William C. Whitney Wilderness Area

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William C. Whitney Wilderness Area
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Location Adirondack Park New York USA
Nearest city Long Lake, NY
Coordinates 44°00′05″N74°38′52″W / 44.00126°N 74.64789°W / 44.00126; -74.64789
Area20,560 acres (83.2 km2)
Governing body New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

The William C. Whitney Wilderness Area, an Adirondack Park unit of New York's Forest Preserve, is located in the town of Long Lake, Hamilton County. It is bounded on the east by Hamilton County Route 10, on the south by lands of Whitney Industries, on the west by private lands owned by The Nature Conservancy and the Brandreth Park Association, on the northwest by the Remsen to Lake Placid Railroad right-of-way, and on the north by other private land holdings. The area contains 12 bodies of water covering 4,286 acres (17.34 km2) and 20 miles (32 km) of foot trails. The area is named for William C. Whitney, who was an American political leader and financier.

Contents

Geography

Canada Island, Lake Lila, from Mount Frederica Canada Island, Lake Lila.jpg
Canada Island, Lake Lila, from Mount Frederica

The terrain consists of lakes, ponds, wetlands, and low forested hills with a few modest mountains ranging as high as 2,297-foot (700 m) Antediluvian Mountain. The centerpieces of this area are 2,300 acres (9.3 km2) Little Tupper Lake and 1,400 acres (5.7 km2) Lake Lila, respectively the seventeenth and twenty-second largest water bodies in the Adirondack Park. This area also includes twelve smaller water bodies, a short section of the Beaver River, pond and lake outlets and numerous other small streams and flows. There are extensive wetland complexes within the area, particularly along the western end of Little Tupper Lake and the southeastern portions of Lake Lila.

The vast expanses of the area are important to many species of mammals and the area abounds with bird life.

Recreation

The Beaver River near Lake Lila Beaver River near Lake Lila.jpg
The Beaver River near Lake Lila

The area is a popular destination for canoeing. It also contains an extensive network of old logging roads which provide prime cross-country skiing trails.

History

In 1897, William Collins Whitney purchased 68,000 acres (280 km2) of land to create the privately owned Whitney Park, including the lands which now comprise this wilderness. After Whitney's death in 1904, his family retained ownership of the tract. In 1997, the family sold a portion of the property to New York State. The area was subsequently combined with adjacent state lands to form the present wilderness area. [1]

See also

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

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The Blue Ridge Wilderness Area, a unit of New York's Forest Preserve in the Adirondack Park, is located in the towns of Arietta, Lake Pleasant and Indian Lake in Hamilton County. It is roughly bounded on the north by NY 28; on the east by Route 28 and private lands immediately west of this route; on the south by private lands immediately north and west of Cedar River Flow; and on the west by the Lake Kora and Sagamore Lake properties and the South Inlet of Raquette Lake. It contains 19 bodies of water covering 275 acres and features 15 miles of foot trails and three lean-tos.

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

The Dix Mountain Wilderness Area is the name previously given to an area of New York's Forest Preserve in the Adirondack Park, and is located in the towns of Elizabethtown, Keene and North Hudson, Essex County. It is roughly bounded on the north by NY 73, on the east by the Adirondack Northway (Interstate 87), on the south by Blue Ridge Road and on the west by Elk Lake Club and Ausable Club lands.

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

The Five Ponds Wilderness Area, an Adirondack Park unit of New York's Forest Preserve, is located in the towns of Fine and Clifton in St. Lawrence County, the town of Webb in Herkimer County and the town of Long Lake in Hamilton County. It includes 1,064 acres (4.3 km2) of private inholdings, 99 bodies of water covering 1,964 acres (7.9 km2), 57.9 miles (93.2 km) of trails, and 14 lean-tos.

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The Hoffman Notch Wilderness Area, an Adirondack Park unit of the Forest Preserve, lies in the towns of Schroon, North Hudson and Minerva in Essex County. It is bounded on the north by private lands lying south of the Blue Ridge Road and the Sand Pond Mountain tract donated to the state by Finch, Pruyn and Company for fish and wildlife management and silvicultural research and experimentation purposes, on the east by Interstate 87 and private lands immediately west of the Northway, on the south by private lands lying north of the Loch Muller Road and on the west by the jeep road and trail that extends from Irishtown along Minerva Stream northward to the Blue Ridge Road near Cheney Pond.

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.

The Pepperbox Wilderness Area, an Adirondack Park unit of the New York Forest Preserve, lies entirely within the town of Webb in Herkimer County. Stillwater Reservoir and the Beaver River Primitive Area form the southern boundary, while the north bank of the West Branch of the Oswegatchie River generally forms the northern boundary. The western boundary is the county line, and the eastern boundary is the Raven Lake Road and the Five Ponds Wilderness Area.

The Pharaoh Lake Wilderness Area, an Adirondack Park unit of New York's Forest Preserve, straddles the Essex County-Warren County line in the towns of Ticonderoga, Hague, Horicon and Schroon. The county road along the east shore of Schroon Lake forms the western boundary; to the north, private land and NY 74 form the boundary. The state land boundary forms most of the remaining perimeter except for a stretch of NY 8 on the south.

The Sentinel Range Wilderness Area, an Adirondack Park unit of New York's Forest Preserve, is located in the towns of Wilmington, North Elba and Keene, Essex County. It is bounded by NY 86 on the north, NY 73 on the south, and private lands on the east and west.

The Siamese Ponds Wilderness Area, an Adirondack Park unit of the Forest Preserve, is located in the towns of Lake Pleasant, Wells and Indian Lake in Hamilton County and the towns of Johnsburg and Thurman in Warren County. It is one of the larger wilderness areas of the Northeast; extending about 18 miles (29 km) from north to south and about 13 miles (21 km) from east to west at its widest part.

The Silver Lake Wilderness Area, an Adirondack Park unit of the Forest Preserve, is located in the towns of Lake Pleasant, Benson, Wells and Arietta in Hamilton County and is roughly bounded on the north by NY 8 and private lands near Piseco Lake, Oxbow Lake, Hamilton Lake, Sand Lake and Lake Pleasant; on the east by NY 30; on the south generally by the Hamilton County line; and on the west by NY 10, the West Branch of the Sacandaga River and the Piseco Outlet.

The West Canada Lake Wilderness Area is an Adirondack Park Forest Preserve management unit in the State of New York, USA.

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

The Saranac Lakes Wild Forest is a discontinuous 79,000-acre (320 km2) tract designated as Wild Forest by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in Franklin and Essex Counties near Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake, and Lake Placid. The area covers large portions of Harrietstown, Santa Clara, and North Elba; smaller portions are in Altamont, St. Armand, Brighton, and Franklin. The area is served by State Routes NY-3, NY-30, NY-86, and NY-73.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Lila</span> Lake in Adirondack Park, NY, USA

Lake Lila is a remote 1,436 acres (5.81 km2) lake in the William C. Whitney Wilderness Area, in the west-central portion of the Adirondack Park. It is accessed via a 6-mile (9.7 km) dirt road. Boat access to the lake is by hand-launch only, after a 0.3-mile (0.48 km) portage from the parking lot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Round Lake Wilderness Area</span>

The Round Lake Wilderness Area, an Adirondack Park unit of New York's Forest Preserve, is located in the town of Long Lake in Hamilton County. It is adjacent to the William C. Whitney Wilderness. The area is approximately 11,000 acres (45 km2); it was created in 2005 by the Adirondack Park Agency by classifying Round Lake as wilderness, and reclassifying of portions of the Horseshoe Lake Wild Forest and the Hitchens Pond Primitive Area to wilderness status.

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

Little Tupper Lake is a 2,300-acre lake located in the town of Long Lake, Hamilton County, New York by Whitney Headquarters, New York. It is located in the 19,500-acre William C. Whitney Wilderness Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Round Lake (lake), New York</span>

Round Lake is a 744-acre (301-hectare) lake in the town of Long Lake, Hamilton County, New York, US. It is the centerpiece of the 11,430-acre Round Lake Wilderness Area are part of the Adirondack Forest Preserve, adjacent to the 19,500-acre William C. Whitney Wilderness in the Adirondack Park.

References

  1. "William C. Whitney Area Stewardship Management Plan" (PDF). New York State Department Of Environmental Conservation. June 1, 1998. Retrieved August 29, 2011.