History of this place has been hard to gather and may be a mix of fact, myth and legend, but this is the story as we know it.

Bark Eater is an English translation of the word “Adirondack,” a term the Mohawk once used for Algonquian-speaking tribes who were said to eat the inside of the bark of the white pine when food was scarce. Human history on the Bark Eater property dates back to Algonquin and possibly Mohican use of the land. Multiple burn pits discovered in the meadows behind the inn are believed to have been ceremonial because of their shape and dimensions. European American settlers arrived in the 1770s or 1780s. Their early presence is indicated by graves in a nearby cemetery that had stones dating back to 1793. The Town of Keene was founded in 1808.

The farm was originally a stagecoach stop between the Lake Champlain and Lake Placid Regions. The stage left the inn at 6:00 a.m., heading west 14 miles to Lake Placid. With a little luck, it arrived 12 hours later, at 6:00 p.m. Much of the road was paved with logs, called “corduroy road.” The stage was king of the road by 1893—the same year the first railroads opened in the fringes of the Adirondacks. The road was drivable by car until the late 1940s, when it was replaced by an alternate route through the Cascade Lakes that we drive today. The old road is now the Jack Rabbit Trail, a popular skiing and hiking trail that takes you to Lake Placid

Gordon and Anna Wilson of Lake Placid bought the farm in the 1930s with a gold coin collection. They operated it as a dairy farm and inn in the 1940s, catering to artists from the New York City area during the summer. Their son, Joe-Pete Wilson began operating The Bark Eater as an inn in the 1970s. Joe-Pete was born and raised in Lake Placid and spent summers on the family farm in Keene. He was the North American Snowshoe Champion in 1964, and in 1965 he was a member of the U.S. Four Man Bobsled Team that won a bronze medal in the World Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland and also competed as a cross-country ski racer. Over the years he and his family made many additions and improvements to the Inn property.

Black Mountain Associates formed the Bark Eater Hospitality Group LLC  and acquired the Bark Eater property in 2013.  Under their management the historic inn and cabins have been extensively renovated.  The inn reopened in July 2016 and the cabins reopened in July 2018.

Meghan Kirkpatrick and Tyler Nichols, originally hired as employees, began leasing the business and property in June of 2018.  They currently manage and run the business.  They are passionate about carrying on the legacy of this historic legend and have grand visions for it’s future.  We’re proud of The Bark Eater’s long-standing traditions and intend to preserve the uniqueness of the property.