History, Natural History & the Arts
Counters along the Adirondack Rail Trail recorded 211,000 passes during its first year of full operation according to reports provided to New York Almanack by the Adirondack Rail Trail Association.
The 34-mile universally accessible multi-use trial connects Lake Placid, Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake for non-motorized recreation and seasonal snowmobiling. [Read more…] about Usage Highlights New Adirondack Rail Trail’s Popularity
The Adirondack Rail Trail Association (ARTA) is asking trail users to participate in a visitor survey designed to measure the trail’s economic impact and identify how community members are using the trail.
Starting July 30 and continuing throughout the coming year, ARTA staff and volunteers will conduct surveys at trailheads and other locations along the 34-mile Adirondack Rail Trail. [Read more…] about First Adirondack Rail Trail User Survey Getting Underway
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
A new Adirondack Rail Trail App has been launched, a free mobile resource designed to enhance the visitor experience and encourage exploration of the region’s communities, businesses, and attractions.
Developed by the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) in partnership with local technology company UpNCoding, the app features interactive maps, trip-planning tools, and important trail information. [Read more…] about New Adirondack Rail Trail App Launched
New York State Forest Rangers responded to another Adirondack Rail Trail snowmobile accident this past week, and three wilderness rescues. During one of the rescues a State Police helicopter hoisted a hiker off Phelps Mountain having a medical emergency; two other missions involved unprepared hikers in the Catskills. [Read more…] about Another Adirondack Rail Trail Snowmobile Accident
New York State Police are investigating a deadly snowmobile accident that occurred on the Adirondack Rail Trail in the Town of Harrietstown, Franklin County, NY, in the early afternoon of Saturday, February 1st. A snowmobiler had crashed close to the trail’s intersection with McMaster Road, known as McMaster’s Crossing, near McCauley Pond. [Read more…] about Man Dies in Adirondack Rail Trail Snowmobile Accident
A new report conducted by Parks & Trails New York (PTNY) and the New York Office of State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) confirms that statewide greenway trail expansion continues to lead the nation, with 45.2 new miles of trail completed between January 2023 and June 2024.
In coming years, New York will see further trail expansion as 39.4 miles of trail are under construction and an additional 583.2 miles are in various stages of development. [Read more…] about 45 Miles of New Greenway Trails Built Across New York; Nearly 600 More Being Planned
Twenty-five miles of the new Adirondack Rail Trail has officially opened from Lake Placid to Floodwood Road in Santa Clara in Franklin County, New York.
New York State recently awarded the contract for rail trail construction from Floodwood Road to Tupper Lake (which remains closed) and work is expected to begin immediately on that final phase of the 34-mile, multi-use recreational corridor for outdoor adventurers between Tupper Lake and Lake Placid. [Read more…] about Adirondack Rail Trail Now Open from Lake Placid to Santa Clara
The Open Space Institute (OSI) and the Village of Lake Placid are working together to create a Lake Placid Trailhead, an entry point for the 34-mile Adirondack Rail Trail (ART). The project is comprised of two phases; acquisition of nearly two acres of land upon which the trailhead will be built and development of the new community amenity. [Read more…] about Lake Placid Trailhead For Adirondack Rail Trail Being Planned
Governor Kathy Hochul has approved the 2023-24 Adirondack Park State Land classification package. The action includes 36 state land classifications and changes in classification totaling about 6,250 acres. The majority of these lands are now classified to allow motor vehicle access, including Forest Preserve lands (state lands in the Adirondack Park) formerly classified as Wilderness. [Read more…] about Adirondack Park Land Reclassified To Allow More Motorized Access
In January, Governor Kathy Hochul announced $1.8 million in grants to support 27 not-for-profit organizations involved with the stewardship of state parks, trails, historic sites, and other public lands.
The grants support public-private partnerships leveraging private funds for new state park amenities, to engage in state park and historic site maintenance and beautification projects, and to provide educational programming and special events. [Read more…] about $1.8M For Sate Parks, Trails, Historic Sites and Other Public Lands
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is advising recreationists in the Adirondacks and Catskills of wet and dangerous conditions following recent mild temperatures and heavy rain from a storm Sunday and Monday, which killed at least one person and closed roads across Upstate New York. [Read more…] about Dangerous Conditions in the Adirondacks and Catskills
Construction is complete on the first phase of the Adirondack Rail Trail, a 34-mile, multi-use recreational corridor for outdoor adventurers between Tupper Lake, Saranac Lake and Lake Placid.
The first of three construction phases converted a 9.9-mile stretch of former New York Central Railroad rail bed between Lake Placid and Saranac Lake into a shared-use path. Once completed the trail will be open all year, free of charge, for hikers, bikers, cross-country skiers and snowmobilers. [Read more…] about First 10 Miles of Adirondack Rail Trail Completed
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is calling for submissions of ideas and plans for use and public access to the historic Saranac Lake Union Depot building on the former New York Central Railroad Adirondack Division line in the village of Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks. [Read more…] about State Seeks Comments, Plans For Saranac Lake Railroad Depot Reuse
In September of 1890, infrastructure improvements were under way at Whitehall, in Washington County, long a major railroad hub. “It is said that the new freight yard at Whitehall will be one of the best on the road. The main tracks will be straightened and will pass over the ground where the old shops are located,” The Morning Star of Glens Falls reported on September 24, 1890. “The new shops have been completed, and the men are removing from the old shop, which is being torn down. Next spring work will begin on the new station for Whitehall.” [Read more…] about Northern New York 19th Century Railroad News
Parks & Trails New York (PTNY) and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) have announced the release of the New York State Greenway Trails Progress Report (August 2021-December 2022), which outlines the accomplishments made, the projects initiated, and the funding secured by state, local, and non-profit partners between August 2021 and December 2022. The report identifies 97.1 miles of new trails completed and 372.7 additional miles of trail in progress in that time frame. [Read more…] about Nearly 100 Miles of New Greenway Trails in NYS Since Opened Since 2021
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Office of General Services (OGS) has announced Rifenburg Construction was awarded the $8.75 million construction contract for the second phase of the Adirondack Rail Trail. Construction is set to begin within the next two weeks and includes the portion of trail between Saranac Lake and Floodwood Road in Santa Clara. [Read more…] about Update on Adirondack Rail Trail Construction
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Office of General Services (OGS) has announced the start of 2023 construction on the Adirondack Rail Trail between Station Street in Lake Placid and Broadway in Saranac Lake. This trail segment is now closed to all users during construction. [Read more…] about Construction for the Adirondack Rail Trail Restarts
The Town of Harrietstown and Saranac Lake Innovative Cycling Kids have completed a free community Bike Park in the Village of Saranac Lake. [Read more…] about Harrietstown Opens New Bike Park in Saranac Lake
The New York State Departments of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Transportation (DOT), in cooperation with the Office of General Services (OGS), have announced the completion of the transfer of jurisdiction for a 34-mile segment of the Remsen-Lake Placid Travel Corridor. [Read more…] about Adirondack Rail Trail Design & Construction Starting
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