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Visiting the PAUL SMITHS VIC Area

Geographically, the Adirondack Park Agency Visitor Interpretive Center (VIC) at Paul Smiths is in the center of Franklin County, home to the Adirondack Lakes Region of New York State. The building is 1 mile north of Paul Smith's College on State Route 30, on a scenic byway called the Adirondack Trail. With Malone 30 miles to the north, Tupper Lake 30 miles to the south, St. Regis Falls 20 miles to the west, and Saranac Lake 12 miles to the east, the Paul Smiths VIC can easily be your launching point for an unforgettable outdoor excursion.

Visitor Information
Hours: Building open 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily, except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Trails open dawn to dusk.
Address: 8023 State Route 30, Paul Smiths, N.Y. 12970 (1 mile north of the intersection of State Routes 30 and 86)
Phone: (518) 327-3000
VIC Front Desk: Stop by the Paul Smiths VIC's front desk for the latest traveler information, including brochures, maps and visitor guides to all counties of the Adirondack Park.

Activities

WILDLIFE WATCHING. The Paul Smiths VIC is one of the featured wildlife watching destinations listed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. A number of mammal, bird, insect, amphibian and reptile species may be seen on our 2,885-acre property. Moose sightings have increased over the past several years, and people have seen white-tailed deer, coyote, river otter and black bear while walking on our trails. Stop by the Wildlife Watch Center in the VIC lobby to learn more about animal species in the Adirondacks.

BIRD WATCHING. Franklin County features an excellent variety of natural communities, where bird species thrive. Yet the boreal habitat here is unparalleled in the region. Get a start on your birding hobby at the Paul Smiths VIC, where experts lead trips and offer programs year round. Or check off specific boreal bird species on your life list during the VIC's annual Great Adirondack Birding Celebration in June. VIC naturalists can show you where to see boreal birds, such as the boreal chickadee, black-backed woodpecker, Bicknell's thrush and spruce grouse. Or catch a glimpse of more popular birds in the area: the common loon, the broad-winged hawk, the bald eagle and the great blue heron.

PADDLING. Ply your canoe, kayak or Adirondack guideboat through the larger bodies of water, such as Big Tupper Lake, Meacham Lake, the St. Regis lakes and the Upper Saranac lakes. Or discover New Yorkís only wilderness canoe area, the St. Regis Canoe Wilderness Area. Explore the meandering waterways of our rivers: the St. Regis, the Raquette, the Osgood and the Saranac. Franklin County is home to several canoe races each year, including the bid daddy of them all, the 90-Miler from Old Forge to Saranac Lake. A number of outfitters and New York State licensed guides in Franklin County are ready to help you plan an enjoyable and safe paddling trip in the Adirondacks.

FISHING. Use the countless waterways of Franklin County to catch your favorite fish, from trout to northern pike to Atlantic landlocked salmon. Fishing gear and licenses are available in local outdoor supply stores. Licensed guides are extremely helpful in locating the fish of your dreams. Ice fishing is a popular pastime in the winter.

HIKING. There are hundreds of miles of backcountry trails in the region. Walk to a lake or to the summit of a mountain, such as St. Regis Mountain. Or simply get out and enjoy nature, no matter where the trail leads you. The Paul Smiths VIC has a safe network of scenic, bark-surfaced, interpretive trails that are great for families just learning about the Adirondack backcountry. The facility also has backcountry trails to places like Black Pond, Long Pond and Jenkins Mountain. Outfitters, guides and outdoor supply stores can help with gear and advice. The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation offers HIKING & CAMPING TIPS for state Forest Preserve land.

CAMPING. There are privately owned and state-owned campgrounds throughout Franklin County. Some are more formal, with hookups for campers, and some allow you to get back to nature in a lakeshore campsite or a riverside lean-to.

SKIING/SNOWSHOEING. The Paul Smiths VIC offers more than 9 miles of cross-country skiing and snowshoe trails. The ski trails are groomed and tracks are set on a regular basis. All VIC winter trails are dual use (ski/snowshoe). Nearby nordic skiing opportunities include the Dewey Mountain Recreation Center in Saranac Lake, the Jackrabbit Trail (with the Paul Smiths-to-Lake Clear section starting at the VIC), the Verizon Sports Complex in Lake Placid, and hundreds of miles of backcountry trails. Nearby downhill ski centers are located at Titus Mountain in Malone, Mount Pisgah in Saranac Lake and Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington. Skis or snowshoes are required on state land in the winter.

SNOWMOBILING. From Malone to Tupper Lake, Franklin County is well known for its snowmobiling trails. Contact Franklin County Tourism for more information on snowmobiling in the region.

ADIRONDACK HISTORY. Franklin County residents are proud of their Adirondack Mountain heritage: the logging towns, the health resorts, the grand hotels of the Gilded Age. Nearby heritage sites include the Six Nations Indian Museum (Onchiota); the Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks, aka The Wild Center (Tupper Lake); the Historic Beth Joseph Synagogue (Tupper Lake); the historic Union Depot train station (Saranac Lake); the Adirondack Scenic Railroad (Saranac Lake); the Robert Louis Stevenson Memorial Cottage (Saranac Lake); the Charles Dickert Memorial Wildlife Museum (Saranac Lake); the Almonzo Wilder Homestead (Burke); the Franklin County House of History (Malone); Paul Smith's College; and White Pine Camp, the 1926 summer White House (Paul Smiths). Also, Saranac Lake is within a 10-minute drive to Lake Placid, home of the 1932 and 1980 Olympic Winter Games, and Tupper Lake is within a 40-minute drive of the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake.

GOLFING. Try three excellent golf courses in Franklin County: the Malone Golf Club, the Saranac Inn Golf and Country Club and the Tupper Lake Golf and Country Club.

Directions to Paul Smiths VIC

Helpful links

Adirondack Regional Tourism Council - The No. 1 travel web site for the Adirondack Park! [leaving VIC site]

Adirondack Base Camp - The No. 1 travel blog for the Adirondack Park! [leaving VIC site]

Franklin County Tourism

Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce

Tupper Lake Chamber of Commerce

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

NYS DEC Campgrounds