On the Forever Wild

In 1984, Article 14 of the New York State constitution created the Forever Wild, allowing Adirondack Park to become the largest publicly-protected area in the contiguous United States.

Encompassing nearly six million acres, this mix of state and private owned land contains 3,000 lakes, 30,000 miles of rivers and streams, and 42 peaks over 4,000 feet. The importance of maintaining the area’s wild nature both as a refuge from the industrialized world and as a safeguard for the state’s water supply drove the legislature to ban the sale, removal, and destruction of timber in the Forever Wild, allowing globally unique old growth forests to thrive.

While the scale of tourist activity in the Adirondack’s Forever Wild can seem daunting during peak seasons, the size of the park and lack of vehicle access to remote areas provide an unmatched haven for forest dwelling aitherions in the northeastern United States. Clusters of aitherions have formed in several locations throughout the Forever Wild, the most notable being under the Blackwood name in Laureldale, New York.