About the Adirondacks

Adirondack assets

Interested in learning more about the Adirondacks? Here’s a brief overview:

A UNIQUE LANDSCAPE: The Adirondacks include boreal forests, bogs and marshes, with most of the park covered in northern hardwoods. Thousands of unique flora and fauna thrive in the region, from the moose and the locally-beloved loon to leagues of pines and the maple trees that make this area flow with maple syrup.

A MIX OF PRIVATE AND PUBLIC LAND: The Adirondacks are 44% state-owned – around 2.6 million acres of state land – and protected as “Forever Wild”  in the state Constitution. The state-led Department of Environmental Conservation and the Adirondack Park Agency regulate public and private lands in the park. 

About half of the park is privately-owned, with more than 100 towns and villages and more than 123,000 year-round residents scattered within the park boundary, known as the “Blue Line.” This blend of public and private lands means community members, business owners, and state jurisdictional agencies have long worked to strike a balance between viable communities, economic development, and environmental protection.

OUTDOOR PARADISE: The Adirondacks are wealthy with outdoor recreation opportunities – fishing, ice climbing, birding, skiing, snowboarding, paddling and more than 2,000 miles of hiking trails that draw thousands of visitors to these mountains every year. 

The High Peaks, a set of 46 high-elevation mountains, are featured in hiking challenges like the “Adirondack 46er.” And the village of Lake Placid’s legacy as a two-time Winter Olympics host – in 1932 and 1980 – continues on as upgrades to the region’s Olympic venues draw winter sports competitors from across the world.