North Country Trail Adirondack Park

The North Country National Scenic Trail in Adirondack Park is still just in the planning stages, however there has been some movement on where the trail will go through the park.  According to the DEC website, the plan is to utilize trails already in existence and build approximately 50 miles of new trail to connect the existing trails.  The DEC believes this will take at least 10 years to complete.

The Plan recommends the incorporation of the North Country National Scenic Trail into the State's Adirondack trail system and recommends that this National Scenic Trail be developed and managed in accordance with applicable federal and state laws, policies, and guidelines. The Plan outlines a viable trail route for the North Country National Scenic Trail across the central region of the Park.

The Plan recommends following approximately 70 miles of existing foot trail within the Park and recommends approximately 50 miles of new trail construction within the Park. It is estimated that 27 miles of Temporary Connectors will be initially utilized to make connections along this route. Within the Adirondack Park, the North Country National Scenic Trail will be approximately 150 total miles in length when complete. (The proposed route requires less new construction than other alternatives.) The ultimate goal is a North Country National Scenic Trail route that is completely off-road and non-motorized, but this Plan does suggest temporary road-walking connections for use by long-distance hikers until the off-road route can be completed.

The Plan proposes a route for the North Country National Scenic Trail that intersects nine Units of the Adirondack Park Forest Preserve:

• Black River Wild Forest
• West Canada Lake Wilderness
• Moose River Plains Wild Forest
• Jessup River Wild Forest
• Siamese Ponds Wilderness
• Hudson Gorge Primitive Area
• Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest
• Hoffman Notch Wilderness
• Hammond Pond Wild Forest

One of our FAQ's we receive is where will the trail go in the park?  Since we have a pretty good idea what existing trails will be used, we are attempting to create some sections that can be hiked now.  As for a continuous path through the park?  Yes, you could bushwhack the "missing links", but Adirondack Park is so remote that such an endeavor could be extremely dangerous.  We would not recommend this.

What will the North Country Trail look like in Adirondack Park?  Take a look of the DEC plan at the DEC website.  We have also included links above to what can be hiked now in Adirondack Park that will be the future North Country National Scenic Trail.  This section of the North Country Trail will eventually become one of the most popular sections of the trail.  For your safety, remember that the Adirondacks is much more remote when hiking.