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The Adirondack Region of Northern New York includes the 6 million-acre Adirondack Park, surrounding countryside and the entire western shore of Lake Champlain. The region is best known for its mountains (including the highest peaks in New York) and lakes (more shoreline than Vermont and New Hampshire combined). But villages, farms, museums, restaurants, artisan shops and a wide variety of accommodations also characterize the Adirondacks. |  |
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Forever Wild The Adirondack Park was created in 1882 by the New York State Legislature, which enacted measures that guarantee public lands will remain forever wild. The Park itself is the size of the state of Vermont, with a structure unlike any other state or national park in the nation: it is a patchwork of public and private lands. There are expansive blocks of backcountry interspersed with private homes, villages and tracts of corporate forest lands under active management. In the Adirondacks, it is possible to hike to an isolated waterfall in the afternoon, then spend the evening strolling Main Street.
The Blue Line Interstate Rt. 87 passes through the Adirondack Park along its eastern side, originating in the Albany area and continuing north to the Canadian border, but there are over 40 other roads entering the park as well. As a result, there is no "entrance gate," and no admission fee. (Fees apply at state campgrounds, but hiking, canoe and boat access on state lands are free.) Hike. Canoe. Boat. Fish. Swim. Ride mountain or road bikes. Ride horses. Camp. Ski. Snowmobile. Hunt. Tour Olympic sites. Visit museums chronicling the hard-knock history of farmers, loggers and health care pioneers. Shop artisan outlets. Take architectural tours. Enjoy theater and art exhibitions. Sit on the veranda sipping drinks and watching the sun slip behind the mountains. Or do it all.
Wildlife
Forests
Young Mountains
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