12 Jun Northville-Placid Trail 100th Anniversary Celebration Continues with Guided Hikes, Events and Community Activities
The Northville-Placid Trail (NPT) continues its 100th anniversary celebration with a series of hikes, exhibitions, community celebrations, and other events throughout the summer. Adirondack Hamlets to Huts and ADKX, The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake, are offering guided hikes, exhibits and information sessions for community members and visitors.
Adirondack Hamlets to Huts, a nonprofit organization that has created a series of guided and self-guided community-based hut-to-hut hiking and paddling routes throughout the Adirondacks that link the region’s communities with daytime adventure and nighttime comfort, is offering a guided, supported hike of the Northville-Placid Trail the latter half of July for those interested in an immersive experience. This unique offering is designed to commemorate the milestone anniversary.
According to Joe Dadey, executive director of Adirondack Hamlets to Huts, participants can choose to hike the entire length of the trail or may opt to do one or two of the four-day sections. “These hikes include the opportunity to hike with knowledgeable guides while enjoying shuttle services, traditional lodging at select locations, glamping, luggage transfer and other excursion logistics managed by our organization,” he said. “Essentially we are acting as trail angels for those who take part in these hikes.”
Dadey also explained that the Northville-Placid Trail provides for one of the most remote wilderness treks in the Adirondack Park, offering an incredible experience. “This trail traverses the most central part of the Adirondack Park – it takes hikers to areas that they would never otherwise see,” he said. “The NPT 100 hikes that we are offering align perfectly with our mission, allowing us to guide people through the wilderness, while also allowing them to experience the region’s small communities. It’s the perfect blend of a true wilderness experience with local Adirondack comfort.”
Adirondack Experience, the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake is hosting a special two-year exhibit, featuring information about the history of the NPT, the team that developed it, residents along the trail’s route and information about how the trail is used today. It will also be offering guided outings along the trail throughout the summer, along with a series of “Tuesday Trail Talks” featuring Northville-Placid Trail experts.
The museum is also planning a celebration on July 9, coinciding with the initial Tuesday Trail Talk – NPT Centennial Celebration: Half Way in Hamilton County. The event, taking place about 10 miles from the Northville-Placid Trail’s halfway point, will feature nature walks, a scavenger hunt, tour of the trail markers exhibit, campfire with s’more-making supplies and an opportunity to be part of a commemorative photo featuring 138 NPT hikers, each representing one mile of the route.
Additional celebrations are being planned by celebration organizers, local towns, county officials and other organizations such as the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism and the Adirondack Mountain Club, in conjunction with various Adirondack organizations and local attractions.
The Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) is hosting a series of volunteer projects, offering people an opportunity to take part in trail maintenance alongside experienced leaders. Trail maintenance opportunities include both one-day events and multi-day projects.
Celebration organizers have also planned a number of community celebrations along the route and at the trail’s end in Lake Placid. Hamilton County will host a community-based celebration on August 24 at The Inn on Piseco Lake, featuring live music, vendors, exhibits and activities. Lake Placid is also planning to host an event on September 14 at the Lake Placid-North Elba Historical Society in Lake Placid; the official terminus of the NPT, where those completing the trail are able to sign the official register.
The kickoff event took place in Northville on June 2, with county officials transferring the ceremonial Adirondack walking stick from Fulton to Hamilton county. Representatives from the governor’s office were also on hand to offer Governor Hochul’s proclamation, officially recognizing the 100th anniversary of the trail’s completion and its importance to the Adirondack landscape.
Earlier this year, the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) created a new website, NPT100.com, to share trail information, upcoming events, trail maintenance projects, hiker stories and nearby community information about the hiking route with those planning to hike the trail. Additional information about the trail, along with upcoming events can be found at NPT100.com.
Those who wish to take part in the Adirondack Hamlets to Huts hike should contact Joe Dadey at 315-657-1320.
The Northville-Placid Trail was developed in 1922 as one of the Adirondack Mountain Club’s first projects. Completed in 1924, this 138-mile route traverses the Adirondack Park, from the town of Northville to Lake Placid.
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