By Tim Rowland
Hoping to jump-start a flagging grand design to transform Exit 29 on the Northway into a base camp for adventures south of the High Peaks, Essex County has unveiled tentative plans for an equestrian center and trail system on 100 acres it owns along the Schroon River.
The property, located in the Town of North Hudson, is bracketed by the state’s new Frontier Town campground to the south, and the signature A-frame that was once part of the old Frontier Town theme park to the north. The A-frame, which is being refurbished by a private developer, is well along in its restoration and, just to the south, Paradox Brewery has successfully opened for business. But other parts of the original project have stalled.
In 2017, multiple agencies proposed a $32 million investment to create a “world class tourism destination” that included the state campground, and along with retail, food and lodging, a visitor center, recreation opportunities and historical interpretation of Frontier Town.
RELATED: Iconic A-Frame readies to reopen after decades of vacancy
But after completion of the campground, little has been done on the state’s part of the Adirondack Gateway project.
“This has gone stagnant, so we need to figure out how to keep the momentum going,” said Essex County Supervisors Chair Shaun Gillilland.
The county plan calls for a riding area and trail network for both horses and mountain bikes, along with cleaning up what theme park buildings are not beyond salvaging.
Gillilland said the state’s equestrian camping facilities are not optimized because of the paucity of trails. “People who go horse camping want to have trails to ride on,” he said.
Mountain biking will also be a draw for visitors, said Schroon Supervisor Jeff Subra. “We get asked weekly about mountain bike trails in Schroon Lake, and there are none.”
Newcomb Supervisor Robin DeLoria agrees it’s time to move forward. “I like to believe the governor still supports the Gateway project, but North Hudson is the gateway. Without North Hudson you can forget about the plan, it’s that simple.”
Next steps involve either putting out a request for proposal (RFP) and selling the land, or having the county develop it itself. “We can’t depend on the state, so we’re going to have to grab our own bootstraps,” Gillilland said.
Stalled progress
An executive for the Empire State Development Corp. said the agency is in regular touch with local governments, and that the project is still moving forward, despite some setbacks.
The state put out its own RFP for the project, which included the county-owned parcel, but only one developer responded, and dropped out after a year and half. Then COVID-19 hit. The remoteness of the location is also an issue, but state officials believe that once things get back to normal and developers see the progress that’s being made at the interchange they will be more apt to come forward.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Environmental Conservation said the agency “continues to collaborate with Empire State Development, the town, county and private partners to explore potential projects to further implement the vision for Exit 29 as a recreation hub.”
Improvements to the equestrian camping area in response to feedback continue, she said, including the widening of sites to provide more room for horse trailers; 10-by-10-foot planting pits for young shade trees and other vegetation, hitching posts and fencing; a horse care/wash area; and a manure pit.
Project background
Frontier Town was a popular destination in the second half of the 20th century, featuring a Wild West theme with horses, buggies stage coaches and western stores, but it closed in 1998, much of the land reverting to the county for unpaid taxes.
Its most visible lasting landmark is a massive A-frame that was slowly going to seed until it was purchased by Muhammed “Mo” Ahmad, who is restoring it into a multi-use facility that will include visitor information, event space, outfitting gear, food and a museum — many of the items envisioned as part of the original vision.
But instead of receiving state help, Ahmad — whose work on the A-frame has been highly praised — has had to go it alone.
ESD officials are enthusiastic about Ahmad’s progress as well, but say their grant programs are based on job creation, so the A-frame, which ultimately will have a small staff, does not qualify.
Essex County’s land between the A-frame and the Frontier Town campground give it outsized strategic importance. “The county land ties this whole property together,” said North Hudson Supervisor Stephanie DeZalia. “It has tremendous potential.”
DeZalia said the grounds include a handful of the old theme park buildings, some of which are salvageable, some of which are not. But without any direction from the state, she said the county needs to go in and clear out the area, remove what can’t be saved and protect the rest. “People are going over there anyway and we should be putting fences around them,” she said.
Special Offer
Subscribe to the Adirondack Explorer app for only $8!
Access a year’s worth of content from Adirondack Explorer magazine
on your mobile device, which includes our annual Outings Guide.
Use the code EXPLORE at checkout
Seems that horse people don’t care for the camping/horse facilities. 4 miles of trails isn’t much of a destination. With promises of the infamous “connector trails” linking the towns out of the question it seems that this project is a “gateway” to no where. https://www.newyorkupstate.com/adirondacks/2019/09/state-spends-millions-on-frontier-town-but-horse-riders-dont-like-it.html
Good point. More multi-use trails period would go a long way to drawing people.
THIS^^^
Can thank this guy for the kabosh on the multi-town interlinked trails plan that many of the towns desperately needed from an economic perspective.
Peter Bauer
Executive Director, Protect the Adirondacks
His group, “Protect the Adirondacks” successfully used antiquated lumber industry clear-cutting laws in court to prevent the trails from being developed.
Of course, he’ll tell you otherwise… and trails by no means represent huge swaths of lumber acreage clear-cutting like lumbering days of old, but it is what it is – they successfully blocked it in court and it’s a sad fact.
https://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2021/05/tree-cutting-lawsuit-appeal.html
&
https://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/Letter-Response-to-Dishonest-Adirondack-August-16366843.php
This issue is similar to other NYS backed projects. Consider the Visitor Interpretive Centers. Good idea and execution, then “no money”. It t would likely be in Essex County’s best interest to develop it itself. Albany is unreliable, at best.
Who builds a campground on water (in this case the Schroon River) without access to or facilities on it? If no swimming area on the river makes sense, this campground needs a pool.
If it is such a “good” project why was there only one bidder who later pulled out ? We all have wish lists but they are not all viable and the State and Essex County are not awash in cash. Then there is the extensive permitting process, the delayed return on investment and a myriad of other impediments. But not objections by nearby neighbors as there are none. Let Exit 29 slumber on in relative peace.
Totally against it, it will destroy the beauty of the area, turn the boris road into route 73 keene to placid with illegal parking issues, idiots racing around corners. trespassers, garbage everywhere along the roads. such a creation would require the hiring of many police officers who actually enforce, littering, parking, speeding, dwi, wreckless driving. The only benifit would be a few mostly minimum wage jobs with no benifits.. most likely would be a food/gas stop from george to keene, with few staying. essex county should find a better investment!
Yup! Just leave it up to the state to make big plans and then do nothing! They had a five year plan at least six years ago to renovate the decrepit dump station and the bathrooms/showers from the 1950’s at Buck Pond State Park and NOTHING has been done! It’s just awful!
If they can’t build the multi-purpose connector trail (frequently called a snowmobile trail) from Newcomb to North Hudson (would have run right to the A Frame)….. how can the state build anything else that involves tree cutting….or sapling clearing??
This property is likely less restricted, given that it was already used and developed.
Thus it wouldn’t be part of the “forever wild” areas that caused the problems.
Complete boondoggle. Who allowed a 25M campground to get built in a location with no destination value except some limited nostalgia from a long defunct theme park, one place to get a beer, and a noisy droning highway? Talk about putting the cart before the horse.
Dear county leaders: Please don’t make the mistake of your predecessors by supporting this failed venture. It doesn’t have the kind of “potential” you believe it does.
Umm… the destination is all around!
Not just at the campground, but being able to stay there and conveniently access any number of other sites for hiking or other outdoors activities.
An easy spot to “base” at then do trips into surrounding areas as well for those not wanting to just hike.
BTW, Paradox Brewery… won’t be going back… Stopped in there with a couple of growlers to get some Beaver Bite IPA… A gent moving a keg told us they don’t fill growlers and the guy pointed to the cold case and said we should buy some 4-pack cans (which you can buy at stewarts and grocery stores…)
What self-respecting craft brewery doesn’t fill growlers at their brewery tasting room that you drive miles out of the way to visit and tells you to buy cans you can get in the store??!! LOL
Here’s better idea – I’ll buy a different brand of beer from now on.
So is it open or not. There was no date on article just that it was being readied to open.. ellie wall