Having your own private island is on everyone’s list of what-I-would-do-if-I-hit-the-lotto fantasies. But while you’re waiting for your biotech stock to soar, you can test-drive this daydream for a mere $12 a night. Six hours north of the city, at the state-run Indian Lake Islands campground in the Adirondacks, you can rent a canoe, paddle out to one of eight islands, and leave civilization behind. It’s a bona fide wilderness experience, and the only amenity provided is the view – you have to bring everything you’ll need, even water. If you forget the mosquito repellent, or, Heaven forbid, bagels, you can always paddle back to the Grand Union in the nearby town of Indian Lake.
DETAILS Campgrounds are open from May to September – to reserve, call 800-456-2267; for on-site canoe rentals ($16 a day), call John Monthony at 518-648-5459.