To learn how to sustainably harvest wild leeks, also known as ramps, see “To Take a Leek” at www.adirondacklife.com. Use a reliable guidebook to identify any foraged food before consuming.
June 2026
Celebrating Tupper Lake’s Wild Center
Today, Tupper Lake’s natural history museum, which turns 20 this year, is a flourishing center of learning, intellectual thought and plain old fun. It is the encyclopedia of the Adirondacks, a guide as essential to understanding the Adirondack backcountry as a map.
The Station
The main intersection in Onchiota has always been memorably quirky, an unexpected wilderness outpost at this one-time railroad stop. The corner is anchored by an old general store and adjacent seven-gabled gas station, which were opened by Hayden Tormey in the 1920s. But it was Tormey’s son “Bing” that gave the bend in the road its offbeat personality. He littered the area with cheeky signs, including the classic “Leaving 67 of the friendliest people in the Adirondacks (plus a couple of soreheads)” and “Don’t ask for directions, we’re still trying to get out of here.”
The Tree Guardians
Angello Johnson burns the midnight oil. By day, he works in the land resource department of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe of Franklin County, of which he’s a member, at the northern edge of the Adirondack Park. On nights and weekends he teaches Mohawk tribe members the art of weaving long, pliable black ash tree strands into intricate baskets.
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2026 Guide to the Great Outdoors
Nighttime adventures, seaplane voyages, classic backpacking trips, climbing icons and more!
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