McKenzie Mountain Wilderness Area

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McKenzie Mountain Wilderness Area
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Location Adirondack Park New York USA
Nearest city North River, NY
Coordinates 44°21′50″N73°59′30″W / 44.36395°N 73.99162°W / 44.36395; -73.99162 Coordinates: 44°21′50″N73°59′30″W / 44.36395°N 73.99162°W / 44.36395; -73.99162
Area37,616 acres (152.23 km2)
Governing body New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

The McKenzie Mountain Wilderness Area , an Adirondack Park unit of the Forest Preserve, lies in western Essex County in the towns of St. Armand, North Elba and Wilmington. In general, the Saranac River and Franklin Falls Pond border on the north; the Wilmington-Franklin Falls road, the Whiteface Mountain Memorial Highway and the west branch of the Ausable River form the eastern boundary; the Saranac Lake-Lake Placid Road, NY 86, forms the southern boundary; and the Saranac River forms the western boundary.

It contains eight bodies of water covering 28 acres (11 hectares), 14.2 miles (22.9 km) of foot trails, and one lean-to.

McKenzie Mountain, sometimes referred to as Saddleback, and Moose Mountain, sometimes called St. Armand Mountain, dominate the topographical features of the area.

McKenzie Pond, from which the village of Saranac Lake obtains its water supply, forms part of the boundary on the west side as does Moose Pond, but few ponds are encompassed within the boundaries of this area. Bartlett Pond, lying at about 2,800 feet (850 m) altitude on the southeast side of McKenzie Mountain, and Loch Bonnie which is at about 2,900 feet (880 m) altitude on the southeast side of Moose Mountain are, however, in the wilderness.

The area is densely forested with softwoods, with spruce and balsam predominating above the 2,500-foot (760 m) level and mixed hardwoods and softwoods predominating at the lower elevations.

The attractiveness of the area is enhanced by the excellent views that may be obtained from the top of McKenzie Mountain and Moose Mountain. There are numerous spring-fed brooks, mostly on the north slopes of the area. Lincoln Brook and French Brook, with their tributaries originating high on the northwest slopes of Esther Mountain and Whiteface Mountain, are crystal clear trout streams with many scenic spots along their courses.[ citation needed ]

DEC maintains a foot trail from the pull-off east of the Saranac Lake Golf Course on Route 86 to the top of McKenzie Mountain. The Lake Placid Shore Owners Association trail over private lands along the west shore of Lake Placid is open to those who obtain the association's permission to use it. After leaving private land this trail winds its way to the tops of Moose, McKenzie, Tamarac and Colburn Mountains.[ citation needed ]

Public access to the area is relatively good from all sides.[ citation needed ]

See also

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The Adirondack Mountains form a massif in northeastern New York with boundaries that correspond roughly to those of Adirondack Park. They cover about 5,000 square miles (13,000 km2). The mountains form a roughly circular dome, about 160 miles (260 km) in diameter and about 1 mile (1,600 m) high. The current relief owes much to glaciation. There are more than 200 lakes around the mountains, including Lake George, Lake Placid, and Lake Tear of the Clouds, which is the source of the Hudson River. The Adirondack Region is also home to hundreds of mountain summits, with some reaching heights of 5,000 feet or more.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Placid, New York</span> Village in New York, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Armand, New York</span> Town in New York, United States

St. Armand is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 1,548 at the 2010 census. The town was named by an early settler for Saint-Armand, Quebec, in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adirondack Park</span> Part of Forest Preserve in Northeastern U.S.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whiteface Mountain</span> Mountain in New York

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dix Mountain Wilderness Area</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Five Ponds Wilderness Area</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Esther Mountain</span> Mountain in New York, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saranac Lakes Wild Forest</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York State Route 431</span> State highway in Essex County, New York, US

New York State Route 431 (NY 431) is a state highway in Essex County, New York, in the United States. The highway, also known as the Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway, begins at an intersection with NY 86 in Wilmington and climbs Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondacks. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation maintains the highway, which is 7.96 miles (12.81 km) long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McKenzie Mountain</span> Mountain in New York, United States

McKenzie Mountain is a 3,861-foot (1,177 m) mountain in western Essex County in the towns of St. Armand and North Elba in the Adirondack Park, a unit of the Forest Preserve.

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