The Adirondack Atlas: A Geographic Portrait of the Adirondack Park

by Jerry C. Jenkins

The Adirondack Atlas offers a detailed geographic portrait of the largest protected area in the contiguous United States and the largest region of protected temperate forests in the world. Generously illustrated-complete with 450 full-color maps and 250 figures, graphs, tables, charts, and scientific drawings-this volume covers 130 topics on the six-million-acre Adirondack Park. As the first book of its kind, it is both a work of art and an authoritative reference. The Park has a complex history. It is one of the only parks in the world to combine large wilderness areas with extensive private lands and a substantial residential population. Jerry Jenkins explores this connection between the wild and human communities within a protected landscape. As he maps out the diverse and ever-changing environment—the recreational growth, conflicts between users, development, pollution, and climate change—he highlights elements that threaten to alter the Park and undo the protection it now enjoys. Jenkins includes old stories of fur routes and battles, log drives and Shea engines; new stories about school taxes and education, conservation easements and local economies, artistic ferment and social ills, about healthy towns, dying trees, and deer harvests. As a comprehensive and standard resource, the Atlas captures the full scope of the park's topographic, hydrographic, and ecological history for a wide audience of geographers, historians, and Adirondack enthusiasts.

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference

275 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2004

About the author

Jerry Jenkins directs the Northern Forest Atlas Project. He is author of Climate Change in the Adirondacks: The Path to Sustainability and The Adirondack Atlas: A Geographic Portrait of the Adirondack Park and coauthor of Acid Rain in the Adirondacks: An Environmental History.

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comprehensive atlas that covers all aspects of the Adirondack park. Geology, history, natural history, local governments, animal ranges, storm damage, etc. it is all there. There are maps for everything. No stone is left unturned as Jenkins explores every aspect of the largest park in the lower 48. I was only disappointed that there were no photos only some illustrations.