About the Adirondack Park:
A Unique and Protected National Treasure
In 1892, the state of New York made history by creating the Adirondack Park. At about six million acres, the Park is roughly the size of Vermont and the largest protected area in the lower 48 states. It is also unique in that the New York State Constitution contains protections for the Adirondacks, and it is one of the few constitutionally protected areas in the world.
A Combination of Wilderness and Vibrant Communities
The Adirondack Park is a patchwork of public and private lands, making it unlike almost any other park in the world. Quaint towns mingle with vast wilderness. The Park never closes – there's no gate or entrance fee. While the Park is home to about 130,000 residents, in any given year, visitors may exceed 10 million.
The publicly-owned lands and waters within the Park are constitutionally protected as “Forever Wild” and must be managed accordingly. However, there are numerous classifications for lands, including wilderness, wild forest, and historic. Each land use allows for different types of recreational activities and management.
Click on map to enlargeAdirondack Park History
The Adirondacks have a rich history that reaches back thousands of years. Native American tribes, the Mohawks and the Algonquins were the first to inhabit the region. In fact, it has been said that the word "Adirondack" means “Barkeater” in the Mohawk language, referring to Algonquins. In 1838, Geologist Ebenezer Emmons officially named the region the "Adirondacks.”
The Adirondacks were also a backdrop for the French and Indian War and, later, the Revolutionary War. After the war, the State of New York sold millions of acres to lumbermen, with few restrictions, to settle war debts.
Initially, the state’s offer didn’t garner much interest, and the rest of the Adirondacks weren’t truly explored and settled until the 1830s. As people began to take advantage of the opportunity, there was widespread deforestation and overhunting of animals for food and fur.
After the 19th Century, great writers such as Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson published works that romanticized wilderness.
This encouraged many city dwellers to retreat north to experience the outdoors. With the completion of a railroad that connected New York City and Quebec, travelers had easy access to the area for the first time. Enticed by the prospect of clean country air, droves of vacationers retreated to guest houses and great camps along Adirondack lakesides, looking for healthful and quiet retreats.
While tourism was climbing in the Adirondacks, valuable timber and water resources in the area were becoming degraded as mass deforestation was causing erosion and flooding. Downstate, this impacted valuable canal trade routes and drinking water. A prominent lawyer, Verplank Colvin, saw this destruction firsthand and dedicated almost 30 years to surveying the area to catalog exactly what kind of natural resources existed. In 1873, he reported that deterioration of the watershed would, in fact, threaten the viability of the Erie Canal, and he recommended the creation of a state Forest Preserve.
In 1894, the State of New York protected the Adirondack Park as “Forever Wild” under Article XIV of the New York State Constitution. This means that the public land is constitutionally protected from being sold or leased by the state.
After World War II, the construction of state highway I-87 or the “Adirondack Northway,” changed the face of tourism in the Adirondacks. Tourists' taste for hotel and motel accommodations over guest houses took precedence. The winter Olympics drew crowds when they were held in Lake Placid in 1932 and 1980.
Native Adirondack Wildlife and Flora
There are 53 known species of mammals, 35 species of reptiles and amphibians and countless birds, insects and fish that live in the Adirondacks. Some of the most iconic animals that live in the Adirondacks include Moose, Bald Eagle, Common Loon, River Otter, Black Bear, Coywolves and Coyotes, Bobcat, Deer, and Beaver. Learn more about Adirondack Wildlife.
The Adirondack Mountains themselves are part of the largest Boreal Forest in the world, characterized by pine, spruce, and tamarack trees. The region’s old-growth forests cover over 100,000 acres, providing vital ecological services.
Geography and Landscape
While the rocks making up the Adirondack region are about one-billion years old, the mountains are relatively young. They are always growing, too, as subsurface rock rises from the combined forces of friction between the continental and oceanic plates and the relief of downward pressure that now-melted glaciers once imposed. Unlike other mountain ranges in a long strip, the Adirondack mountains form a circular dome of mountains.
The western and southern Adirondacks are gentle landscapes of hills, lakes, wetlands, ponds, and streams. The northeast section of the Park is the highest in elevation and contains the High Peaks region. Forty-three of the high peaks rise above 4,000 feet, and 11 have alpine summits that rise above the timberline. The eastern section of the Adirondacks borders Lake Champlain and features a rolling landscape dotted with farms. Champlain Valley mountains offer beautiful views of the High Peaks to the west and Lake Champlain and Vermont to the east.
Miles of Pure Waters: Ecologically Important Lakes, Ponds, and Rivers
The Adirondacks include the headwaters of five major drainage basins. Lake Champlain and the Hudson, Black, St. Lawrence, and Mohawk Rivers all draw water from the Adirondack Park. Adirondack forests and wetlands filter and provide clean water for millions of people and countless animals across the Northeast.
Within the Adirondack Park are more than 2,800 lakes and ponds and more than 1,500 miles of rivers fed by an estimated 30,000 miles of brooks and streams.
Recreation and Tourism
The Adirondack Park attracts seven to 12.4 million people each year. Many Adirondack towns are a year-round destination for outdoor enthusiasts. They offer hiking, skiing, snowmobiling, boating, kayaking, mountain biking, and rock climbing opportunities. Adirondack birdwatching opportunities abound. Popular birding destinations include boreal habitat birds like the Gray Jay, Boreal Chickadee, and Black-backed Woodpecker.
Before heading out into the Adirondack Park to explore or camp, make sure to check out Leave No Trace and NYSDEC rules and regulations.
Advocacy for the Adirondacks
The Adirondack Council is the largest Adirondack advocacy group working full-time in the Adirondack Park and in Albany, with members in all 50 states and around the globe. Through public education and advocacy for the protection of the Park’s ecological integrity and wild character, the Adirondack Council advises policymakers on ways to safeguard this last remaining great expanse of open space.
Learn more on how you can help advocate for the Adirondack Park by becoming an advocate for the Adirondacks or by donating today.
