You see that picture above? That “Wild Walk” is what convinced me that a visit to the Wild Center in Tupper Lake was a “must-do” on our trip to the Adirondacks in New York this summer. Did I want to walk through the treetops? Yes. Hang out in an eagle’s nest overlooking the Adirondack Mountains? Definitely. Crawl through a giant spider web? Ok, as long as there are no actual spiders involved.
The Wild Walk is the newest addition to the Wild Center, a natural history museum with indoor exhibits and outdoor hiking trails. Opened in 2015, the Wild Walk spans 81 acres and offers a true bird’s eye view of the treetops.Typically, when people talk about treetop courses, they are usually referring to an adventure course involving ziplines and precarious rope bridges. This is not what you will find on the Wild Walk. Instead, the Wild Center is a nature museum just where it should be — outdoors.
On the Wild Walk, guests can interact with exhibits and learn about the animals that inhabit the area out where the animals live. There are over 1,000 feet of bridges and exhibits including a giant spiders web where you can hang above the forest floor and a bald eagle’s nest that is 40 feet off the ground.
You can listen to bird calls, explore the inside of a “dead” tree and the animals who use it as a home, relax in an egg swing, and see your survival chances if you are a migrating bird.
Wild Center Review
The Wild Walk is just the latest addition to the already terrific Wild Center. The original attraction is the 54,000 square foot museum with its multi-media shows, hands on exhibits, and over 900 live animals (including four otters!) The museum hosts programs throughout the day, both inside and out, such as live animal programs, naturalist walks, guided stand up paddle boarding, and canoe trips.
We easily spent half a day exploring inside and out. Inside we learned about the ice age and what it is like on the alpine summits. We explored the forest, bog, march and lake animals. We got hands on in the art studio and watched a presentation with the cutest porcupine.
Before heading outside, we had a simple lunch of sandwiches from the Waterside Cafe. We ate outside eye level with Greenleaf Pond and had a blast watching the turtles swim by.
Taking the pond loop trail, we ran into the Pines Play Area, where little kids were having a blast crafting their own forts and lean to shelters.
After enjoying the Wild Walk, we headed down Oxbow Marsh trail to the riverfront and enjoyed a relaxing time sitting by the water’s edge.
If you are visiting the Adirondacks, I’d highly recommend a visit to the Wild Center and trek on the Wild Walk.
Plan your Trip
- You’ll want to get there early as it does get crowded in the summer, especially on the weekend.
- Bring sunscreen, bug spray a hat for exploring the Wild Walk and the hiking trails
- Some great hotel options include:
- You could also rent a lakeside vacation home (see some options here)
The Wild Center is located at 45 Museum Drive, Tupper Lake, NY 12986, 518 359-7800. The Wild Center is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Note — the Wild Walk is only open Spring – Fall, check for availability.
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Note: My visit was hosted by The Wild Center for purposes of this review. All opinions are my own and if I didn’t like it, I’ll be sure to tell you.
Thank you for sharing this!! It looks amazing! We are in Rochester so not too far! I will have to check it out next summer…my kids will love it!
It would be a great stop on a weekend in the Adirondacks