Adirondack Wildlife


Spanning more than 6 million acres, The Sacandaga region and the surrounding Adirondack Park is home to a wide variety of animals. The park has over 130,000 year long residents that live side by side with their animal neighbors, and while it is common to spot these creatures while visiting, please remember to keep your distance and do not feed or disturb the area’s wildlife.

The Adirondacks are home to 53 species of mammals, 17 species of snakes, 35 species of reptiles, 74 species of butterflies, hundreds of birds, over 70 species of beautiful trees and thousands of plants, small animals and insects. They live and thrive around the 3,000 plus Adirondack lakes in the region, taking advantage of food producing plants, trees and no shortage of prey for carnivores.

Some of the more common and classic examples of Adirondack wildlife are the iconic black bear, moose, loons, squirrels, raccoons, fox, bobcats & Lynx as well as osprey, bats and white tail deer.

You can follow our Adirondack Wildlife Series in our blog for detailed articles about some incredible Adirondack creatures.

Protect Our Environment

It is important to remember that when hiking, camping or passing through the Adirondack region that there is often a very fragile ecosystem that relies on us to protect, steward and be responsible when enjoying the recreational opportunities.  Besides not littering, when hiking it is best to stick to paths outlined by the DEC and park rangers helps protect often endangered species of plants from being disturbed, trampled or even saved from extinction.

Obey Firewood Rules! Firewood is a big concern in the Adirondack park because of invasive insects that often destroy species of trees like the Asian Longhorned Beetle which targets hardwoods, especially Sugar Maples the source of our beloved Maple Syrup and Emerald Ash Borer which targets trees in the Ash family.  These beetles were transported to the United States from Asia in wooden crates, and the same transfer an introduction can be made by bringing in non-regional firewood.  So please, buy your firewood from local approved vendors.

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