Established by EriK Schlimmer in 2013, the Trans Adirondack Route is a primitive pathway that traverses New York State’s Adirondack Park, the largest State Park and forest preserve in the Lower Forty-Eight. Running 239.4 miles, few footpaths in the Northeast are longer, and none are wilder.
The route's wildness can be assessed by the public land it traverses. Five wilderness areas and eight wild forests mark the most primitive sections. During a Trans Adirondack Route traverse, you'll hike through prime moose habitat, past the haunts of old-time hermits, and under virgin timber. Primarily a lowland route, the path hops from lake to lake and meanders down scenic river valleys.
Overall, the Trans Adirondack Route uses approximately 185 miles of trails, 50 miles of roads, and 5 miles of trackless woods to get from one end of the park to the other. Yet it encounters only three small settlements. Five life zones, scores of picturesque campsites, more than fifty bodies of water, and hundreds of streams and mountains are passed along the way. The route is designed for long-distance hikers seeking an extended walk on the wild side, though most sections can be covered via a series of day hikes. The Adirondack Park is a great long-distance venue: After all, if you were to combine Acadia, Bryce Canyon, Congaree, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Zion national parks to form one new enormous park, it still wouldn't be as big as the Adirondack Park. The Adirondacks are a big place, and, fittingly, the route is a big adventure.
The Trans Adirondack Route is managed and promoted by Friends of the Trans Adirondack Route, a petite grassroots organization that prides itself on its authenticity and offers maps, books, and other route merchandise. Our straightforwardness is reflected in our mission statement: "The mission of Friends of the Trans Adirondack Route is to promote responsible use of the Trans Adirondack Route and the Adirondack Mountains as a whole. We offer an immersion experience in the East's greatest remaining wilderness, free from the confines of techno-industrial society."
Erik Schlimmer, thru-hiked, and thus established, the route in 2010. He covered the route in 12 days flat.
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I am publicly declaring my intent to go after the currently nonexistent unsupported FKT of this route, and plan on starting my attempt this Saturday (6/13). I'll adhere to both the rules of both this site (ie no resupplies at all) and Erik Schlimmer's standards (map and compass navigation only). I'll be tracking here https://us0-share.inreach.garmin.com/whereswillie, and probably post once I've finished up at @wamoth on instagram.