. Mr. Horn points out that no fires are allowed on the Appalachian Trail in Connecticut, so winter campers should plan accordingly.


NORTHERN NEW JERSEY

New Jersey has 10 state parks and forests that offer camping facilities year round. Dana Loschiavo, of the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry, recommends Stokes State Forest, which has panoramic vistas, as well as winter activities like ice fishing, ice skating, sledding, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing.

Stokes is off Route 206, four miles north of Branchville, virtually at the northernmost tip of the state. A 9.3-mile section of the Appalachian Trail cuts through the 16,356-acre forest along the Kittatinny Ridge.

Some of the park’s 51 tent and trailer sites are open all year and have fire rings and picnic tables. The fee is $20 a night. There are also nine lean-tos available year round with fire rings and picnic tables. The fee is $30 a night. The state advises that reservations be made.

To the south, near Blairstown and off Interstate 80, the Mohican Outdoor Center in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area has cabins and tent sites year round. This 70,000-acre area, near the Appalachian Trail, includes cross-country skiing at Blue Mountain Lakes, downhill skiing at Shawnee Mountain Ski Area and ice climbing at the Delaware Water Gap.

The Appalachian Mountain Club operates two cabins and four lodges there for rates that range from $21 a night for an adult club member Monday through Thursday night to $25 a night for a nonmember for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights

NORTH-CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA

The Susquehannock Trail System is an 85-mile network of skiing, hiking and snowshoe trails through the rolling, maple-and-beech-blanketed Allegheny Mountains in remote Potter County. The terrain is moderate throughout the 265,000-acre state forest, with long ridges of even height. Besides the maples and beeches, there are stands of black cherry, hemlocks, pines and Norway spruces. According to www.visitpa.com, the trails cover old and new logging roads and an abandoned logging railroad.

The network of trails traverses the Susquehannock State Forest, which includes Ole Bull and Patterson State Parks, Hammersly Wild Area and the Cherry Springs Fire Tower. There are several ponds in the region used for ice fishing. And there is star-gazing under optimal conditions at Cherry Springs State Park, especially in winter.

The forest is accessible near the county seat, Coudersport, and there are several campgrounds near the entrance to the forest. Among those recommended by Cindy Capatch, of the Potter County Visitors Association, is the Potter County Family Campground, off Route 6 east of town.

Rates at the campground, which is open year round, range from $17 a night for a campsite with no hookups to $42 for a heated camping cabin. The campground sits about eight miles west of Ski Denton, which has Alpine and cross-country skiing, snow tubing and snowboarding.