The Paul Smith's College Visitor Interpretive Center

The 3,000-acre Paul Smiths VIC contains every habitat type found in the Adirondack Park with the exception of alpine vegetation. Included on the property is a 60-acre marsh, five ponds, several brooks and swamps, bogs, fens, and varied forest types, most notably northern boreal forest. The site includes significant glacial and geological features and provides scenic vistas of St. Regis Mountain and Jenkins Mountain. The VIC building contains a 150-seat theater, exhibit rooms, a classroom, the Edmund E. Lynch Environmental Education Resource Library, a visitors lounge, rest rooms, a passive energy-saving sun space with an art gallery, a gift shop and administrative offices. Nearby is the Whispering Pines Amphitheater, picnic pavilions, and a children's playground.

Explore the Adirondacks: Bird Walks and Nature Walks at the VIC

The Paul Smith's College VIC is also a birdwatching haven and has attracted birders from throughout the region. Heron Marsh (accessible from the Barnum Brook Trail, the Heron Marsh Trail, the Shingle Mill Falls Trail, and the Forest Ecology Trail) is home to a variety of water birds, including American Bittern, Great Blue Heron, and Wood Duck. The Boreal Life Trail has an overlook tower on Barnum Pond, where Common Loons are sometimes seen or heard. One very convenient birding hotspot at the VIC is the VIC parking lot, where a large number of birds may be seen and heard, including a wide variety of warblers. Other sightings at the Paul Smiths VIC include Gray Jay, Brown Thrasher, and Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker.

Trail System: The VIC property includes 6 miles of interpretive trails and 8 miles of backcountry trails for spring, summer, and fall use. Trail hours are from dawn to dusk, every day. The interpretive trails are surfaced for easy access and feature signs explaining the local ecology. The trail system traverses a variety of habitats with extensive boardwalks through wetland ecosystems. The 1.3 mile Boreal Life Trail, for example,features an extensive boardwalk through a northern bog. In addition to birds, this trail has an impressive display of native orchids during early July: Grass-Pink, Rose Pogonia, and hundreds of White Fringed Orchis.

• Barnum Brook Trail
• Heron Marsh Trail
• Shingle Mill Falls Trail
• Forest Ecology Trail
• Boreal Life Trail
• Silviculture Trail

The backcountry trails are unsurfaced; hiking boots are recommended.

• Jenkins Mountain Trail
• Black Pond Trail
• Long Pond Trail

During the winter months, the trails are open to cross-country skiers and snowshoers for a fee. Day passes and season passes may be purchased.

Exhibits: The Visitor Interpretive Center Building houses exhibits on natural history and an information desk. Youngsters will find "touch tables," games and puzzles to spark their interest in regional animals, insects and plants. The not-so-young will find comfortable chairs by the window and, in nice weather, a restful haven on the front porch.

Butterfly House: Adjacent to the VIC Building, is a Native Species Butterfly House, featuring butterflies and moths in all stages of development. It is open from 10 AM. to 4 PM, seven days a week throughout the summer. Visitors can view native butterflies up close and learn about the life stages and migratory patterns of these colorful insets. The Butterfly House is made possible with significant support from the Adirondack Park Institute (API).

Programs: The VIC offers a variety of free and fee-based programs including bird walks, birding workshops, trail runs, back country paddles, and naturalist-led hikes and paddles. The VIC also hosts the annual Great Adirondack Birding Celebration in June and an Adirondack Wildlife Festival in August. Upcoming VIC programs can be found here.