Adirondacks Autumn Beauty: Hike, Paddle, and Cycle, New York

The Trip

Experience a true Adirondack Mountain vacation amidst glorious fall foliage. Whether you travel solo or with others you know, 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 in a crystal clear lake, trying mountain bike trails, and visiting historic and cultural Adirondack sites. We’ll dine on hearty chef-prepared meals and enjoy evening talks, relaxation, and campfires. 

Adirondack Park boasts 3,000 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 nation.

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 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.

Our itinerary 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. To enjoy and get the most out of the outing, be ready for the unexpected! For the safety and enjoyment of all, participants are expected to stay together and contribute to a convivial, supportive atmosphere. Good humor and a positive attitude are invaluable. 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 the safety or health of individuals or the group.

Each day will offer a choice of activities and hiking routes. In addition to hiking, you’ll have opportunities to paddle a canoe or kayak on pristine Thirteenth Lake, and to try mountain biking. During free time, you may choose to walk on the extensive trails nearby, paddle, or relax outside in an Adirondack chair or inside near the fire.

The trip is designed to offer variety and to suit various levels, with most days featuring choices of activities. As this is a group trip, participants are asked to stay together during the guided activities.

The trip leader will send more detailed directions, parking instructions, itinerary, packing suggestions, and other information to confirmed participants before the trip.

Daily schedule:

• From about 7:30 a.m., we’ll enjoy a full breakfast buffet, with freshly prepared pancakes, French toast, eggs, bacon and sausage, pastries and fresh fruit, yogurt, and hot and cold cereal with toppings. We’ll pack our lunches from an array of sandwich fixings, including both meat and plant-based options. To minimize waste, we ask you to provide your own refillable beverage, utensils, and non-leak lunch containers.
• Depending on the day’s activities, we’ll head out from the lodge, or the lodge van will transport us to the starting point for our adventure. We’ll enjoy our self-packed lunches at a scenic spot or return to the lodge at midday to recharge before embarking on the afternoon’s excursion. 
• We’ll return to the lodge for dinner and the evening’s program. At the end of each day, we’ll gather for a quick debriefing and outline the next day’s choice of activities. That way, you’ll be able to select what you do according to your interests and energy level. 
• In our free time, we can gather on the front lawn to watch the sunsets. Weather and time permitting, we’ll be able to warm ourselves by a campfire and savor s'mores under the stars.

Day 1: After a 4 p.m. check-in, we’ll settle in, unpack, and unwind from our travels. We’ll enjoy a welcome dinner, get acquainted with fellow participants, the lodge and surroundings, and have an orientation to the week. A campfire after sunset may entice you to scan the stars and perhaps roast marshmallows.

Days 2-5: After enjoying our hearty breakfast buffet and packing our lunches, we’ll set out on our choice of easy, moderate, or challenging hikes.

Throughout the week, you’ll have opportunities to choose the length and rigor of the guided hikes offered, paddle on the lake and try mountain biking. Paddling and cycling are suitable for all levels. No experience is needed as the lodge’s expert guides will be there to show the way.

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.

Evening programs will include lively presentations about history, culture, or conservation issues in Adirondack Park and the region.

On our last evening, we will enjoy stories and a slide show of the week’s adventures, a special dinner together, and lovely music by a local performer.

Day 6 (half day, check out by 11:00 a.m.): After breakfast, choose a short hike or paddle, or try a mountain bike ride. After check out, you’ll have complimentary use of the lodge’s trails and facilities for the day.

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 Lodge can provide shuttle service for the airport, Amtrak, and bus station.

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 Thirteenth 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 and special room arrangements, 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 cuisine. 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, mostly flat), or 2 – 4 hours for moderate hikes (3 - 6 miles with some elevation) or 4+ hours for challenging hikes (6-10 miles with significant elevation). You may opt to try mountain biking on gentle to moderate trails. You can canoe or kayak on flat water in lakes and ponds, where the paddling is not difficult.

Trip members are expected to participate in scheduled group activities, although 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, are welcoming and respectful of all, and are 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.

Weather

The main message about the Adirondacks is that weather can change -- so wise outdoors people are prepared. Temperatures can drop or rise, clear days can turn stormy, and we can experience three or four seasons within 24 hours. October temperatures can range from a high of 57 degrees to a low of 39 degrees.  While we’ll check each day’s weather forecasts, it is important to carry an extra layer and rain gear when we’re away from the lodge.

Equipment and Clothing

You will need sturdy, broken-in shoes, waterproof hiking boots,  a complete waterproof rain suit, and a variety of clothing suitable for warm to cool days, cool or cold 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 and helmets, canoes, and kayaks.  

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. We will learn and practice the principles of ‘Leave No Trace’ while enjoying nature.

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