ADK Celebrates Centennial Anniversary

January 3, 2022

ADK (Adirondack Mountain Club) is excited to announce a year of celebration in honor of its centennial anniversary. Founded in 1922, the organization has played a pivotal role in protecting the Adirondack Park through education while building a statewide community of stewards, advocates, and recreators.

On December 5, 1921, a group gathered in the Log Cabin atop the Abercrombie & Fitch in New York City. Their goal: to create an organization that would help the state develop trails, share backcountry information, and educate the public about conservation and responsible recreation. The following spring, on April 17, 1922, the Adirondack Mountain Club was formed.

A century later, ADK has cemented itself as a crucial voice for New York’s public lands and waters. With over 30,000 members, 27 chapters, 50 full-time staff, and thousands of donors and volunteers, it provides many services that echo the vision of its founders. With ADK, people can learn backcountry skills, adopt and maintain trails, advocate for conservation issues, and much more. It is through these efforts that ADK’s greatest strength becomes apparent: community.

“ADK’s century of success has been driven by the actions of its supporters,” said Tom Andrews, ADK President. “Whether that be advocating for environmental protections in the state legislature or educating hikers about alpine vegetation on summits, we have an active community of land stewards that are always present on the frontline of these issues.”

Landmark achievements for the organization include building the 138-mile Northville-Placid Trail in 1924, publishing the first guidebook for the Adirondacks in 1934, consistently defending constitutional protections for the Forest Preserve between the 1940s and 1960s, founding the Ridge Runner Program in 1974 (the precursor to the NYSDEC’s Assistant Forest Ranger position), co-founding the Adirondack High Peaks Summit Stewardship Program in 1989, developing a successful school outreach program in 2003, and more.

“ADK has been teaching people how to explore and protect New York’s public lands and waters for a century,” said Michael Barrett, ADK Executive Director. “These efforts were crucial when ADK was founded and—in an era of increased visitor use and climate change—will remain important for generations to come. We encourage everyone to join us in celebrating ADK’s centennial as we look to grow the organization into the next century.”

You can learn more about ADK’s centennial celebration on our website, or through our magazine, Adirondac.