2026 Adirondack Forest Preserve Hiker Survey underway

NORTH CREEK | Protect the Adirondack has officially launched the 2026 Adirondack Forest Preserve Hiker Survey. This survey is administered by the SUNY Research Foundation. The survey will run through October until Columbus Day weekend. The survey is designed to gather information about who is using the Forest Preserve in 2026, their expectations and purpose of their hike, their goals, the information hikers relied upon to choose and prepare for their hike, their travel to reach their hike, their hiking and parking experiences, and their thoughts about the trail and parking conditions and overall management of the Forest Preserve. This online survey takes about 15 minutes to complete, is hosted by SurveyMonkey, and is easy to take on a computer or Smartphone. The online survey can be accessed at: www.surveymonkey.com/r/D6QS36F or through the QR code. Results from the survey are anticipated to be published by the end of 2026. "The 2026 Adirondack Forest Preserve Hiker Survey seeks public comments from people who have hiked on any trail on the Forest Preserve in the Adirondack Park. There are over two thousand miles of hiking trails on the Forest Preserve and there is little information about the experiences of hikers on the Forest Preserve and their thoughts about trail conditions and overall Forest Preserve management. This survey aims for a broad and diverse participation of Forest Preserve users who share their thoughts about their experiences and their concerns," said Peter Bauer, Hiker Survey Project Director for Protect the Adirondacks. The 2026 Adirondack Forest Preserve Hiker Survey is administered by the SUNY Research Foundation and led by Dr. Curt Gervich of SUNY Plattsburgh. Gervich has extensive experience in surveying public attitudes about environmental management of public lands and environmental issues. Dr. Gervich stated: "This survey investigates the goals people have when hiking in the Adirondack Forest Preserve, and whether the experience of hiking in the Preserve meets their expectations. Much of the prior focus of survey work related to hiking in the Forest Preserve has addressed questions of crowding, ecological impacts, and visitor use. This survey focuses on the experience of hiking by asking questions like, 'what are your expectations for viewing wildlife and natural features?' and, 'did you encounter obstacles to enjoying your hike?' When paired with other survey work, it will provide a powerful new data set to inform management of public lands in the Adirondacks." This 15-minute survey inquires about recent experience hiking in the Adirondack Forest Preserve, 2.7 million acres of public lands owned by the People of the State of New York. The survey gathers information on one's recent hiking experience in 2026. The survey includes questions about trail conditions, parking, and other aspects of the hike. The results of this survey will be used to help improve the hiking experiences for the public in the Forest Preserve in the Adirondack Park. No personal or identifiable information will be shared and your identity will remain anonymous in published results. All respondents must be 18 years old or older. "We encourage anyone who hikes the Forest Preserve trails in the Adirondack Park this summer to tell us their thoughts and concerns by taking the online 2026 Adirondack Forest Preserve Hiker Survey. It's easy and the information obtained from this survey will be highly useful for policymakers, stakeholders, and all who use and care about the Adirondack Forest Preserve," said Claudia Braymer, Executive Director of Protect the Adirondacks. The New York State Forest Preserve was established in 1885 and was made "forever wild" under the New York State constitution by voters in 1894. The Forest Preserve is one of the oldest public land systems in the U.S. Today, the Forest Preserve includes over 3 million acres, with over 2.7 million acres in the Adirondack Park and over 288,00 acres in the Catskill Park. These lands protect significant natural and scenic resources, provide outstanding outdoor recreational opportunities, and protect the largest acreage of designated Wilderness in the eleven Northeast U.S. states. "From the High Peaks to Stillwater Firetower near Stillwater in the western Adirondacks to Pilot Knob in Lake George in southeast corner to Lyon Mountain and Tooley Pond Mountain in the north to Panther Mountain near Piseco Lake in the south, we're looking for anyone who hikes on the Forest Preserve this summer to tell us about their experiences. This is a great opportunity for the People to share their thoughts about the People's Land, the Forest Preserve, public lands owned by the People of the State of New York," Bauer said.

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2026 Adirondack Forest Preserve Hiker Survey underway

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