Franklin County

Use Extreme Care: Wildfires Sparked Under Dry Conditions

October 31, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Several wildfires have recently broke out as dry conditions and fallen leaves exacerbate the fire danger. Be extremely careful with all types of outdoor fires to avoid dangerous risks due to dry weather.

The Fire Danger has been elevated to HIGH in the Catskills and most of Eastern Upstate New York and may rise higher and/or spread to other parts of the state in the coming days.

Much of the state is Abnormally Dry according to the US Drought Monitor. [Read more…] about Use Extreme Care: Wildfires Sparked Under Dry Conditions

Adirondack Council’s 45th Annual State of the Park Report

October 23, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

From federal rollbacks of environmental protections to growing pressure on New York’s landmark environmental laws, the forces shaping the Adirondack Park are changing rapidly. The Adirondack Council’s 45th annual State of the Park report examines the decisions and decision makers that shape the Park’s wild lands, clean waters, and rural communities, indicating the need for renewed advocacy, broader engagement, and stronger conservation leadership. [Read more…] about Adirondack Council’s 45th Annual State of the Park Report

Rangers Respond to 20+ Lost, Injured, Ill Hikers & More

October 23, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

New York State Forest Rangers responded to more than 20 search and rescue missions and at least one wildfire around New York State from October 5th to the 16th. [Read more…] about Rangers Respond to 20+ Lost, Injured, Ill Hikers & More

Rangers Spend Busy Week Responding to Recreationists in Distress

October 8, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

NYS Forest Rangers had a busy week responding to a wildfire and several outdoor recreationists in distress, including lost, injured and ill hikers, and a lost ATV rider. [Read more…] about Rangers Spend Busy Week Responding to Recreationists in Distress

Rangers Recover Bodies at AuSable Chasm, Giant Mountain; Fight Fire & More

October 2, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

NYS Forest Rangers recovered the bodies of a 45-year-old hiker in the Giant Mountain Wilderness and a 60-year-old found in the water under the bridge at Ausable Chasm, in addition to responding to a wildfire in Long Lake and several other lost and injured Adirondack hikers. Three incidents occurred on a single day. [Read more…] about Rangers Recover Bodies at AuSable Chasm, Giant Mountain; Fight Fire & More

Usage Highlights New Adirondack Rail Trail’s Popularity

September 30, 2026 by Editorial Staff 2 Comments

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

Candidates Largely Ignore Adirondack Issues Survey

September 23, 2026 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

Protect the Adirondacks sent out a non-partisan candidate questionnaire intended to inform voters about where candidates for U.S. Congress (House of Representatives) and the New York Legislature (Senate and Assembly) stand on issues impacting the Adirondack Park. [Read more…] about Candidates Largely Ignore Adirondack Issues Survey

Overdue, Lost, Ill, Injured and Unprepared Hikers on Labor Day Weekend

September 13, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

New York State Forest Rangers responded to several incidents in the Adirondacks over Labor Day Weekend, including a campground disturbance, and several overdue, lost, injured and unprepared hikers. [Read more…] about Overdue, Lost, Ill, Injured and Unprepared Hikers on Labor Day Weekend

With ‘Operation Rotten Apple’ Upstate Police Round-Ups Surge

September 4, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Federal authorities arrested 2,197 people across New York last month during what they have derisively named “Operation Rotten Apple,” the highest monthly immigration arrest total since the Trump administration’s round-ups began in New York State. [Read more…] about With ‘Operation Rotten Apple’ Upstate Police Round-Ups Surge

Rock Climber Finds Beech Leaf Disease Near Tupper Lake

September 4, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Bill Widrig, a volunteer with the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program’s Forest Pest Hunters program, was on his way to climb a rock wall on Goodman Mountain, just south of Tupper Lake, when he noticed an all-too-familiar site: the telltale leaf banding of beech leaf disease. [Read more…] about Rock Climber Finds Beech Leaf Disease Near Tupper Lake

Rangers Report Multiple Rescues of Lost, Injured Hikers

September 3, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The most recent New York State Forest Rangers Report includes efforts to rescue more than a half dozen hikers lost or with knee or lower leg injuries in the Adirondacks and Catskills. [Read more…] about Rangers Report Multiple Rescues of Lost, Injured Hikers

Historic Saranac Lake Opens Expanded Museum Campus

August 21, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Members of Historic Saranac Lake (HSL) and contributors to the museum’s recent expansion project were at a ribbon cutting on August 15 at the newly refurbished the Trudeau Building.

Honorary Chair of the campaign, Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau was the guest of honor. Trudeau’s great-grandfather, grandfather, and father all practiced medicine in the new museum building at 118 Main Street in Saranac Lake. [Read more…] about Historic Saranac Lake Opens Expanded Museum Campus

A Common Adirondack Public and Private Stewardship

August 19, 2026 by David Gibson Leave a Comment

Keith McKeever, retiring Public Information Director at the Adirondack Park Agency (APA), accepted much-deserved recognition at their recent meeting for his many years of admirable public service. In his short acceptance remarks, Keith implored all listening “to hold the line” for the Adirondack Park’s open space.

Keith’s message, as I recall it, was that the goal of protecting private open space is connected quite directly to the goal of more community development including necessary infrastructure directed to the Park’s settled areas in Hamlet and Moderate Intensity Use areas. [Read more…] about A Common Adirondack Public and Private Stewardship

Pendragon Theatre’s $11 Million New Home

August 17, 2026 by NYS Music Leave a Comment

Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced that the Pendragon Theatre in Saranac Lake will receive an additional $750,000 state investment to close the final funding gap for the venue.

Earlier this year, the Governor announced the opening of Pendragon Theatre’s new downtown facility in Saranac Lake, with a value at more than $11 million. [Read more…] about Pendragon Theatre’s $11 Million New Home

Backcountry Rescue Surge: Axe Injury, Cascade Fall, Lost Party of 9, Many Unprepared

August 13, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Between August 3 and August 9, 2026, New York State Forest Rangers responded to a surge of backcountry rescues, many due to inadequate gear, poor navigation skills, and physical exhaustion. The following Forest Ranger reports show how unpreparedness and unpredictable events can turn a fun hike into an emergency. Use the links to navigate to stories about that geographical area. [Read more…] about Backcountry Rescue Surge: Axe Injury, Cascade Fall, Lost Party of 9, Many Unprepared

More Than Books: The North Country Library System Story

August 11, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Walking into any of the 32 libraries and reading centers across Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties, visitors find friendly staff and programs tailored to local communities.

Less visible is the organization making that possible: the Clinton-Essex-Franklin Library System (CEFLS). [Read more…] about More Than Books: The North Country Library System Story

The Perseids: Summer’s Big Celestial Show

August 7, 2026 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Celestial events are among the oldest and most profound human experiences of the cosmos, inspiring stories as grand as the sky is wide to explain the marvelous spectacles that arch overhead. Few natural wonders are more awesome than the blazing fireballs that streak across our night skies.

And the Perseid meteor shower, which appears during some of the warmest nights of the year, features up to 100 meteors per hour. [Read more…] about The Perseids: Summer’s Big Celestial Show

Rangers Recover Body, Make Multiple Backcountry Rescues

August 5, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

New York State Forest Rangers recently participated in at least seven wilderness rescue missions across New York State, including on the Appalachian Trail and near Kaaterskill Falls; two hikers within an hour near Hurricane Mountain; and several in West Canada Lake Wilderness. [Read more…] about Rangers Recover Body, Make Multiple Backcountry Rescues

First Adirondack Rail Trail User Survey Getting Underway

July 31, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

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

Campers Rescued from Violent Storm; Injured Cliff Jumper; Many More Rescues

July 29, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

New York State Forest Rangers spent a busy week rescuing numerous people from backcountry dangers, including: a 77-year-old rescued by helicopter in the Adirondack High Peaks; Lows Lake campers stranded by a violent storm; a teen medical emergency near Cranberry Lake; a capsized boat; an injured cliff jumper on the West Branch Ausable River which included a technical rope rescue; and dehydrated hikers and hikers with lower leg injuries in the Adirondacks and Catskills.

Be sure to eat before hiking and bring plenty of water and extra food that’s high in protein and calories. Read the Ten Hiking Essentials. [Read more…] about Campers Rescued from Violent Storm; Injured Cliff Jumper; Many More Rescues

Franklin County

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