Allegany State Park, where the North Country National Scenic Trail enters New York. (Wikimedia Photo)

Allegany State Park, where the North Country National Scenic Trail enters New York. (Wikimedia Photo)

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has approved the Adirondack Park Trail Plan for the North Country National Scenic Trail. The plan routes the National Scenic Trail through the Adirondack Park and incorporates the North Country NST into the state’s Adirondack trail system.

The projected 4,600-mile trail stretches from North Dakota across the northern tier of the United States. Some 2,700 miles have been completed to date.

The 158-mile Adirondack route for the North Country NST intersects eight state management units of the Forest Preserve: Black River Wild Forest, West Canada Lake Wilderness, Moose River Plains Wild Forest, Jessup River Wild Forest, Siamese Ponds Wilderness, Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest, Hoffman Notch Wilderness and Hammond Pond Wild Forest.

West Canada Lake, New York. (Wikimedia Photo)

Within New York State, many sections of the North Country NST already exist. The trail enters the state in Allegany State Park, where it then overlaps with the Finger Lakes Trail for 460 miles. With the completion of the Adirondack Park Trail Plan, sections of existing trail within the park can now be marked and maintained as the North Country NST, further eliminating gaps within the trail.

The plan approves using approximately 81 miles of existing foot trail and constructing 39 miles of new trail within the park. It is estimated that 27 miles of temporary connections along roads will be initially used to make connections along this route. Within the Adirondack Park, the North Country NST will be approximately 158 total miles in length when complete, stretching from the Hamlet of Forestport in Oneida County to the Hamlet of Crown Point on the shore of Lake Champlain.

North Country Trail

The proposed route of the North Country National Scenic Trail.