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The Adirondacks: Come to Play in Nature's Wonderland!

The Adirondack region consists of over 6 million acres in upstate New York, diverging also into neighboring Vermont. The mountain area is interwoven with the Adirondack Park. The combined land mass of the region encompasses roughly 20% of the entire state. The park is a mixture of public and private lands, and includes wilderness areas, ski resorts, lakes, rivers, streams, remote towns, and scenic pasturelands. This area is an outdoor enthusiast's dream come true! There is no shortage of activities to enjoy. A day's itinerary can include hiking, camping, canoeing, skiing, snowmobiling, fishing, bicycling, scuba diving, orienteering, and countless other recreational endeavors.

Probably the most famous region of the Adirondacks is the area around Lake Placid. One of only three cities to hold the winter Olympic Games twice, Lake Placid is a year-round resort offering activities ranging from skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling in the winter, to hiking, mountain biking, fishing, and even windsurfing on nearby Lake Placid or Mirror Lake in summer. While in the area, be sure to visit the Olympic Center. Used during the 1980 Olympic Games, the center houses four ice skating rinks. It was in this facility that Eric Heiden made Olympic history by winning 5 individual gold medals.

Lake George, at the southeastern entrance to Adirondack Park, is the largest lake completely within the park boundaries. The 32-mile long lake is dotted with 365 small islands, and is a great spot for tossing in a line. Among the many fish that swim in the Adirondack waters are salmon, trout, northern pike, pickerel, and small and large mouth bass. Scuba divers make trips to Lake George to see the seven shipwrecks that sit on the bottom. Used during the French and Indian War, the ships were sunk to prevent their capture, but were missed during a later effort to retrieve them. The best known group is the Waiwaka Bateau Cluster, which is on the state register of historic places.

With over 2,000 miles of trails, the Adirondacks are a hiker's paradise. Trails range from 1-mile day-hikes, to week-long (or longer!) trails covering rugged terrain. A couple of favorites are Deer Leap, a 3-mile round trip on easy terrain that overlooks northern Lake George. Another popular hike is the Otter Creek Horse Trail System, near Old Forge. Over 65 miles of interconnecting trails offer easy walks of varying duration on a series of old sandy roads and forest paths. You'll wind through flats and wooded areas, accessing several attractive lakes and following or crossing streams and rivers. There is also a state-of-the-art equestrian facility, so you can mount up and ride the trails as well.

With over 100 miles of navigable routes, canoeing is another major pastime in the Adirondacks. The many lakes, rivers, and streams offer canoeists the opportunity to float lazily down a river, or tackle a heart-pumping ride down some hair raising rapids. Guides are also available to take those interested on a combination canoeing/fishing trip.

Thousands of miles of trails also make snowmobiling one of the most popular of Adirondack pursuits. Choose to race on frozen Lake Champlain, ride the huge expanse of the Moose River Plains, or face the challenge of the immense Tug Hill Plateau. The area behind Cranberry Lake has trails even the locals don't know about, while Old Forge is famous for trail grooming and hospitality. There is a snowmobile race or event somewhere in the region every weekend.

Whether your notion of a vacation is casting in a line, parasailing across a glittering lake, hiking a trail that leads to a spectacular mountain view, or skiing in the tracks of famous Olympians, the Adirondacks are the place to be for an active vacation. Historical sights, docile pastures, trickling streams, and 400-foot-deep lakes are all part of the Adirondack landscape. So, pack up your walking stick and fishing pole and head to upstate New York!