Adirondack Park: Locations of Interest

Not quite within the Adirondack Park, Plattsburgh is a city in Northern New York largely associated with south of Montréal in culture and identity alike. The City of Plattsburgh is located at the mouth of the Saranac River into Lake Champlain. However, the Saranac Lakes and the Upper Saranac are located within the Adirondack Park, and Saranac Lake is a village and community located within the Park. Tupper Lake is further to the west, and Lake Placid is further to the east. But further south is Hamilton County, New York, the smallest and least densely populated county in the State of New York, with approximately six thousand people. Also of interest further to the northeast is Ticonderoga, the origin of the General Henry Knox Cannon Trail, located at least slightly south of the City of Plattsburgh. Also, the sources of numerous rivers, including the mighty Hudson River, are physically located within the Park. While the true source of the Hudson River may appear underrated and minuscule, the Hudson River is also associated with Lake Tear of the Clouds, which is also located within the Adirondack Park. For additional information, please check back on the novaTop blog or with external resources for more information.

The North Country of New York

Within the North Country of the State of New York includes the regions of the Thousand Islands, the Adirondack Mountains, and relatively small and sparsely populated rural communities in between. While the majority of the population of the North Country region resides along or in fairly close proximity to US Highway 11, the Adirondack Park is nearly zero population in comparison to the general North Country area. However, population counts even within Adirondack Park tend to be higher in such locations as Ticonderoga, Tupper Lake, Saranac Lake, Lake Placid, and Lake George, none of which are located within Hamilton County.

The Adirondack Mountains have traditionally been identified as containing forty-six high peaks in the region, with Mount Marcy serving as the highest point within the State of New York. Further to the north and west, largely along the Canadian border, the North Country of the State of New York becomes more highly populated by density; however, the overall population statistics and demographics alike remain fairly similar to the State of Vermont to the east. Within the Adirondack Park, the region is particularly highly protected; however, with the large share of private lands for a “park” area, the region becomes more comparable to Vermont by virtue. The Adirondack chair was first invented in Westport, New York, within the modern-day boundaries of the Adirondack Park, specifically to be conducive to heightened comfort and awareness of the natural surroundings of the partially protected environments and landscapes of the region. While the Adirondack chair was first invented in Westport, the use of the Adirondack chair design could also be appropriate for portions of the Green Mountains in Vermont to the east or even within the central and eastern vicinities of Lake Champlain, as well.

The Thousand Islands are an interesting quirk of the geography of the International Boundary region between the United States and Canada. While many of the islands are within the State of New York, a few of the islands are within the Province of Ontario, and the region is in relatively close proximity to such locales as Watertown, New York; and Brockville, Ontario. Also of interesting note is the Saint Lawrence River, as even though the river ultimately ends entirely within Canada, the upper portion of the river, which exists south of the latitude of 45° North, is actually the line between Canada and the United States, downstream from Lake Ontario but upstream from the aforementioned latitude line.