New York is the perfect place for a National Park
Letchworth State Park | Image provided by Alex Wilkinson
If you are like most people, the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions New York is the bustling cityscape of New York City, one of America's biggest and most populated cities. New York State, however, is also home to luscious natural landscapes, beautiful natural scenery and sprawling mountain ranges that bring thrill-seekers of all kinds to climb, ski, snowboard or just hike trails in the various locations available. Despite these gorgeous natural areas, New York is one of twenty-one states that do not have a single National Park in them. New York has multiple State Parks, but not one National Park.
Adirondack State Park is a State Park that should be considered a National Park. It is the biggest State Park and the largest park in the continental 48 states. Totaling six million acres, the Adirondack State Park covers one third of the total area of New York State. It is also known for its impressive fall foliage, rivers, and its forested mountains.
It is estimated that around seven to twelve and a half million people visit the Adirondacks yearly—at least two million more than the Grand Canyon.
There are challenges for thrill seekers of all types in this park. The Adirondack peaks are a great challenge for thrill seekers to climb. Adirondack State Park is home to forty-six individual mountains that attract hikers and adventurers yearly to climb and mark the ones that have been climbed to eventually be able to hold the title of an “Adirondack 46er.” Mount Marcy is the tallest of these peaks standing at 5,343 feet. While it is not a huge mountain, it is still something that is fun to take a day trip to hike.
The park itself holds a little over 2,000 miles of trails within its borders. Each trail is unique and exciting, allowing many people to easily travel along many paths without crowding. Most National Parks don't have as extensive of a trail system, but often feel much more crowded than the Adirondacks trails.
The Adirondacks are unique in the U.S., as it is one of the only parks that encompasses both private and public land with little towns, villages, farmland and park land. This, however, should not stop the park from being designated as a National Park.
To visit this park is to immerse yourself in the sights, scents and very idea of nature. Just walking through the sprawling forest trails during the fall or even hiking up one of the many mountains can give you breathtaking views and amazing experiences. People from all over the globe come to Adirondack Park for the sights and adventures contained within. National Parks are meant to be protected lands that are able to be visited by the masses, so why not the Adirondacks? Why allow the biggest park in the lower 48 states to not be a national park?