People from all over the world make the Tupper Lake / Saranac Lake / Lake Placid Olympic Region a four-season vacation destination.
2022-2023 Special: Shuttle service around the Adirondacks, especially the Northville-Placid Trail. Comfortable, sanitary Honda Pilot or Dodge Ram crew-cab. Dogs are welcome. Licensed livery driver. Rates based on driving time, distance, and current fuel pricing. Call or email for rates. 518-359-8194 or adkfoothillsgs@gmail.com
The 9000-square mile Adirondack Park in northern New York State is the largest natural sanctuary in the lower United States. The 1894 “Forever Wild” article of the New York State Constitution makes this area the oldest continual and successful constitutionally protected preserve in the world. More than one million acres of the Park are designated as wilderness areas, making the Adirondack region an unspoiled treasure for hikers, hunters, canoeists, fishermen and seasonal recreationists.
Five major drainage basins create 3000 Adirondack lakes and ponds, with tens of thousands of miles of cold, clear rivers, streams and rills. Ancient mountain ranges are traversed by over 360 miles of maintained trails and uncharted herd paths. Glaciers that covered the area ten thousand years ago scoured ridges and dammed lakes, creating extensive hardwood ridges and wetlands among the conifer-covered mountains. Whatever you hope to find in a wild northern forest is waiting for you in the Adirondacks. Come and visit!
2022 Group Events
Some events may be weather dependent. If Adirondack Foothills reschedules or cancels classes, they are fully refunded. Classes are gender-neutral. Minimum and maximum enrollment limits may apply. Registration does not include meals or lodging. Keep reading!
February 5, 2022: Snowshoe Round Pond Bog and Esker. This half-day program is offered when there is sufficient ice to travel along a shallow lake shore, with enough snow depth to allow passage through the dense shrubs in the fens. There is no alternate date. Saranac Lake NY $50 w/ minimum of 4 participants.
May 14, 2022: Wilderness First Aid. The event takes place indoors, with outdoor practice if conditions permit. This program is intended for people with beginner or modest levels of backcountry first aid experience, or who wish to upgrade from community first aid certification. This certification is accepted by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation as a requirement for Outdoor Guide licensure. Woodgate NY. $120 w/ minimum of 6 participants.
June 11, 2022: Basic Map and Compass. Participants spend one-half of the class on tabletop practice under shelter, learning how to interpret a map and use a compass with a map to plan and verify a route and traverse the land. The second half of the class takes place in an outdoor area for boots-on-the-ground practice. Tupper Lake NY. $65 w/ minimum of 3 participants.
June 25, 2022: Adirondack Wildlife Flora and Fauna. Understand how to identify Adirondack flora including – flowering plants and why/when/where they grow – ferns and fern allies and their habitats – trees and shrubs native to the Adirondacks – overview geological, political, and ecological history of the Adirondacks. Paul Smiths NY. $50 w/ minimum of 4 participants.
July 9, 2022: First Aid and CPR certification. This indoor one-day class provides community-level first aid and CPR knowledge with hands-on practice. This certification is accepted by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation as a requirement for Outdoor Guide licensure. Tupper Lake NY. $90 w/ minimum of 6 participants.
July 16, 2022: The Complete Hiker – Fun and Safety in the Wildlands. The event takes place entirely outdoors and, hopefully, in good weather conditions. This program is intended for people with beginner or modest levels of experience. We will share safe hiking and camping techniques and basic short-term survival tactics. Tupper Lake NY. $50 w/ minimum of 4 participants
(Woodgate NY) $120
Wilderness First Aid
Date dependent upon COVID restrictions. This is a first aid certification class with learning centered on common back-country illnesses and/or injuries, and suggestions and demonstrations for first aid care for one day or a few days. Emphasizes risk assessment, accident prevention and emergency preparedness. Limited registration.
E-BooK
(Flash-drive edition) $30
Elemental Adirondacks; a Naturalist Field Guide and Elemental Particulars
Chapters include hiking & camping; clothing; nutrition; navigation; fauna; tracking; flora; invasive species; illness; wilderness first aid; survival; cold weather survival; Adirondack High Peaks geology; ad more!11
May 15, 2021
(Tupper Lake) $45 w/ minimum 3 participants
Navigation Skills with Map and Compass
This program may be converted to a Zoom session with a special reduced fee. Adventure “off-road”! Become familiar with maps and orienteering compasses. Develop skills that let you hike a trail, visit a remote pond, or bushwhack to a summit. Classroom desktop learning is combined with outdoor team activities. No prior experience needed.
June 12, 2021
(Paul Smiths NY) $35 w/ minimum 4 participants
Adirondack-Ostrich (fern) Adirondack Flora
Explore ferns & fern allies, flowering plants, trees and shrubs. Where do they grow? Why do they grow there? Walk on well-maintained trails with lots of opportunities to study and photograph flora.
Enjoy varied ecology, forest solitude, and scenic vistas on 3000 acres and 6 miles of interconnecting interpretive trails. Visit the Paul Smiths Visitor Interpretive Center (VIC) while you’re there!.
July 10, 2021
(Tupper Lake NY) $35 w/ minimum 4 participants
Hike Safe – Fun and Safety in the Wildlands
Become familiar with back-country safety preparedness and basic survival techniques; methods of setting up safe and environmentally sound emergency camps; gear and clothing selection; food preparation and safe handling; nutrition and hydration requirements; fire starting; water purification; and personal and camp sanitation.
August 14, 2021
(Tupper Lake) $95 w/ minimum 3 participants
First Aid & Adult CPR/AED certification
This is a first aid certification class with learning centered basic First Aid and Adult CPR/AED. Acquire basic knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to care for emergencies – from breathing and cardiac emergencies, to caring for bleeding, sudden illness and injuries.
September 4, 2021
(Lake Placid NY) $75 w/ minimum 3 participants
High Peaks Jaunt: Views from the Summit
Become familiar with land-use classifications, environmental laws, and rules regulating the High Peaks. Become familiar with basic emergency preparedness, development of checklists, handling emergencies, dealing with critters in a safe and effective manner, and hiking in special environments. Develop group leadership skills. Limited registration.
September 18, 2021
(Lake George NY) $75 w/ minimum 3 participants
Hike on the Tongue Mountain Range
A steep little hike, 5.6 miles round-trip, with an ascent similar to that of the Adirondack High Peaks. From Clay Meadow, the hike takes us to open ledges with views to the east across Lake George and several summits. A resting spot and lunch at Fifth Peak Lean-to is reached at the turn-around point. There are awesome views here, and the Adirondack lean-to is authentic.