NORTH ELBA, N.Y. (AP) - New York is providing $66,000 in grant money for upgrades at one of the busiest trailheads in the state.
The Smart Growth grant from the Department of Environmental Conservation was awarded to the Adirondack Mountain Club. The group will use it to upgrade parking and interpretive signage at the Heart Lake Program Center, the most heavily used access to the High Peaks.
The organization says Heart Lake has over 100,000 visitors a year, making it an ideal location for disseminating educational information and promoting sustainable backcountry practices.
The site has always been popular but visitor numbers have skyrocketed in the last decade.
The Program Center underwent a project starting in 2018 in response to high traffic. It included renovation of the information center, upgrades to the adjacent campground and construction of an educational yurt.
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