Adirondack Hiking

The Adirondack Mountains of northeastern New York are home to the six-million-acre Adirondack Park, a patchwork of public and private lands protected under state law. More than 2.6 million acres within the park are owned and managed by the state. New York's Constitution states that these public lands in the Adirondack Park must never be developed and "...shall be forever kept as wild forest lands." With so many lakes and ponds, the mountains are magnificent for hiking and walks... explore them here!

Camping, Hiking and Canoeing

Throughout the backcountry of the Adirondack Forest Preserve, DEC maintains over 2,000 miles of marked trails that are available for people of all interests and abilities. A family can take a short hike to a picnic spot near a waterfall or climb a mountain with a fire tower. Those intent on finding solitude can spend a week backpacking along the Northville-Lake Placid Trail or canoeing in the lake country of the central Adirondacks.

Equestrians can discover elevated views of Lake George, and many rugged trails in wild forest areas are open to mountain bicycles. In winter, opportunities include a snowmobile ride to Wilcox Lake, a weekend of downhill skiing at Whiteface Mountain, or a day of ski-touring in the Siamese Ponds Wilderness. Fall big-game hunting, brook trout fishing at ice-out, or warbler watching in May round out the list of experiences available on Forest Preserve lands.

If you are looking for beautiful trails without the crowds, try the western Adirondacks. They are less well known than areas like the High Peaks and Pharaoh Lake Wilderness areas, which often are heavily used.