A new online survey is up and running that seeks information about the experiences of hikers on the trails of the Forest Preserve in the Adirondack Park. The 2026 Adirondack Forest Preserve Hiker Survey will run from May through October.
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 2026 Adirondack Forest Preserve Hiker Survey is a partnership between Protect the Adirondacks and the SUNY Research Foundation, headed up by Dr. Curt Gervich of SUNY Plattsburgh.
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.
The Hiker Survey seeks public comments from people who have hiked on any trail on the Forest Preserve in the Adirondack Park and aims for a broad and diverse participation of Forest Preserve users who share their thoughts about their experiences and their concerns.
From the High Peaks to Stillwater Firetower 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, the public lands owned by the People of the State of New York.
The Hiker Survey investigates the goals people have when hiking in the Adirondack Forest Preserve, their purpose for selecting a given hike, and whether their hiking experience in the Forest Preserve meets their expectations.
This survey focuses on recent hiking experiences and includes questions about trail conditions, parking, success or failures in reaching their destinations, safety, preparedness, and other aspects of their hike.
We also want to know who the people are who are using the Forest Preserve, where they live, and how they traveled to a trailhead, and information about how they selected and planned a given 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. A report is planned for the end of 2026. All respondents must be 18 years old or older.
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.
This survey is timely. The new Visitor Use Plan for the central High Peaks Wilderness undertook a narrow research focus on crowding on summits and trails and parking experiences. The new online Hiker Survey seeks to gather broader information that creates a fuller understanding of the overall hiker experiences on the trails of the Forest Preserve in the Adirondack Park.
PROTECT 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 all policymakers, stakeholders, and all who use and care about the Adirondack Forest Preserve.
Read more about the Adirondacks.
Source link
