Adirondack Maple Sugaring

As winter's frozen landscape begins to thaw, the Adirondack Region of New York prepares for a sweet maple sugaring season. Throughout the region, groves of maples trees, or sugar bushes, are already sporting taps to collect maple sap. New York State is the second largest producer of maple syrup in the United States, with the Adirondack Region accounting for nearly one third of the state's production. After all, the Sugar Maple is New York State's official tree.

Maple trees and sugar bushes dot much of the forest across the Adirondack Park. Cross country skiers and snowshoers taking advantage of the warmer temperatures and the lingering snow are sure to hear the crisp snap of a sugar maples' sap along any Adirondack ski trail.

An Adirondack Tradition

Maple sugaring is a tradition older than the Adirondack Park itself, said to have originated with the Iroquois when an errant tomahawk struck a maple tree, releasing the sap. Contemporary sugar makers begin harvesting sap as winter wanes, usually around the beginning of March. Warmer days give way to freezing nights, creating ideal conditions and increasing sap flow.

To harvest maple sap, a tap is driven into each tree. The method of collection varies - from old-fashioned buckets to state-of-the-art piping that snakes along trees, straight into the sugar house. Once collected, the sap is boiled down to remove excess moisture. What remains is pure maple syrup. The syrup is processed, tested and graded using the industry standards of: Fancy, Medium Amber, Dark Amber or B. After that, it is packaged and ready for breakfast.

New York's finest agricultural tradition culminates during Maple Weekend, one of the top Adirondack Festivals in spring. This state-wide "Liquid Gold" celebration opens sugar shack doors for tours, educational treks and enjoyment of all things maple. Held the last two weekends in March, this event spans the Adirondack's six-million acres, from mountains to valleys.

Enjoy Adirondack Maple Products

Along the Adirondack Seaway, more than 200 maple producers tap an average of 1,000 trees each. Visitors can tour a traditional wood-burning sugar house and a state-of-the-art reverse osmosis operation in the St. Lawrence Region. The Lake George Region celebrates maple with sugar shack tours, demonstrations and pancake breakfasts. In the northern Adirondacks, stretching to the Lake Placid Region and the High Peaks Region, Maple Weekend marks the true beginning of spring in the mountains.

Don't miss the American Maple Museum in Croghan in the Adirondack Tug Hill Region. Founded in 1977, this museum preserves the history and evolution of the maple syrup industry in North America. Exhibits chronicle techniques used by the Native Americans and the evolution of production.

From seedling to sapling, sap to syrup, maple sugaring is an Adirondack tradition too sweet to miss. Check out The Wild Center's Maple Tree Sap Cam.

Alex Barrett tapping a tree at Heaven Hill Farm in Lake Placid
Image Courtesy of CornellMaple.info