Adirondack Trail Overview

Published on Oct 5, 2005

At the close of the 19th Century, the northern wilderness of New York faced the ever-advancing threat of industrialization, with natural resources being stripped for profit. In 1892, the state responded by creating the Adirondack Park, designating approximately six million acres to be continuously preserved in its natural state. The result is a varied and wild landscape, with century-old forests and pristine waterways spread across a broad expanse of glacier-smoothed mountains. The Adirondack Trail spans the Park as the main pathway through this natural treasure.

Although the park is immense, helpful Visitor Interpretive Centers along the route ensure that no visitors lose themselves unless they want to. From the center in Paul Smiths, travel southwest to reach the St. Regis Canoe Wilderness Area. Take a taste of solitude and canoe through the rivers and streams of the region, with the only sounds the wind in the trees and the ripples on the water as you paddle.

These waterways interconnect with miles of hiking trails, opening access to acres and acres of beautiful forest. In autumn, the gentle slopes of the Adirondacks set up a choir of blazing trees, of reds and golds in rows stretching to the horizon. Even when the leaves are gone and soft snow blankets everything, the trails are still open to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing enthusiasts.

Communities along the byway also feature fascinating insights into the history of the Adirondacks. Relive the 18th Century at Johnston Hall, former home of British Indian Agent William Johnson. The annual 18th Century Market Days fair includes authentic period items, live entertainment, and several merchants in period costume.

The Adirondack Trail takes visitors to New York as it once was and perhaps was always meant to be.

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