New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents in the Adirondacks. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people from the Adirondack backcountry. What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers in the Adirondacks. Clinton County Town of Black Brook Wilderness Recovery: At 2:04 pm on March 17, DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a call through Franklin County 911 reporting a hiker in distress on Catamount Mountain in >>More

Early-bird registrations for the Lake George Land Conservancy’s (LGLC) Hike-A-Thon have set new records for the event organizers say. Now in its 7th year, the online registration form went live March 4; just 24 hours later, 363 people had registered, filling up five of the 17 available sites. One week later, the registration total reached 450. With an expected attendance of more 600 hikers, paddlers and volunteers, the Lake George Hike-A-Thon continues to be the LGLC’s largest event. Always scheduled for July 5th, the event has rotated through the days of the week; this year the 5th » Continue Reading. >>More

Outdoor recreation in the Adirondack Park has grown significantly in recent years, rising from an estimate of 10 million visitors in 2001 to over 12.4 million in 2018. The popularity of the park has not been inconsequential. The High Peaks Wilderness has been ground zero for major impacts, with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) listing overcrowded trailheads, trail deterioration, undesired trails, campsite and lean-to deterioration, water pollution, and impacts to wildlife as some of the negative consequences of high public use. Some trails and mountain peaks are seeing large crowds on weekends. It’s not unusual for >>More

New York State Department of Conservation (DEC) has announced they are seeking two trail crew supervisors and eight trail crew laborers to work in the backcountry of the High Peaks Wilderness as part of the DEC High Peaks Trail Crews. The trail crews will work with other crews to construct a new sustainable-design Trail Crew trail up Cascade Mountain. Each week, the entire crew will spend the week in tents in the backcountry. Most of the project is located 2 to 5 miles from the nearest road and will require a strenuous hike with a heavy pack to get to >>More

If you are looking for a way to introduce your family to hiking or snowshoeing in the Adirondacks, the Buck Mountain Trail in Lake George Wild Forest is a great place to begin. The summit views are outstanding, offering vistas of nearby Lake George, Bolton Landing and the expansive Adirondack Mountains. Buck Mountain Trail can be accessed from Pilot Knob Trailhead. (Note that, without snowshoes, hiking in deep snow can make even an “easy” hike very difficult.) Surface: Wide, primarily flat woodland trail from the parking area to the first stream crossing at the half-mile » Continue Reading. View original >>More