Island Time

Being neither sheik nor oligarch, and yachtless, I had always figured vacationing on a private island wasn’t in the cards. Then, after I moved to the Adirondack foothills in 2005, I learned about the state-run campsites on the islands peppering Lake George, which—for $28 a night—allow us commoners the chance to live like rusticated Kardashians for a while.

There’s a catch: island sites are some of the most popular in the Adirondack Park, particularly the ones small enough for a single party. You have to be quick—and lucky—to book one online the second they become available. You also