Registration is open for the first fully supported week-long tour in the region; created to benefit the Adirondack Park

Saranac Lake, NY – August 26, 2014 – The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) today announced Cycle Adirondacks, a week-long, road bike tour through the Adirondack Park featuring daily routes that will allow riders to be immersed in the forests, lakes, streams and abundant wildlife habitat of the famed Adirondack region. Local WCS wildlife experts will be on hand all week to provide information on wildlife and other natural history. Registration is now open for the ride, which will take place August 23-29, 2015.

WCS created this eco-tourism event to provide a world-class, fully supported cycling adventure that gives hundreds of riders the opportunity to enjoy the Adirondack Park’s natural and recreational resources. Registration fees will cover infrastructure and rider services, and will also support WCS’s programs in the Adirondack region. WCS’s mission in the Adirondacks is to promote wildlife conservation and healthy human communities and it has achieved this by using a community-based approach to conservation since 1994.

“Cycle Adirondacks is a unique way for the Wildlife Conservation Society to showcase the picturesque natural landscape that is home to an incredible variety of wildlife​ and historic towns and villages of the Adirondack Park,” said Zoe Smith, director of WCS’s Adirondack Program. “From the quiet seat of a bike, this new event will provide a personal discovery of Adirondack wildlife and natural scenery. Riders should expect a top-notch event.”

The 2015 tour starts and ends in Saranac Lake, the headquarters of the WCS Adirondack Program, and includes overnight stops in Star Lake, Boonville, Camden, Old Forge and Long Lake. There will be a “layover day” in Old Forge where riders can pedal an optional route or take the day off the bike and enjoy the amenities available in the towns of Old Forge and Inlet.

Cycle Adirondacks will benefit host communities by bringing roughly 600 riders and 100 volunteers to each town. Cycle Adirondacks will also enlist local volunteers to help stage the event in each community. This past year, WCS received a marketing grant from I Love New York through the Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council to help build and promote Cycle Adirondacks. The event has added two full-time positions to the region, and local vendors are being used whenever feasible. While camping and meals are included in the event registration, riders will be encouraged to stay in local lodging and patronize local businesses along the way. The regional economic impact of the event is estimated at well over $1 million.

Registration for Cycle Adirondacks includes three catered meals daily, fully stocked rest stops, prime camping spots, hot showers, baggage service, on-course safety support, a wellness tent, and a beer/wine garden and live entertainment that are both open to the public. Total mileage for the week will be 400-500 miles, depending on options, with daily route ranging from 50 to 75 miles; total elevation gain will be roughly 2,000 feet. The cost is $1,495, and registration is limited to 600 participants. For more information visit www.cycleadirondacks.com.

Cycle Adirondacks 2015 will kick off with a preview tour of the proposed cycling route from September 6-13, 2014. The tour will start with a public event in Saranac Lake on Saturday, Sept. 6. The following morning (Sunday the 7th), a small group of event staff and guest riders will set out on the route. They will complete the tour and return to Saranac Lake on the following Saturday, September 13th. Photos, blog posts and other coverage of the preview tour will be available through the event’s social channels.

Follow Cycle Adirondacks (@CycleADK) on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .

To see a promotional video for the event, click here.

CONTACT:
Scott Smith (WCS): 718-220-3698; ssmith@wcs.org
Stephen Sautner 718-220-3682, ssautner@wcs.org
About the Adirondack Park
Spanning 6 million acres, Adirondack Park is one of the largest intact temperate forests in the world. Roughly the size of Vermont, the park is a mosaic of publicly and privately owned lands, and includes more than 100 towns and villages among its forests and lakeshores. The region is within a day’s drive of over 90 million people, and in close proximity to many major urban areas such as New York City, Boston, Montreal, Toronto, and more. Established in 1894, the Adirondack’s state-owned lands are constitutionally protected as “forever wild.” The vast network of connected wilderness areas intermixed with private lands is a model of successful conservation work and provides wildlife habitat for some of the most iconic wildlife species in the northeastern U.S., including black bear, bobcat, moose, and loons.

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. VISION: WCS envisions a world where wildlife thrives in healthy lands and seas, valued by societies that embrace and benefit from the diversity and integrity of life on earth. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in more than 60 nations and in all the world’s oceans and its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit: www.wcs.org; facebook.com/TheWCS; youtube.com/user/WCSMedia; follow: @theWCS.