Stories about Outdoor Recreation, including hiking and trails, skiing (including cross-country and backcountry), snowshoeing, snowmobiling, bicycling, mountain biking, paddling, boating, sailing, swimming, hunting, fishing and birding.

A Utica Church’s 50 Years of Adirondack Pilgrimages

July 27, 2026 by Noel Sherry 2 Comments

On November 14, 1902, the Trustees of the Church of the Holy Cross in Utica, New York, purchased four lots on the northwest shore of Twitchell Lake in Big Moose in the Adirondacks. The grantor on the deed was William Thistlethwaite, an Old Forge real estate mogul.

This gave the church 24 acres of woodland which ran a full half mile back to the State’s Forest Preserve and 400 feet of pristine lakeshore lined with ancient red spruce and towering white pine. [Read more…] about A Utica Church’s 50 Years of Adirondack Pilgrimages

St. Regis Canoe Area Nuisance Black Bear Euthanized

July 25, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has reopened the popular paddle-in campsites 5 through 11 on Long Pond in the Saint Regis Canoe Area, Franklin County, after a nuisance black bear was euthanized.

The Saint Regis Canoe Area, the only designated canoe area in New York State, is very remote, with no-reservation camping along multiple access points and waterways. [Read more…] about St. Regis Canoe Area Nuisance Black Bear Euthanized

Rangers Respond to Plane Crash, High Peaks Wildfire & Backcountry Rescues

July 24, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

New York State Forest Rangers had another busy week across the state responding to a plane crash near the Adirondack Rail Trail, several wilderness rescues, and wildfires in the Adirondack High Peaks and in Stony Creek. [Read more…] about Rangers Respond to Plane Crash, High Peaks Wildfire & Backcountry Rescues

OSI Purchases Sabattis Scout Camp on Lows Lake

July 23, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Open Space Institute (OSI) has acquired the 1,525-acre former Sabattis Scout Reservation in St. Lawrence County, NY. Located within the Adirondack Park, the property includes historic campgrounds, ponds, hiking trails, and several miles of shoreline along Lows Lake.

The lake is a popular paddling destination in the Five Ponds Wilderness Area, about 10 miles from Tupper Lake. [Read more…] about OSI Purchases Sabattis Scout Camp on Lows Lake

New Watkins Glen State Park Sentry Bridge Installed

July 23, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) has opened the new Sentry Bridge at Watkins Glen State Park, restoring full access to the renowned Gorge and Southern Rim Trails.

The bridge reconnects visitors to the park’s iconic waterfalls, overlooks and trail network in one of New York’s most visited parks. [Read more…] about New Watkins Glen State Park Sentry Bridge Installed

Play Streets & New York City Recreation History

July 20, 2026 by Guest Contributor 1 Comment

In summer thoughts turn to fun at the beach, pool and in parks. The vertical files of the New York City Municipal Library include a trove of publications describing City government’s role in providing recreational opportunities between 1919 and 1979.

A good portion of the contents are news clippings that track, decade by decade, City residents’ recreational choices. “Eel Season Ending For City Anglers” the New York Times reported in 1967; “People Pushing Horses Out Of Park” the Daily News decried as the Claremont Riding Academy was poised to close in 1970; and the perennial “New York on Next to Nothing” from the New York Post are just a few of the titles. [Read more…] about Play Streets & New York City Recreation History

Two Bathing Suits Highlight History in Everyday Life

July 20, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Two bathing suits from the textile collection of The Buffalo History Museum highlight the long and varied history of swimsuits. In the early 1900s, women wore long gowns with bloomers underneath for swimming.

These bathing gowns were weighted down by several heavy layers of material, occasionally with weights sewn into the hem so the material would not float. Fabrics were chosen for bathing suits that would not become transparent when wet. [Read more…] about Two Bathing Suits Highlight History in Everyday Life

New York State’s Polystyrene Foam Ban Expanded

July 19, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

In 2020, New York State adopted the nation’s strongest state ban of expanded polystyrene, single-use foam food and beverage containers, and polystyrene loose fill packaging materials, commonly known as packing peanuts. On January 1, 2026, the state’s Foam Ban expanded to include a ban on polystyrene foam coolers and other containers designed or intended to be used for cold storage. [Read more…] about New York State’s Polystyrene Foam Ban Expanded

Mabel Allen’s 1908 Diary: Summer at Henderson Harbor

July 18, 2026 by Phil Brown 2 Comments

Alice Mabel Allen (1886-1976) grew up in the village of Adams in Jefferson County. In 1908, while attending Syracuse University, Mabel, as she was known, kept a diary which New York Almanack is publishing each week. This week she was enjoying summer at Henderson Harbor on Lake Ontario. [Read more…] about Mabel Allen’s 1908 Diary: Summer at Henderson Harbor

Watchable Wildlife: Cayuga Shores Wildlife Management Area

July 17, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Visit Cayuga Shores Wildlife Management Area (WMA) for a peaceful, crowd-free escape with direct, undeveloped access to Cayuga Lake, on of the Finger Lakes. This WMA consists of 287 acres along the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake in Lansing, in Tompkins County, New York. [Read more…] about Watchable Wildlife: Cayuga Shores Wildlife Management Area

Former Scout Camp Purchase Protects Seneca Lake Shoreline

July 16, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recently announced the acquisition of 284 acres at the former Babcock-Hovey Scout Camp in the Town of Ovid in Seneca County.

Located between Willard Wildlife Management Area and Bonavista State Park, the acquisition will provide protection for 2,800 feet of Seneca Lake shoreline. [Read more…] about Former Scout Camp Purchase Protects Seneca Lake Shoreline

Dog Rescued After Fall Over Falls; Ill and Injured Hikers Rescued

July 16, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

New York State Forest Rangers had another busy week with dangerous rescue operations in the Adirondacks, Catskills, and elsewhere. Including a dog that went over the edge at Fawn’s Leap Falls; an unconscious hiker at Kaaterskill Falls; several hikers with lower leg injuries; and more. [Read more…] about Dog Rescued After Fall Over Falls; Ill and Injured Hikers Rescued

New York Air Unhealthy Amid Extreme Heat, Canadian Wildfires

July 15, 2026 by Editorial Staff 2 Comments

Air quality is “unhealthy” in much of New York as massive plumes of smoke from wildfires in Canada drift across the region causing a visible haze, reduced visibility, and a smell of smoke.

All New Yorkers should limit time spent outside and keep windows and doors closed to prevent smoke from entering your home. [Read more…] about New York Air Unhealthy Amid Extreme Heat, Canadian Wildfires

New Reporting Tool Lets Public Record Their Loon Sightings

July 12, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Researchers at the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation (ACLC) in Saranac Lake, NY have developed an online Loon Observation Reporting Tool for members of the public to log their loon sightings on water bodies throughout New York State. [Read more…] about New Reporting Tool Lets Public Record Their Loon Sightings

Great Camp Santanoni Accessibility Program Returns

July 12, 2026 by North Country Public Radio Leave a Comment

Visitors with mobility disabilities will have more opportunities to explore Great Camp Santanoni Historic Area this summer as the state expands its electric wheelchair accessibility program.

The free state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) program has more reservation dates and a simplified online booking process. [Read more…] about Great Camp Santanoni Accessibility Program Returns

Excavations To Begin At Albany’s Lock One

July 11, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The NYS Department of Transportation (DOT) has granted a permit for an archeological excavation to confirm the location of historic Lock One of the Erie Canal in Albany’s downtown Warehouse District.

This according to a recent message to supporters of The Albany Waterway’s project to uncover the old lock, buried for a century, and transform the site. The lock was once connected to a boat basin, an associated weigh lock, and the Hudson River. [Read more…] about Excavations To Begin At Albany’s Lock One

1908 Swimming & Summer Reading At Camp

July 11, 2026 by Phil Brown Leave a Comment

Monday, July 13

Father and Edna [her sister] left for Adams about noon. We — mother and I — took up the matting in the hall and mother washed. Put up banners and sewed on Edna’s bathing suit. After lunch we made the acquaintance of little Laura Howard who lives here the year around. [Read more…] about 1908 Swimming & Summer Reading At Camp

Adirondack Land Trust Protects 2,400 Acres; Buys New Headquarters

July 9, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Adirondack Land Trust has made two recent important purchases – 2,390 acres in the Essex County town of Chesterfield and “the round building” at 2345 Saranac Avenue in Lake Placid, which it is planning to transform into office space for the land conservation nonprofit’s new headquarters. [Read more…] about Adirondack Land Trust Protects 2,400 Acres; Buys New Headquarters

Rangers Recover Paddler’s Body, Make Multiple Rescues July 4th Weekend

July 8, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

NYS Forest Rangers had a busy July 4th weekend in which they recovered the body of a paddler; rescued two people on an inflatable kayak from rapids they didn’t know existed on the Saranac River; assisted with an overturned sailboat on Lake Champlain; rescued someone from the rapids in the Siamese Ponds Wilderness; and two teens hiding from a black bear near Lake George. [Read more…] about Rangers Recover Paddler’s Body, Make Multiple Rescues July 4th Weekend

Adirondack Project To Reconnect 43 Miles of Brook Trout Waters

July 6, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Trout Unlimited (TU) have announced a multi-phase aquatic re-connection project is underway in the Moose River Plains Complex, in the Adirondack Park in Herkimer and Hamilton counties.

The project, which began in June, is expected to replace more than 50 culverts in the next three to five years and reconnect 43 miles of brook trout waters. [Read more…] about Adirondack Project To Reconnect 43 Miles of Brook Trout Waters

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