In July 2026 we visited the Adirondack Mountains in New York with our daughter and her family. We packed as much as we could into our week-long stay, but left knowing we would need to return because there was still so much to see and do. Our last blog post described the campground we stayed in and our adventures in Crown Point and Lake Placid, New York. This post describes our adventures in the following days as we visited a natural history museum, rode our bikes on a rail trail, and visited a popular Adirondack attraction.
July 22, 2026 -The Wild Center
The Wild Center, located in Tupper Lake New York, is the natural history museum of the Adirondacks. The Center is committed to helping the Adirondacks become a model for the idea that with the help of science, we can find ways for human civlization to coexist with thriving nature.
Features of the Wild Center include the indoor natural history museum where visitors can explore 54,000-square-feet of exhibit halls, observe live animals, watch a live show or one of many films on display.
 | | Ducks |
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 | | Otter |
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Outside, visitors can explore the center's 115 acres on several trails leading through the forest. The Wild Walk takes visitors on a birds-eye view above the forest floor on an 850-foot treetop walkway of bridges towers, a giant spider web and a full-sized bald eagle's nest.
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 | | Wild Walk - Giant spiderweb |
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 | | Wild Walk - Rope bridge |
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 | | Artificial eagle's nest |
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Children will enjoy the Pines Play Area, a natural playground, and the Raquette River Roll, an interactive all natural ball run trail.
 | | Raquette River Ball Roll |
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 | | Raquette River Ball Roll |
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Stickworks is a larger than life sculpture created by artist Patrick Dougherty that is reminiscent of children using sticks to build forts.
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| Stickworks |
The Forest Music trail allows visitors to immerse their senses in an experience that combines nature, technology and art.
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| Forest Music Trail |
Luckily for us, during our visit Danish artist Thomas Dambo's traveling troll exhibit was on display throughout the grounds. Each troll in the temporary exhibit comes with a message and a plan to save humans. Dambo's goal is to create at least one troll for each of our country's 50 states. Now we have something else to look for during our travels!
 | | Ronia Redeye - the speaker troll |
 | | Loftus Lotus - the listening troll |
 | | Ibbi Pip - builds colorful birdhouses |
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 | | Rosa Sunfinger - the botanical troll |
 | | Basse Buller - the painting troll |
 | | Kamma Can - creates necklaces from trash |
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The trolls were on display until October 31, 2026, but on September 12, Dambo returned to create a 7th troll, which would remain on the grounds of the Wild Center permanently. We're already planning a return visit to the Wild Center to see the new troll.
We had a great time at The Wild Center learning about nature and taking care of our world. If you'd like to see our YouTube video of our visit to the Wild Center and Dambo's Trolls, click here.
July 22, 2026 - The Adirondack Rail Trail
The recently completed Adirondack Rail Trail is a 34-mile-long multi-purpose trail between Lake Placid and Tupper Lake, New York. The trail follows the path of the historic New York Central Railroad that carried passengers, timber & minerals between 1892 and 1972. The state of New York acquired the corridor in 1974. Construction of the trail was spearheaded by the Adirondack Rail Trail Association. Construction started in 2022 and was completed in October 2025. Management of the trail is handled by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
The trail features breathtaking views as it crosses over beautiful sections of the Adirondack Forest Preserve that include remote lakes, ponds and bogs. Trail users can sometimes see moose, black ear, beaver, coyote, otters, deer and hundreds of species of birds.
 | | Rollins Pond |
 | | Little Rainbow Pond |
 | | Trail through Saranac Lake |
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 | | Rollins Pond |
 | | Lake Colby |
 | | Ray Brook |
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The trail is about 5 feet wide with a surface of finely crushed gravel, but there is a two-mile-long stretch of asphalt through the village of Saranac Lake. Typical slope along the trail is 2%, however there is a 5 percent grade heading uphill the last couple of miles into Lake Placid if you travel east from Tupper Lake, as we did. Our legs were really feeling it those last couple of miles and we understood why most of the other riders we passed were heading in the opposite direction!
Trail amenities include 7 trailheads with toilet facilities as well as numerous places for food, camping and lodging. There are also options for bike rentals and shuttle services. And if you have time and energy, you can take a scenic train ride from Tupper Lake to Old Forge or rent rail bikes to ride the rails.
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 | | Floodwood Outpost |
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 | | Lake Clear Lodge & Retreat |
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 | | Charles Inn & Junction Campground |
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We rode the entire trail on an overcast and sometimes rainy day in July 2026, starting in Tupper Lake and finishing uphill in Lake Placid. The scenery along the trail was beautiful. After loading up our bikes we drove into the village for a much deserved dinner. When we checked our stats for the ride we were amazed that we had climbed more than 1000 feet in elevation during our ride! No wonder our legs were so tired!
 | | Our meal at the Pickled Pig in Lake Placid |
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 | | Trail Stats |
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In spite of the bad weather, we really enjoyed the trail. We hope to ride it again one day, but in the opposite direction and hopefully with better weather! If you would like to watch our YouTube video of our ride on the trail, click here.
July 23, 2026 - Ausable Chasm
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 | | Map of the Chasm |
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Ausable Chasm, in Keeseville, New York, is one of the United States' oldest tourist attractions as well as a top attraction in the Adirondack Mountains. The attraction is privately owned, and you must pay a fee to enter the grounds. There are several tour options available, including a self-guided walking tour, tube and raft rides on the AuSable River, and an adventure trail that takes visitors across cable bridges above the water.
We chose the self-guided walking tour along the rim of the chasm and then went down several staircases to the trail and boardwalks above the river. Along the way we viewed Rainbow Falls, Horseshoe Falls, the "Elephant Head Rock" and other geological features of the park. We also watched while other people rode tubes and rafts down the swift moving river through the narrow walls of the chasm. If we ever get another chance to visit the chasm, we'll take the option of riding through it on the river.
Below is a short video of the photos we took while exploring the chasm.
If you would like to view a 6-minute video of our exploration of Ausable Chasm, click here. And if you'd like to read more about our adventures in the Adirondacks, check back for our next blog entry about the waterfalls we visited, kayaking on Paradox Lake, and our visits to the Natural Stone Bridge & Caves and High Gorge Falls.
* All photos and videos are the property of the blog owners unless otherwise noted. *
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