Signing up for a guided group hike/paddle or hiring a private guide can add serious value to your ADK experience. Whether you’re experienced and frequent the ADK or it’s your first visit to this area. A guided trip can uncover new, less crowded trails, bolster your existing skills, help you conquer next-level challenges, or teach you about native wildlife and plants. Whether you’re solo, with friends or traveling with kids and dogs, there are many economical options to fit your priorities and budget.

PRIVATE GUIDED TRIPS

• Wild Neighbors Nature Connection / Rich Hanlon: Best for families, birding and nature walks. I regularly recommend Rich to our Airbnb guests for a guided hiking day. In addition to being an avid hiker, Rich has an Environmental Studies degree from Penn State, and can tell you pretty much anything about the birds, plants and insects along your hike. Whether you want to take your kids up their first 46er, or go birding in the forest, Rich can tailor a day for your interests and abilities. He’s especially great with kids. Rich’s rate for private tours is $100 for a half day or $200 for a full day, for up to 5 people ($30 for each additional person).

• 46/46 Outdoors / James Appleton: Best for intermediate hikers, winter hiking and trip planning. If you’re planning to hike in the Adirondacks, there aren’t many guides better than James Appleton. He wrote the book on how to hike the 46ers, literally, and has a ADK hiking podcast that’s awesome. James is a local Lake Placid resident, born and raised, and is an amazing storyteller. He’s great choice for hikers who might be new to hiking in the ADK (or new to winter hiking), looking for a buddy on a more difficult 46er, or interested in finding hidden gem trails. And not only is James a guide, but he also offers virtual coaching to anybody looking for extra help planning a 46 High Peaks journey, Northville-Placid Trail thru-hike, and more. His rates are based on time/distance for the hike, number of people and other variables.

GUIDED GROUP TRIPS

• ADK Mountain Club (Cascade Welcome Center): Best budget deal, best for families, nature enthusiasts. From the Cascade Welcome Center, you can join a guided walk with a naturalist for free! Check their program calendar for hiking and birding walks. Winter season shoeshoeing and XC skiing too. Registration is encouraged, but not required.

• Paul Smith’s VIC: Best budget deal for paddling, best for families, nature enthusiasts. It’s about 40 minutes to drive up to Paul Smith’s college campus and their Visitor Information Center (VIC), but well worth it. Be assured that the guides leading their activities and paddle trips are excellent. We’ve done a few of their guided walks, and I think their guided canoe paddle trips are perfect for those who may not have been in a canoe in a while. Canoes and gear are provided, plus you get to paddle with a naturalist who can tell you all about the wildlife and habitat … all for only $15-$25 per person. They also offer walks with experts on edible plants, wild mushroom gathering, old growth trees, birding and more.

• The Wild Center: Best for families with young children. If you’re already planning to visit The Wild Center in Tupper Lake, their group canoe trips in July and August are an extra $30-$45 per canoe. Trips are led by a naturalist who will be able to share tons of information on the local wildlife and plants along the river. Beginners are welcomed, and they allow children as young as 4 years old accompanied by parents.

• ADK Mountain Club: Best for intermediate hikers and aspiring 46ers. The ADK Mountain Club offers a lot of guided hiking trips covering the 46er peaks, sections of the Northville-Placid Trail, as well as a few hikes like the Hurricane Mountain Fire Tower hike. For their 46er group hikes, they strongly encourage prior hiking experience, and backpacking experience for overnight trips. Costs range from $72 for a day hike like Hurricane Mountain or Tabletop to $225 for 3-day overnight trips like the Dix Range. These group hikes are super popular and fill up fast, so grab a spot when you can.

• Adirondack Lakes & Trails: Best for beginner and intermediate paddlers. In the summer of 2023, from June through September, the Adirondack Lakes & Trails shop in Saranac Lake is offering a guided group paddle every Tuesday night, 6 - 8 pm. For $60 per person you get a plastic kayak, gear, transport as needed, and a guide leading the way. If you’re really, truly a beginner with no experience whatsoever, you might consider their 2-hour instruction class prior to the group paddle.