Adirondack Mountain Club

Over fall break, I led a HOC trip in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and couldn't help comparing the Whites with the Adirondacks. I was accustomed to the relatively unkept nature of Adirondack trails, campsites that aren't clearly labeled, and small lean-to's that have clearly been used by hundreds of hikers. Instead, the trails of the Whites were much more clearly marked and well defined, the campsites were very obvious and built up with platforms and outhouses, and the lean-to's were more like homes than quick shelters. I did a little bit of research today to try and find out why there was such a stark distinction, and I quickly saw that the Adirondacks and the Whites are managed very differently.

We have already talked a bit about the APA (Adirondack Park Agency) and the DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation), two NY state organizations that are jointly responsible for the management and protection of land in the Adirondacks. Naturally, they are also the ones responsible for the creation and maintenance of trails in state land. However, I read a little bit about the Adirondack Mountain Club ("ADK") that has taken over a lot of the land in the High Peaks region of the park. A private organization, the Adirondack Mountain Club runs primarily on volunteers and donations. It has over 28,000 members and is responsible for "the conservation, preservation, and responsible recreational use of the New York State Forest Preserve". The club places summit stewards on mountain peaks, manages popular trailheads like the Adirondack Loj, and is in charge of a lot of the infrastructure in popular hiking areas. While the High Peaks is still under the rules set by the DEC, like the maximum group size, the ADK is the one maintaining most of the land.

From its website, the ADK seems like a much smaller club that relies heavily on volunteers, while the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) that manages trails in the White Mountains is a larger club that collects fees for parking and camping. We are lucky to have access to the Adirondacks for free, but the quality of trails and campsites in the White Mountains was a good example of the benefits of collecting money from backpackers. I think that, ultimately, I prefer the unkept nature of Adirondack trails and campsites and I like that the trails are accessible to everyone, but I can't help but wonder what the Adirondacks would look like if there was some sort of campsite fee.