Hoffman Notch is a noteworthy wilderness, occupying a niche between the high-elevation summits of the High Peaks and the dry, low-elevation slopes of the eastern Adirondacks. Thousands of people may drive past this wilderness every day as they travel the Adirondack Northway between Schroon Lake and North Hudson, but the wilderness itself is lightly trodden.
The Forces of Nature
Black River Wild Forest, Blue Ridge Wilderness, Ha-de-ron-dah Wilderness, High Peaks Wilderness, Hoffman Notch Wilderness, Round Lake Wilderness, Sentinel Range Wilderness, Siamese Ponds Wilderness, Silver Lake Wilderness, West Canada Lake Wilderness, Wilcox Lake Wild Forest, William C. Whitney Wilderness
No commentary. No words. Just images of places in the Adirondacks where the only forces at work are natural ones.
So Much Work to Be Done
Ferris Lake Wild Forest, Giant Mountain Wilderness, Hammond Pond Wild Forest, High Peaks Wilderness, Hoffman Notch Wilderness, Hudson Gorge Wilderness, Hurricane Mountain Wilderness, Jay Mountain Wilderness, North Country National Scenic Trail, Pharaoh Lake Wilderness, Shaker Mountain Wild Forest, Siamese Ponds Wilderness, Silver Lake Wilderness, West Canada Lake Wilderness, Wilcox Lake Wild Forest
Part 4 of 4 I believe that it is important to know the history of Adirondack trails in order to participate in the public process of creating plans for the units of the park. So, I have written this to give perspective to those who will do the planning.
Trails in the Mountain Pleasure Grounds
Part 2 of 4 The Laws of 1895 authorized the state to lay out paths in the newly created Adirondack Park. There is little evidence that anything was done at that time. In 1909 Governor Hughes advocated trails and roads to give greater access to the “mountain pleasure grounds.” As it turned out, recreational trail building by the state began a few years later, not because of Hughes’ plans, but in a rather circuitous way.