Midair Hiking in the Adirondacks

(Rick Grodin/The Wild Center)

The Adirondack Park takes up such a vast region of upstate New York that Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier, and Great Smokey National Parks could all fit within its borders. Here lies the Wild Center, a 54,000-square-foot museum smack dab in the middle of the Adirondack forest. But the real attraction is its Wild Walk—basically, Disney World meets a tree fort—where visitors can hike a series of interconnected bridges and platforms at treetop level. On the Wild Walk itself, hikers have the option of spreading out on a giant “spider web”; going inside a giant tree trunk; and finding the best vistas at its highest point, the Raptor’s Nest, 45 feet above the ground. If you’re afraid of heights, we’d suggest taking a guided canoe trip or mingling with the live animals at the center below. Click here for more information.

(Rick Grodin/The Wild Center)

The Wild Center - 2015

(Rick Grodin/The Wild Center)

The Wild Center - 2015

(Rick Grodin/The Wild Center)

The Wild Center

(Rick Grodin/The Wild Center)

(Rick Grodin/The Wild Center)

The Wild Center - 2015