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Adirondack Park Visitor Interpretive Center in Paul Smiths

Paul Smiths, Franklin Co.

Butterfly house and person canoeing on a lake (image property of Bill Banaszewski)
watchable wildlife binoculars icon

Look for the striking black-and-white checked feathers of the common loon, a water bird known as the "spirit of northern waters." Late winter and early spring visitors may even hear its eerie, yodel-like call.

Wildlife to Watch

  • Common loon, great blue heron
  • One of the few places in the state to observe boreal (extreme northern) songbirds,
    including the boreal chickadee, black-backed woodpecker, gray jay
  • Beaver
  • Coyote, red fox
  • Black bear
  • White-tailed deer, moose
  • Snowshoe hare
  • Otter, muskrat
  • Butterflies and moths: monarch, eastern tiger swallowtail, painted lady, luna moth, cercropia moth

Where to Watch

  • Conifer and hardwood forest
  • Brooks, marshes and bogs
  • Freshwater ponds

Recreational Opportunities

  • Whispering Pines Amphitheater
  • Boardwalks, picnic pavilions and observation platforms
  • Trail system (Boreal Life Trail, backcountry hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing)

Size

2,885 acres

Directions

See Google Maps and enter your address for step by step directions to Paul Smiths VIC (This link will leave the DEC website. Hold "Shift" down while clicking on the link to open it in an new window)

Contact information

Address: 8023 State Route 30, Paul Smiths, NY 12970

Photo Credits: Jim Clayton, Bill Banaszewski