From left, Gwen Neill, Ophelia Bailey, Etta Neill and Sverre Bailey jump for joy on the field located at the corner of State Route 73 and Adirondack Loj Road. The field, now owned by the Adirondack Land Trust, was farmed by their grandparents Ron and Beth Edgley from 1983 to 2012 and was then known as the Windy Mountain Farm. The Edgleys sold New York certified seed potatoes up and down the eastern seaboard for more than 30 years (Provided photo — Erika Bailey)

Outdoor recreation is the primary draw for visitors to the Adirondacks and the reason why many of us choose to live here. Currently you can find many hundreds of miles of hiking trail within an hour’s drive of Saranac Lake and Lake Placid. But you’d have to drive nearly an hour to find a free universal access trail that takes you deep into the peace of a wild place.

This disparity of opportunity limits many people from experiencing the forest that defines our region, shapes our identities, drives the economy, and bolsters community health.

With help from partners such as Accessible Adirondack Tourism, Tri-Lakes Center for Independent Living and the chair of the New York State Accessibility Advisory Committee, the Adirondack Land Trust became aware of a need for places that allow people with disabilities to experience nature. Following are FAQs and bullets about a new effort to meet this need.

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About the Adirondack Land Trust

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The Adirondack Land Trust conserves forests, farmlands, waters, and wild places that, in turn, contribute to healthy communities and preserve ecological integrity. Established in 1984, the land trust has protected 28,257 acres at 106 sites in 43 towns and 10 counties. Combined, our staff of 14 has more than 175 years of professional conservation experience.

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Unique opportunity

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Two conservation sites owned and managed by the land trust are especially well-suited to advancing a shared vision for accessible wildland trails: Glenview Preserve, a 238-acre property located along New York State Route 86 in Harrietstown, and the yet-to-be-named 187-acre preserve at the corner of State Route 73 and the Adirondack Loj Road outside Lake Placid.

Both sites have a history of agriculture and logging, are accessed by major travel corridors, and are known for iconic mountain vistas. Both provide a variety of habitats for songbirds, pollinators and wildlife. Neither is currently open to the public for recreation, but both hold great promise for public access to high-quality accessible wildland trails near the tourism and community hubs of Saranac Lake and Lake Placid.

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What are accessible trails?

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Accessible trails meet U.S. federal guidelines for outdoor use: a firm and stable surface, 60-inch tread width, tread obstacles less than 2 inches high, grade of 5 to 12%, and a cross slope between 2 and 5%.

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What are accessible wildland trails?

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In addition to meeting federal guidelines, the trails at these preserves will be designed to bring visitors into natural habitats. The major difference between these trails and the rail trail, for instance, is the user experience. An accessible wildland trail will wind through intermittent destinations — a grove of trees, a large boulder, a soft mat of moss, a view — whereas a rail trail is a wide and mostly linear corridor.

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Who will benefit?

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People with bad knees, families with strollers, a growing population of people age 65 and older, and others facing mobility challenges–and the businesses who serve them–all will benefit from access to universal trails. Nick Friedman, president and executive director of Accessible Adirondack Tourism, Inc., put it like this in a grant application support letter: “There are few accessible outdoor venues in the Adirondacks. This infrastructure would build toward critical mass to attract new outdoor visitors to the region and provide the health benefits of nature to a broad array of underserved people with disabilities.”

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Planned trails, parking and amenities

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At Glenview, the proposed 2.25 miles of accessible wildland trail will have two loops, starting in a field and moving to interior forest, with one lollipop loop spur that will include a natural scenic overlook without the need for a wooden platform. The parking access will drop down from State Route 86 at a location providing the longest sightlines for drivers on the road. Parking spaces will be below the level of the roadway and screened by vegetation. The surface will be crushed stone for 13 parking spaces, paved for three accessible spaces, and sized to allow a school bus to loop around. The trailhead area will include a restroom, pavilion, and informational kiosk.

The Adirondack Land Trust envisions similar trail and parking designs at its preserve in Lake Placid; the planning process there is not as far along.

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Concerns at Glenview

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Some community members have said they would prefer that Glenview Preserve remain unchanged and off limits to the public, and their input has helped shape a plan that is sensitive to the character of the area. A multi-year outreach and planning process has convinced us that the preserve can continue to protect views, water quality, and wildlife habitat while serving the community more inclusively by providing public access to universal trails.

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Cost

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At $4.4 million, the projected combined cost for these trails and associated parking and user amenities is higher than traditional Adirondack trail-building efforts. Cost has been a barrier to building these kinds of trails in the Adirondack Park to date. In addition to broader access, the return on investment will include more sustainable trails that will require less maintenance over time.

Funding

The encouraging and humbling news is that a $3 million grant from the Northern Border Regional Commission (announced on June 27), along with state and private funding, will allow the land trust to start moving these projects forward. These funders affirm the need for accessible wildland trails and boost our confidence that we can raise the remaining $463,000 needed to meet the total project cost.

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Timing

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We anticipate getting started on the ground in 2025 at Glenview and 2026 in Lake Placid.

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How to contact the Adirondack Land Trust

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We welcome questions and ideas from community members about these projects or our work in general and can be reached at 518-576-2400 or info@adirondacklandtrust.org.

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Mike Carr is the executive director of the Adirondack Land Trust.