Adirondack Mountain Club officials open their new Mount Jo Long Trail at Heart Lake on Saturday, Oct. 14. (Provided photo — ADK)

LAKE PLACID — After three years of work by professional and volunteer crews, the Adirondack Mountain Club opened its new sustainable Long Trail on Mount Jo Saturday, Oct. 14.

Built to improve hiker safety and environmental sustainability, the new trail travels 1.5 miles to the summit, connecting visitors to one of the most iconic views in the Adirondack Park.

“We are thrilled to announce the opening of the new sustainable Long Trail on Mount Jo. I want to thank our professional and volunteer trail crews for their hard work over the last three years, as well as the incredible donors and community organizations who backed this project,” said Michael Barrett, ADK executive director. “This trail creates a model for sustainable trail design in wilderness areas that not only enhances hiker safety but also protects Adirondack ecosystems.”

Welcoming over 15,000 hikers every year, Mount Jo is a popular hike for families and first time recreators, and serves as a classroom for ADK’s fourth grade school outreach program. After assessment in 2020, it was deemed that one of the two approaches to the summit — the Long Trail — had deteriorated beyond repair. A new route was designed using sustainable features to ensure that it could withstand erosion caused by foot traffic and climate change.

Over the course of three years, ADK saw major support for the project from volunteers, donors, and the local community, including a $50,000 North Elba LEAF grant in 2021.

Hikers climb the Adirondack Mountain Club’s new Mount Jo Long Trail on Saturday, Oct. 14. (Provided photo — ADK)

“I’m immensely proud of the collaborative effort that went into creating the new sustainable Long Trail on Mount Jo,” said Charlotte Staats, ADK trails manager. “This trail is a symbol of our commitment to responsible outdoor recreation. It’s a testament to what we can achieve when passion and expertise come together to create safer and more sustainable trails in the Adirondack Park.”

The Mount Jo trailhead is located at ADK’s Heart Lake property near the village of Lake Placid.

Learn more about ADK’s trail work at ADK.org.

VIPs officially open the Adirondack Mountain Club’s new Mount Jo Long Trail on Saturday, Oct. 14. From left are Assemblyman Billy Jones, D-Chateaugay Lake; state Sen. Dan Stec, R-Queensbury; Charlotte Staats, ADK trails manager; Julia Goren, ADK deputy executive director; and Mary Jane Lawrence, chief operating officer at the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism. (Provided photo — ADK)