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Adirondack Park Visitor Interpretive Center in Paul Smith's

Paul Smith's, 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

  • Art gallery, gift shop, playground
  • Whispering Pines Amphitheater
  • Native Species Butterfly House (mid-June to Labor Day)
  • Science and nature programs for adults and schoolchildren
  • Boardwalks, picnic pavilions and observation platforms
  • Trail system (Boreal Life Trail, interpretive walks, backcountry hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing)

Size:

2,885 acres

Directions:

See Google Maps for step by step directions to Paul Smith's 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
Telephone: 518-327-3000
Website: Paul Smith's VIC (This link leaves the DEC website)

Photo Credits: Jim Clayton, Bill Banaszewski