The only independent, nonprofit news organization solely dedicated to reporting on the Adirondack Park.
The Adirondack Explorer is a nonprofit magazine covering the Adirondack Park's environment, recreation and communities.
By Adirondack Explorer
Of course, all of the hikes in 12 Short Hikes Near Old Forge are short, but some are shorter than others. One of the easiest of the shorties is the 0.7-mile walk to Remsen Falls on the South Branch of the Moose River. This hike begins on Wolf Landing Road, a gravel road that leads…
By Adirondack Explorer
In the summer of 2015, while driving my beat-up Toyota truck through the back roads of northern Clinton and Franklin counties documenting the Great Dannemora Prison Break, I kept thinking that I had been swallowed whole by a tabloid news story, or maybe a trashy pulp novel, that refused to end. The setting was the…
By Adirondack Explorer
A 6.4-mile round trip to Middle Settlement Lake lies in the heart of the Ha-de-ron-dah Wilderness. Except for two very short climbs, the route is fairly flat, so you should be able to make good time. If you’re into trail running, this is a great outing. The hike begins on Route 28 southwest of Old…
By Adirondack Explorer
Snowshoers can enjoy a wild panorama from the newly restored fire tower on St. Regis Mountain. By Mike Lynch As we neared the summit of St. Regis Mountain this past January, the conditions changed dramatically. Tree limbs—caked in snow and ice—hung down over the trail, and as we walked crouched through the tangle of branches,…
By Adirondack Explorer
The former Finch, Pruyn tracts offer many options for cross- country tours with spectacular views. By Tony Goodwin Over the past five years, the unprecedented addition of sixty-five thousand acres of former Finch, Pruyn lands to the Forest Preserve has opened up many new recreational opportunities. To date, the most publicized opportunities have been for…
By Adirondack Explorer
Rock climbers scale cliffs on Ragged Mountain after state’s purchase of Boreas Pond Tract. By Phil Brown The newly acquired Boreas Ponds Tract has been touted as a destination for backpackers, paddlers, horseback riders, mountain bikers, and snowmobilers. As it turns out, some of the earliest users of the land have been rock climbers. Within…
By Adirondack Explorer
Birdsongs welcome hikers on a jaunt in Keene Valley in May. By Tom Woodman Following a disappointing winter for skiing, I came into May looking forward to the next season of outdoor enjoyment. But spring turned out as contrary as winter, with the first days of warming sun followed by spells of bone-chilling cold. So…
By Adirondack Explorer
Guidebook author discovers Snowy Mountain is much more enjoyable without black flies, fog, and rain. By Lisa Densmore Ballard I first climbed Snowy Mountain in 2008 while doing the field work for my guidebook Hiking the Adirondacks. Originally named “Squaw Bonnet,” Snowy Mountain (3,898 feet), near Indian Lake, is the tallest peak south of the…
By Adirondack Explorer
Starting at Boreas Ponds, our editor journeys to a lovely backcountry pond and the headwater of a wild river. By Phil Brown Boreas Ponds is a gorgeous place to paddle, but not everyone owns a canoe and not everyone who does want to carry it seven miles, or three miles, or even a half-mile to…
By Adirondack Explorer
Hurricane Mountain’s refurbished fire tower affords a panoramic vista from Lake Champlain to the High Peaks