Health insurance is required to participate in the program.

Beginner Backpacking is an experiential, three-day backpacking trip in the High Peaks Wilderness. This introduction to overnight camping is designed to assist you in your future backpacking goals. It entails a cooperative group camping experience with the shared responsibility of camp chores, cooking, and decision making while practicing Leave No Trace skills and ethics. The trip will be led by one or more of ADK’s Education Department staff.

Please plan on meeting at ADK’s Cascade Welcome Center at 9:00am, located at 4833 Cascade Rd, Lake Placid, NY 12946. After introductions, a classroom discussion, and a thorough gear shakedown, we will divvy up our necessary group gear and head out on our journey after lunch.

Our tentative itinerary is as follows: On Day 1, we’ll engage in a morning Beginner Backpacking course covering the essentials of trip preparation before being shuttled to the trailhead on South Meadows Lane. From there, we will depart for our 2.7-mile uphill hike to a campsite near Klondike Lean-to. On Day 2, we’ll hike 3 miles to our campsite in the Johns Brook Valley, with the option for some other side trips. We’ll spend the weekend learning all the basics of backpacking – equipment use, setting up camp, nutrition, backcountry cooking, and low-impact wilderness travel. On Day 3, we’ll hike 3.5 miles to the trailhead at The Garden in Keene Valley, NY. A shuttle will bring us back to ADK’s Cascade Welcome Center and your vehicle by the late morning where we will de-issue group gear and conclude the course. Plans are subject to change due to weather, trail conditions and numerous other factors. This trip will be physically demanding, especially if the weather is poor. Please be ready for long days and tired feet.

All group equipment (stoves, fuel bottles, cook sets, first aid kit, etc.) and all meals (Day 1 Dinner through Day 3 Breakfast) will be provided by ADK. Otherwise, participants are expected to provide their own personal equipment. Personal snacks are allowed, but due to limited bear canister space they should be small in size and high in calories. Hygienic products and other items with a scent (bug spray, sun screen, etc.) should also be small in size and limited in quantity as they must also fit inside the bear canisters. Travel-sized items are great! Please let us know well in advance if you require any equipment, we have tents and backpacks available to borrow.

No prior backpacking experience is necessary, but prior hiking experience is highly suggested. Be ready for an authentic Adirondack hiking experience along steep, rocky, and muddy trails. Good physical condition, proper clothing, and proper equipment are a must.

*ADK cannot guarantee a time the guided trip will be completed by.*