Adirondack Nature Programs
Located off Rte 30 in the beautiful Adirondacks you’ll find one of New York’s Visitor Interpretive Centers at Paul Smiths. Trails and views include a 60-acre marsh, five ponds, several brooks and swamps, significant glacial and geological features, varied forest types, Jenkins Mountain, scenic vistas of St. Regis Mountain. Visitors may catch a glimpse of a common loon, the great blue heron, beaver, red fox, coyote, black bear, white-tailed deer, snowshoe hare, muskrat, and perhaps a moose. On site there are exhibit rooms, a passive energy-saving sun space with an art gallery, and gift shop. That’s not all – there is also the Whispering Pines Amphitheater, and the Native Species Butterfly House. Naturalist-led canoe paddle tours, a Breakfast with the Birds, and night hikes are a few of the activities you are welcome to join in. The second facility is Newcomb’s Visitor Interpretive Center located in Newcomb, off Rte 28N, and it has a 3.6-mile trail system on 236 acres of the Huntington Wildlife Forest. The site includes a mile-long forested peninsula on Rich Lake, distinctive wetlands, old growth forest types, lake vistas, scenic overlooks, and exhibit rooms. Programs include on-site science and naturalist programs for adults and children, summer bird-on-hand programs and lectures. Inside the building, watch the 17-minute slide show, "Unlocking the Wilderness," a presentation about settling the Adirondack Park (mining, logging, health resorts, etc.). Joining a Naturalist-led trail or bird walk, and attending the annual ‘Raptor Celebration,’ held each October, are activities your family will always treasure. Nature at its best in the Adirondacks!
Hire an Outdoor Guide:
It is said that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, but if you’re journeying into New York State’s wilderness or unfamiliar waters for the first time, your first step should be hiring a licensed outdoor guide. Since 1891, the
New York State Outdoor Guide Association has been leading visitors on backpacking, kayaking, horseback riding, fishing, hunting and photography expeditions. They know just what you’re looking for (and most importantly—how to get there). (866) 469-7642
Head Towards the Light:
The famous
Fire Island Lighthouse separates windswept beachfront summer retreats to the east from the protected dunes to the west on a narrow barrier of land between Long Island’s Great South Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Spend the morning with a Park Ranger touring the working lighthouse, go for a guided hike into Long Island’s wilderness or just hit the beach and get lost in the warmth of the sun. (631) 661-4876
For Your Amusement—Sylvan Beach:
A trip to the lake is a journey back in time when you visit
Sylvan Beach on Oneida Lake. The amusement park has an original Galaxi roller coaster and many beautifully restored and maintained vintage thrill rides from the 1950s. The nostalgic appreciate Classic Car Cruise nights on Saturdays and Bikes at the Beach on Tuesdays throughout the spring and summer, while
romantics find their heart’s desire walking on the sandy beach and watching the sun set over the lake. (315) 762-5212