There’s a lot more to the Adirondack Park than the High Peaks. The Adirondack Quest encourages ADK members to explore and appreciate the plants, landscape and wildlife diversity and the incomparable natural setting of the Wilderness Areas and Wild Forests Areas of the Adirondack Park.
The Adirondack Quest is sponsored by the Genesee Valley Chapter which provides recognition in the form of the attractive patch shown above and a certificate for individuals who make 50 total day trips to the areas that include at least 15 of the wilderness areas and at least 15 of the major wild forests areas with no more than 2 trips to the same area. There are no criteria on miles hiked, hours that constitute a day, overnight camping, etc. Activities such as hiking, backpacking, canoeing, bird watching, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing all qualify as spending the day in the area. ADK members and non-members are eligible for the patch. Visits made after June 1, 1993 qualify for the patch.
What is a Wilderness Area?
A wilderness area, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man–where man himself is a visitor who does not remain. A wilderness area is further defined to mean an area of state land or water having a primeval character, without significant improvement or permanent human habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve, enhance and restore, where necessary, its natural conditions, and which (1) generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man’s work substantially unnoticeable; (2) has outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation; (3) has at least ten thousand acres of contiguous land and water or is of sufficient size and character as to make practicable its preservation and use in an unimpaired condition; and (4) may also contain ecological, geological or other features of scientific, educational, scenic or historical value.
Excerpted from the NYS Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan
What is a Wild Forest Area?
A wild forest area is an area where the resources permit a somewhat higher degree of human use than in wilderness, primitive or canoe areas, while retaining an essentially wild character. A wild forest area is further defined as an area that frequently lacks the sense of remoteness of wilderness, primitive or canoe areas and that permits a wide variety of outdoor recreation.
Excerpted from the NYS Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan
Primitive and Canoe Areas
The following Primitive and Canoe Areas can be counted towards your 50 total day trips, as long as 15 different Wilderness and 15 different Wild Forest visits are included, with no more than 2 trips to any one area.
- Eastern Five Ponds
- St. Regis Canoe Area
- Quebec Brook Boreal
- West Canada Mountain
- Hudson Gorge Primitive Wilderness
- Lows Lake & Hitchens Pond
- Raquette-Jordon
- Hurricane Mountain Primitive Wilderness
- Madawaska Flow Primitive Area
- Schuyler Island
The DEC Adirondack Forest Preserve
Visits to areas included in the DEC Adirondack Forest Preserve may also be counted towards your 50 total day trips, as long as 15 different Wilderness and 15 different Wild Forest visits are included, with no more than 2 trips to any one area.
FAQ
Where can I get more information on wild forest, wilderness and primitive areas?
Good sources of information:
Guide Books: http://www.hiketheadirondacks.com
Forest Preserve Series and Paddle Maps: ADK Publications
DEC Maps: http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/82098.htm
CNY Hiking: http://cnyhiking.com/
Off on Adventure: http://www.offonadventure.com/
Can I count a trip to an area if I don’t remember the exact date?
Yes, the trip will count if it was made on or after June 1, 1993. Provide your best estimate of the date of the trip on the Quest log.
Does each person in a group need to fill out a Quest log if everyone in the group went on all fifty trips together?
Yes. It is preferable that each person submit a log with their own comments.
When examining a map, a hiking trail appears to pass through more than one area. Am I free to choose the area for which I want to associate the hike?
Yes. Pick either one of the areas, but not both. For example, a trail might start off in a wild forest but end in a wilderness area. Feel free to associate the trip with either the wild forest or the wilderness area if the hike was done in one day. If the hike was a backpacking trip over multiple days, then both areas could be counted.
When examining a map, a hiking trail appears to run right along the boundary between two areas. Am I free to choose the area for which I want to associate the hike?
Yes. Pick one of the areas, but not both.
If I visit two areas on the same day, do they both count toward the Quest?
No, you should make a total of 50 visits on 50 different days. The goal of the Quest is to have a meaningful experience in the designated area you have chosen to visit. Therefore multiple visits on the same date do not fulfill the aim of the Quest.
If the DEC establishes a new wild forest or wilderness area, does a trip to that area count?
Yes, trips to newly created areas count toward the Quest, as long as they are classified by the DEC as wild forest, wilderness, or primitive / canoe areas. As new areas are created we will add them to the Quest website.