About Us

Nelson's Cottages is a family owned, family run, family-oriented business, located in Inlet, New York, in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains. Nelson's Cottages was founded by Clark and Betty Nelson, originally from Rochester, New York. Clark and Betty traveled to the Adirondack Mountains in 1941 for their honeymoon, where they stayed at the Kenmore cottages. In 1950, the Nelsons bought the property next to our current location (Hazen's, Bear up North, etc...). At the time that place was called "Deerhurst Lodge", so they changed the name to Nelson's Deerhurst Lodge. A few years later they added a motel on, up near the road, and changed the name to Nelson's Deerhurst Lodge and Rochester Motel.

Eventually, in the early 1960s the Nelsons bought the property they are located at now, which was owned by the Schopfer Family. The Schopfer family actually built the cottages in the 1930s. (The main house was already on the property, which the Schopfer purchased from the Fulton Chain Shipping Company.) The Nelson family renamed it Nelson's Cottage Colony and ran both properties for several years. Eventually they sold the first property and continued on with Nelson's Cottages.

When the Clark and Betty Nelson had passed, their son Ken took over the cottages, which he ran several years alone. He eventually met his wife Linda and her two children, Julie and John. For over 30 years, Ken and Linda ran Nelson's Cottages together, before retiring and passing it onto their daughter Julie, who runs it with her fiancé Tommy. Ken and Linda worked to make a lot of improvements around the cottages including drilling a new well, putting in a new septic system, redoing 4 cottages, building a new walk way to the lake, adding decks on to most of the cottages, adding hi speed internet, purchasing a generator for the cottage water when power is out and many other small projects.

Nelson's Cottages prides itself on being focused on the happiness and satisfaction of our guests. We have many guests who have been coming for many years - some over 40 years, many over 30 years... Guests are not just guests to us. They are like family and treated as such. We will go out of our way to ensure you have a great time at Nelson's and in our area. It is important to us that you are happy and that you know you are appreciated. Your opinion is important to us. Your satisfaction is important to us. Your friendship is important to us. We want Nelson's and our area to be a second home to you. An escape, a vacation, a renewal... whatever you need and want it to be. Thank you for trusting Nelson's Cottages with your hard-earned money and your valuable time and memories.

Nelson Family History

Clark and Betty had 4 children - William (Bill), Richard (Dick), Kenneth (Ken) and Jane. Bill moved around as a basketball coach and settled in Maryland with his wife Margaret, and their 2 daughters, Laura and Katie. Dick returned to Rochester and married his wife Sandy, and has 4 children - Holly, Julie, Ricky and Kenny, and one granddaughter (Sophia). Jane lives in Old Forge with her husband Bruce. Their 2 children and 5 grandchildren live there as well - Billy, wife Abbey, & 3 children and Trevor, wife Jaimee, & 2 children. Billy co-owns and operates the North Country Market in Old Forge, along with many other ventures and Trevor is a police officer for the Town of Webb Police Department, along with other ventures as well. Ken and Linda’s son John moved to North Carolina where he married Jenifer and has 2 children - Nolyn and Maren. Nolyn and Maren love to visit Nana and Papa's house "up norf"...