Continued Investment in Visitor Centers is Great for the Adirondack Park

April 19th, 2024 — Lake Placid, NY — Adirondack Mountain Club applauds the New York State legislature and Governor Hochul for negotiating and finalizing the state budget, which includes $250,000 for Adirondack Mountain Club’s Visitor Centers—the High Peaks Information Center and the Cascade Welcome Center. This funding, along with $10 million in stewardship funding for the Adirondack and Catskill Parks, and other Forest Preserve related budget requests were advocated for by a group of 44 Adirondack and Catskill Park organizations and municipalities.  

“We wish to share our appreciation of the Senate and Assembly for their work to ensure that funding for ADK’s visitor centers was restored and increased in the final budget,” said Michael Barrett, ADK Executive Director. “The funding for visitor centers is critical to meeting the complimentary missions of ADK and DEC to protect the Forest Preserve, and to promote responsible outdoor recreation for safe, high-quality outdoor experiences.” 

Funding provides skilled Leave No Trace educators at both the High Peaks Information Center (HPIC) and the Cascade Welcome Center. The HPIC is located at ADK’s Heart Lake Program Center, adjacent to the High Peaks Wilderness. It serves as the visitor center for the Adirondack High Peaks, the busiest trailhead in New York State, with 100,000 visitors annually. 

For forty years the HPIC has been a year-round resource for recreationists, providing trip planning, weather reports, trail conditions, maps, and gear for rent or purchase to ensure safe, enjoyable adventures. The HPIC provides essential preventative search and rescue (PSAR) education to help avoid rescues by an already overstressed Forest Ranger force. The HPIC also provides bathroom facilities, which reduce both pressure on backcountry privies and the impacts of improperly disposed of human waste. When hikers are lost or injured, the HPIC is a base for NYS Forest Rangers. For many visitors to the Adirondacks, their interaction with ADK staff at the HPIC is their only opportunity to engage with a knowledgeable authority on the Adirondack Park. 

The Cascade Welcome Center is located on Rt 73, outside the village of Lake Placid. This busy travel corridor in the Adirondacks sees about 1 million vehicles annually. The Cascade Welcome Center attracts both novice and experienced recreators seeking information or use of the facility’s trails. It is also a place where those who have not found a parking space at the busy trailhead at the HPIC can regroup and get help finding another adventure. The Cascade Welcome Center also hosts community events, provides a year-round frontcountry trail experience, public restrooms, and guidance to other events and services in the community.  

Last year the HPIC was funded at $100,000 in the budget to ensure critical services at this trailhead. This year the funding line was increased to $250,000 which will also help cover educators at the Cascade Welcome Center. Three other Forest Preserve Visitor Centers were also funded in the budget: the Catskill Center, Paul Smith’s VIC, and the SUNY ESF VIC, each at $250,000.  

ADK was also pleased to see funding in the final budget to re-pave the Town of North Elba’s Adirondack Loj Road which has fallen into considerable disrepair over many years of heavy use.