John Dillon Park’s summer opening uncertain as contract talks stall

 Reservation roadblocks for inclusive wilderness park situated near Long Lake

By Mike Lynch

It’s less than two months before John Dillon Park is scheduled to open and its website is not accepting camping reservations, nor does the landowner, International Paper, have a contract with the park’s long-time operator, Paul Smith’s College. 

Located 10 minutes from Long Lake, the 200-acre John Dillon Park has offered day use and wilderness camping for people with disabilities since 2006. It is named for John Dillon, a former IP executive and Paul Smith’s College alumni who died last March. He spearheaded the effort to create the facility, which has more than 3 miles of accessible trails, in addition to nine lean-tos and one tent site for people with disabilities.  

The park generally opens Memorial Day weekend. The college did start taking reservations in early April but has since shut them down, although both parties said they intend to open this summer. 

Stephanie Woodward, executive director of the Disability EmpowHer Network, says she’s been tracking this situation closely and getting updates from park staff. Campers with her organization use the park every August for a week. But in January she was told this upcoming summer’s reservations were up in the air because International Paper and the college hadn’t agreed on a contract.

She did get a verbal commitment to use the park this summer from the college two weeks ago, she said, but she’s still concerned, in part because she was told the paper company wants a one-year contract. 

“We’re very worried about the fate of the park,” she said. “We are worried about what it could look like long-term after this year.”

Neither Paul Smith’s nor International Paper would agree to an interview for this article, instead issuing statements. International Paper, which used to own a mill in Ticonderoga, is considered the largest pulp and paper company in the world. The landowner said the park would be open in 2024 and it intends to agree to a contract with the college, which issued its own statement through the public relations firm Bospar. 

“Paul Smith’s College is wholly committed to the long-term operation of John Dillon Park and hopes to reopen reservations soon,” Bospar said. “Dillon’s foundation established funding to support this unique program, and we continue to talk with International Paper, the park’s owner, so it can be open for the 2024 summer season.”

Bob Steggeman, a former regional director for the state Department of Environmental Conservation based in Ray Brook and former manager at International Paper,called the park a “unique offering” in the Adirondacks. 

“I think it’s in the interest of both parties to make something happen,” he said. “And it’s certainly an amazing park.”