"Adirondack" is an American Indian word meaning "barkeater," in reference to the harsh winters during which Iroquois and Algonquin Indians sometimes had to resort to eating the bark of trees to survive.
The Adirondacks have long attracted many to their pristine wilderness. Ralph Waldo Emerson organized what he called a "Philosopher's Camp" near Long Lake in 1857. The Great Camps of wealthy families such as the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts were so-called because of their extravagant beauty. From these great camps arose a new architectural style based partly on Swiss Alpine themes.
The late 1800s saw a clause in the New York State constitution come into being: that this new forest preserve, what is today the Adirondack Park, stay "forever wild."
There are 46 high summits in the Adirondack mountains, 42 of which are over 4,000 feet in altitude. The highest of these High Peaks is Mount Marcy, also New York State's highest point. It is 5,344 feet high.
