The large, open grassland field on state Route 73 is at the entrance to the Adirondack Loj Road — not far from one of the most popular trailheads in the High Peaks region, managed by the Adirondack Mountain Club. The land has been owned by the McBurney family for around 60 years. The property is a popular spot for photography because of its scenic views of the High Peaks. ALT purchased the 187 acres of land this week for $2.365 million.

ALT Executive Director Mike Carr said after years of the family keeping the land open and wild, two brothers in the McBurney family approached the ALT and asked them to buy it and preserve it in perpetuity. Carr said the ALT was honored and agreed.

“They really wanted to see it remain open,” Carr said.

The land has been under the names of Andrew Sloan McBurney Trust and Lane F. McBurney, according to Essex County tax records.

ALT will keep the land private while it studies the landscape and prepares for a planning process to broaden access, which they say will include community stakeholder input.

From the parcel, the High Peaks wilderness, Olympic ski jumps and Whiteface Mountain are all visible. Carr said people have always enjoyed this view, but haven’t been able to go onto it. ALT estimates that on average, 4,000 vehicles pass by the field daily.

They plan to build an accessible trail network in the wooded area of the property, on the west branch of the AuSable River.

“By Adirondack standards it’s a very level piece of ground and lends itself to that sort of development,” Carr said.

These proposed trails would be wide, durable surfaces on low-grade inclines conducive to wheelchairs, strollers, walking aids and “those who prefer a walk in the woods to an alpine scramble.”

Carr said they’ll likely also build a parking lot, install signage and may need to build bridges.

ALT is also in the midst of planning development of the 238-acre Glenview Preserve in Harrietstown with 3.4 miles of accessible trails, viewing platforms, portable toilets, a pavilion and a parking lot at the preserve off of state Route 86 near the Harrietstown Cemetery.

This plan has been controversial, particularly among neighbors of the property, many of whom oppose developing the land.

Since announcing its plans to move forward with development at the preserve this past fall, people have submitted feedback to the ALT and through letters to the editor to the Enterprise expressing both passionate support for and opposition to the project.

Carr said low impact development of wild lands can be done well on the right property. He feels the field on state Route 73 is such a right property.

“This vista provides a first impression and lasting memory for millions of visitors and is a source of pride and inspiration for local residents,” Carr said in a statement. “In its breathtaking grandeur, the view forms an indelible bond with the Adirondack landscape. The Adirondack Land Trust will ensure the property’s natural and scenic values are forever conserved. … The location close to town will enhance quality of life in ways that can help attract and retain residents.”

Carr said it will take a while to do it right. They want the community to be proud of it.

The ALT nonprofit organization plans to continue to raise an additional $2.5 million through donations and grants for “long-term management and stewardship costs.”

“That vista is a photo magnet,” local photographer Nancie Battaglia said in a statement. “It is difficult to drive by without stopping. I frequently go there looking for photos — all times of day, night, sunrise, sunset, to see the changing weather and changing scenery in that one stunning view. It feeds my soul with wow and a heartfelt appreciation for living in these magical mountains. We are so blessed.”

The field is a former potato field, which was farmed by the Edgley family from 1983 to 2012 and was known as the Windy Mountain Farm. Now, Carr said it is hay. ALT may turn it into plants for pollinators in the future, he said.

In May, ALT purchased 137 acres in St. Huberts to hold the parcel for transfer to New York state to add to its constitutionally protected Forest Preserve. This land includes approximately a mile of public trails that lead to Snow, Rooster Comb, the Wolfjaws and other mountains within the High Peaks Wilderness.

In July, ALT also sold 5 acres of forest along the southeastern shore of Upper Saranac Lake to the state Department of Environmental Conservation for $225,000 after holding the land to keep as undeveloped shoreline.

Since 1984, the Adirondack Land Trust has protected 27,606 acres at 102 sites in 43 towns and 10 counties across the Adirondacks.