Adirondack Mountains

The Adirondack Mountains are a <a href="/facts/Massif/0tR9poFq">massif</a> of mountains in Northeastern <a href="/facts/New_York_(state)/mnl67G1G">New York</a> which form a circular dome approximately 160 miles (260 km) wide and covering about 5,000 square miles (13,000 km2). The region contains more than 100 peaks, including <a href="/facts/Mount_Marcy/IlLBVmSA">Mount Marcy</a>, which is the highest point in New York at 5,344 feet (1,629 m). The <a href="/facts/Adirondack_High_Peaks/MQkpegSs">Adirondack High Peaks</a>, a traditional list of 46 peaks over 4,000 feet (1,200 m), are popular hiking destinations. There are over 200 named lakes with the number of smaller lakes, ponds, and other bodies of water reaching over 3,000. Among the named lakes around the mountains are <a href="/facts/Lake_George_(lake)%2c_New_York/d3N1oHa4">Lake George</a>, <a href="/facts/Lake_Placid%2c_New_York/KUjeTCh2">Lake Placid</a>, and <a href="/facts/Lake_Tear_of_the_Clouds/JtCCAxnQ">Lake Tear of the Clouds</a>. The region has over 1,200 miles (1,900 km) of river.
Although the mountains are formed from ancient rocks more than 1 billion years old, geologically, the mountains are relatively young and were created during recent periods of glaciation. Because of this, the Adirondacks have been referred to as "new mountains from old rocks." It is theorized that there is a <a href="/facts/Hotspot_(geology)/drIyXSLs">hotspot</a> beneath the region, which causes continued uplift at the rate of 1.5–3 centimetres (5⁄8–1+1⁄8 in) annually.
The Adirondack mountain range has such unusual characteristics compared to the area around it that it is divided into its own province within the <a href="/facts/Appalachian_Highlands/f7X1GBDE">Appalachian Highlands</a> <a href="/facts/Physiographic_region/CQetSpAb">physiographic</a> division. It is bounded by three other provinces: the St. Lawrence (Champlain) on the north, northeast; the <a href="/facts/Appalachian_Plateau/Gz4zdbuI">Appalachian Plateau</a> to the south, southwest; and the <a href="/facts/Ridge-and-Valley_Appalachians/FhT06J6Y">Valley and Ridge</a> to the southeast.
The entire region lies within <a href="/facts/Adirondack_Park/TJfnoR2F">Adirondack Park</a>, a New York state protected area of over 6,000,000 acres (2,400,000 ha). The park was established in 1892 by the state legislature to protect the region's natural resources and to provide recreational opportunities for the public. It covers over 20 percent of New York state's land area.

Adirondack Mountains open-in-new

Adirondack Mountains