Adirondacks Mountain Holiday: Hike, Paddle, Swim and Cycle, New York

The Trip

Experience a true Adirondack Mountain vacation. Whether you travel solo or with friends and family, you’ll make new friends while enjoying a variety of invigorating outdoor activities. From the comforts of our historic lodge, we will explore the largest state park in the Lower 48 and the unbeatable opportunities it offers for outdoor recreation. Spend active days hiking, paddling, and swimming in a crystal clear lake, trying mountain bike trails, and visiting historic and cultural Adirondack sites. We’ll dine on hearty meals and enjoy evening talks, relaxation, and campfires. For an additional cost, participants (minimum age 12) can arrange an all-day whitewater rafting adventure on the headwaters of the Hudson River.

Adirondack Park includes more than 10,000 lakes, 30,000 miles of rivers and streams, and over 100 mountain summits with a wide variety of habitats, including wetlands and old-growth forests. Many areas within the park are free of settlements and distant from usable roads. There are over 2,000 miles of hiking trails, comprising the largest trail system in the country. 

The Adirondack Park was created in 1892 by the State of New York amid concerns for the region’s water and timber resources. At six million acres, it is larger than Yosemite, Yellowstone, Glacier, Grand Canyon, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Parks combined. The park contains the largest protected wilderness area east of the Mississippi and is the largest National Historic Landmark.

Nearly half of the park belongs to the people of the State of New York and is constitutionally protected as a "forever wild" forest preserve. The remaining half is private land, with nearly 130,000 year-round residents living in the small towns and rural areas inside the park.

The areas we’ll visit are part of the aboriginal territories of the Mohawk and Abenaki communities. Today, the Adirondacks remain an important place and home for many Indigenous people who continue to practice their teachings and lifeways. 

Note that the schedule may be adjusted to suit weather conditions.

Our itinerary below is tentative and subject to change, depending on weather, pacing, the group, safety, and other conditions. Participants need to be flexible and adapt as circumstances change. Good humor and a positive attitude make for a convivial, supportive atmosphere. To get the most out of the outing, have a sense of adventure and be ready for the unexpected! For the safety and enjoyment of all, participants must stay together during group activities and notify the trip leader or guide of any issue or if they opt out of a planned program. The leaders reserve the right to make changes as necessary, both before and during the trip. Please be aware Sierra Club specifically empowers the leader to exclude individuals from a trip activity in the interest of everyone’s safety and health.

The trip leader will send more details about travel logistics, itinerary, packing suggestions, and other information to confirmed participants prior to the trip.

Daily Schedule Overview (approximate times)

7:30 a.m. Buffet breakfast, pack your lunch.

8:30 a.m. Assemble and head out for the day’s activities.

~12 to 1:00 p.m. Packed lunch on the trail or back at the lodge. BYO containers and utensils to avoid using disposables.

3 to 4:00 p.m. Return to lodge

5:15-5:45 p.m. Group meeting to preview next day’s activities

6:00 p.m. Buffet supper, cash bar

7:00 p.m. Varied activities: Presentations on topics related to the Adirondacks, conservation, local history), musical performances, bonfires, S’mores, and stargazing.

Following evening activity or program: Relax by the fire, outdoors or take advantage of the games room

Daily Details

Day 1: Check-in at approximately 4:00 p.m. On the afternoon of our arrival day, we’ll settle in, unpack, and unwind from our travels. We’ll enjoy a welcome dinner, get acquainted, and have an orientation to the week’s program.

Days 2–5: Buffet breakfast in the dining room, a hearty self-serve buffet, with hot and cold selections such as pancakes, French toast, bacon or sausage, home fries, hot and cold cereal, fruit, pastries, coffee, tea, and juice.

Prepare your own packed lunch from a selection of bread, nut butter and fruit jam, hummus, sliced meats and cheeses, fruit, snack bars, cookies, or chips. To help minimize waste, please provide your own reusable beverage containers, lunch kits, and utensils you may need. After breakfast, we head out for our day’s activities.

Depending on the schedule of hiking, paddling, and cycling trips you select,
other excursions may include:

• The Adirondack Experience is a fabulous indoor/outdoor museum featuring exhibits on the region’s first inhabitants, its wildlife and natural history, art, architecture, and culture. Other displays show the development of logging and tourism, the Great Camps, boat building, and the 1980 Olympics.

• The North River Depot Museum houses a scale model railway replica of the town. We’ll see the fascinating and important role of the railroad in developing the Adirondack region. The small town boasts a special place in U.S. history, as Theodore Roosevelt took a midnight ride from North River to the Presidency. We’ll see images of the snow trains and learn about the development of skiing at Gore Mountain and tourism in the region.

• Great Camp Sagamore is a National Historic Landmark, built in 1897 as a wilderness retreat for the Vanderbilt family and used that way for half a century.  We’ll take a guided walking tour of this now non-profit “living museum” to learn about Adirondack history, nature, and the Gilded Age amid the rustic beauty of our wilderness location.  We will enjoy a buffet lunch, prepared by a talented chef and kitchen staff and served in the historic dining hall overlooking Sagamore Lake.

Evenings: Activities vary

Although you may not want to miss a moment outdoors, you always have the option of staying back at the lodge to relax, enjoy the grounds, or curl up with a good book.

Day 5: Return to the lodge for our last night’s dinner (plated, pre-selected from a menu) with new friends and share what we’ve learned and enjoyed during our time together. After dinner, we will enjoy a performance from a local musician. Prepare your song requests and be ready to sing along!

Day 6: (Optional) Early morning yoga Check out by 11:00 a.m. You may enjoy your packed lunch in the lodge or take it with you on the road. Once checked out, you may store luggage in the main lobby and are welcome to enjoy the lodge trails on your own.

Getting There

The lodge is located about 250 miles north of New York City, a five-hour drive. The nearest airport is in Albany, NY, about 100 miles from the lodge. For an additional charge and by prior arrangement, Garnet Hill can provide shuttle service for the airport, Amtrak, and Albany bus station to and from the lodge.

If health and safety protocols limit the number of people in the lodge’s vans, we may ask participants who have their vehicles to drive to activities off-site.

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

Garnet Hill is a classic Adirondack lodge overlooking the clear waters of Thirteenth Lake near North River, NY. Located in the Central Adirondacks, the lodge, known as the Log House, is reminiscent of an Adirondack Great Camp. The original structure, built in 1936, offers a casual, friendly atmosphere. The current owners purchased the inn and 250 acres in 2016 and have invested in renovating and remodeling to combine the rustic charm of the historic lodge with comfortable, modern amenities. A huge stone fireplace with inviting seating entices guests to relax and unwind. There are hiking and biking trails on 550 acres of owned and leased land and opportunities to swim or paddle on nearby 13th Lake or just settle into an Adirondack chair on the front lawn and enjoy the views. 

Five nights' lodging in double-occupancy rooms is included in the trip price. There is a surcharge for single rooms. Families with up to two children (17 and under) may stay together in one of the larger rooms. Single and family room arrangements are subject to availability. To request those room arrangements and check current pricing, please notify the trip leader when you register for the trip. Those extra costs are paid directly to the lodge.

We will enjoy freshly prepared, hearty country cuisine from the inn’s restaurant. The trip cost includes five breakfasts, five lunches, and five dinners. A hot and cold breakfast buffet is served daily. We’ll pack our lunches to take with us during our active days outdoors. Dinner buffets will offer entrée options, including vegetarian or vegan selections. Self-serve coffee, tea, and cocoa are available in the lounge area 24/7, and the cash bar is open in the afternoons and evenings. 

Trip Difficulty

The trip is intended as an introduction to the Adirondacks, suitable for beginner and less experienced hikers, bikers, and paddlers, yet fun for all. For the most enjoyment, participants should be reasonably fit and able to walk or hike comfortably for 1-2 hours for easy hikes with minimal elevation, or 3-7 miles / 2-5 hours for moderate to challenging hikes, with some steep and rocky terrain in beautiful, lush forests, and summits with breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains.  Elevation gain can exceed 1000 feet, yet moderate and easy hikes are also available. Trip participants can choose among hikes offered with varying levels of difficulty, so it’s up to you. Van transport is provided to the trailheads.  You may opt to try mountain biking on gentle to moderate trails. You can also canoe or kayak on flat water in lakes and ponds, where paddling is not difficult.

Trip members are expected to participate in scheduled group activities, and there will be free time to enjoy on your own. We ask you to be punctual, considerate of fellow Sierra Club travelers, and willing to help out to keep things pleasant for all. We request that all participants be understanding about differences in views, comfort levels, fitness, speed, experience, and skill in outdoor activities. We are not in a race or competition. We look out for one another, try to be welcoming and respectful of all, and to be sensitive and responsive to individual differences, views, and needs.

Please discuss with the leader any questions or concerns about your fitness, abilities, readiness, medical or other conditions, or needs that could limit your ability to participate safely and fully in all trip activities.

Equipment and Clothing

You will need sturdy, broken-in shoes and a variety of clothing suitable for warm days, cool mountain nights, and possible rain. The leader will send a complete packing list to confirmed participants well in advance of the trip. All equipment and guided instruction will be provided, including mountain bikes, canoes, and kayaks. You are welcome to bring your mountain bike and helmet.

References

Book:

• Schneider, Paul, The Adirondacks: A History of America's First Wilderness.

Websites:

• Garnet Hill Lodge: www.garnet-hill.com
• Adirondack Mountain Club resources: www.adk.org
• Visit The Adirondacks: https://visitadirondacks.com/about/adirondack-park

Conservation

We will learn about the history of Adirondack Park, including logging and resource extraction. We'll also learn about current conservation concerns and issues in the region and the organizations working to protect and preserve its ecological richness.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.