Two conservation organizations and a state college today released the preliminary results of a two-month hiker survey in and around the High Peaks Wilderness Area showing that the 673 hikers surveyed came there seeking solitude and wildness, and would favor limits on visitation to prevent damage to the “forever wild” Forest Preserve. [Read more…] about Survey: High Peaks Hikers Seek Wildness, Solitude, Support Limits
High Peaks
Featured Adirondack Hike: Hurricane Mountain Firetower
The trail up Hurricane Mountain, in Keene, Essex County, ascends approximately 2,000 feet over 3.4 miles to the Fire Tower located in a designated historic area on the summit, within the Hurricane Mountain Wilderness. [Read more…] about Featured Adirondack Hike: Hurricane Mountain Firetower
A Mountaintop Plaque Recalls Teenage Adventurer Esther McComb
“For The Sheer Joy Of Climbing”
These words will likely sound familiar to anyone who has undertaken the journey to become a 46er, as they are inscribed on a plaque at the summit of Esther Mountain, High Peak #28. The plaque was placed on the summit in 1939 by The Adirondack 46ers to honor “the indomitable spirit” of the peak’s namesake, Esther McComb. [Read more…] about A Mountaintop Plaque Recalls Teenage Adventurer Esther McComb
Featured Adirondack Hike: Whiteface Mountain
The Whiteface Landing Trail in the McKenzie Mountain Wilderness, in Wilmington, Essex County, ascends 6.0 miles and 3,320 feet from the trailhead on State Route 86 to the 4,867-foot summit and its 360 degree views. [Read more…] about Featured Adirondack Hike: Whiteface Mountain
Adk Wild: DEC Should Test High Peaks Online Permit System
This 2020 Columbus Day Weekend, peak use of parts of the High Peaks and Giant Mountain Wilderness areas in the Adirondack Park have again be exceeded.
Now is the time to consider a permit reservation or limited entry system for key points of entry into these wilderness areas as necessary, helpful, practical, and practicable, says Adirondack Wild: Friends of the Forest Preserve. [Read more…] about Adk Wild: DEC Should Test High Peaks Online Permit System
Siena Poll Shows Support For Limits on Hiking, Camping in High Peaks
A Siena College Research Institute poll of New York voters in September showed that by 68% to 22% they want New York State officials to protect overused public lands in the Adirondack Forest Preserve from further abuse by enforcing resource capacity limits, rather than building bigger and bigger parking lots to accommodate the surging crowds. [Read more…] about Siena Poll Shows Support For Limits on Hiking, Camping in High Peaks
Hidden Gems For Upstate Hiking
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is encouraging outdoor enthusiasts to explore less-traveled destinations instead of crowded hotspots while following the principles of Leave No Trace. [Read more…] about Hidden Gems For Upstate Hiking
Another Busy Week For Forest Rangers: Carry-Outs, Copter Hoist
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents in the around New York State. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people.
What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers. [Read more…] about Another Busy Week For Forest Rangers: Carry-Outs, Copter Hoist
Featured Adirondack Hike: Whiteface Landing
Whiteface Landing in the McKenzie Mountain Wilderness, in Wilmington, Essex County, can be accessed via the waters of Lake Placid or a 2.5-mile trail which is also the first portion of the Whiteface Mountain Trail to the Mountain’s Summit.
In winter, that distance is 3.7 miles due to seasonal road closures. [Read more…] about Featured Adirondack Hike: Whiteface Landing
Featured Adirondack Hike: Brewster Peninsula Nature Trails
This trail system located on the southwestern shore of Lake Placid, in Essex County, consists of three trails loops – Boundary Trail, Ridge Trail, and Lakeshore Trail – bisected by an old dirt roadway.
The trails wind over gently rolling terrain and are self-guided nature trails that may be explored using the brochures provided at the trailhead by the Lake Placid Garden Club. [Read more…] about Featured Adirondack Hike: Brewster Peninsula Nature Trails