The Adirondack Mountains in northeastern New York state is about four hours north of Manhattan. They extend south from Lake Champlain to the Mohawk River valley. Much of the area is in a natural state, protected by state law.  New York State owns approximately 2.6  of the 3.4 million acres. It is not a National Park.  There are no fees, and it does not open and close. Several very well known areas are within this region such as  Lake Placid, Lake George, and the Ausable Chasm.

The region covers more than 9,100 square miles and contains hundreds of peaks, foothills, and summits. The highest is Mount Marcy, 5,344 feet. Whiteface Mountain has rock walls in vertical escarpments in contrary to the region, which is mostly rounded mountains.