The Adirondack Park is unique in the United States, being about half publicly owned forest preserve and half privately owned land. This means that the park’s 132,000 year-round residents and 200,000 seasonal residents are surrounded by nearly untouched nature. The park also welcomes around eight million visitors each year to enjoy hiking, boating, skiing, or simply existing in a place of beauty. Critics of conservation efforts often place economic interests above the health of the natural world. The Adirondack Park, with its integration of protected lands and human habitation, presents an alternative that suggests these two concerns need not be entirely at odds. A look at the history of the park and how humans dwell in it can inform our relationship to creation, regardless of where we call home.

A look at the history of the park and how humans dwell in it can inform our relationship to creation.