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Barbara McMartin (November 18, 1931 — September 27, 2005) was the daughter of Dr. D. Malcolm McMartin, Johnstown, NY physician, and Barbara Clark McMartin. Growing up in Johnstown, she became the valedictorian of the Class of 1949. She graduated from Vassar College, cum laude in Mathematics in 1964, received a master's degree from Hunter College, and in 1972 she received a PhD in mathematics from the Graduate Division of City University of New York.

In 1972 McMartin turned from mathematics and became involved in the environmental movement in the Adirondacks where her primary focus was the nature, culture, and management in the Park. She served as vice-president the Adirondack Mountain Club and the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks and was a member of many environmental groups.

In the years between 1972 and 2005 she wrote 25 books, both guide books and histories of the Adirondacks. She wrote and maintained the popular eleven book Discover series which covers all regions of the Adirondack Park for outdoors people. Her other guides include: The Adirondack Park, A Wildlands Quilt; Fifty Hikes in the Adirondacks; Fifty Hikes in the Hudson Valley; and three books for young people, on hiking, camping, and canoeing.

In 1976 she completed Caroga, an Adirondack Town Recalls its Past. Her other histories include: Hides, Hemlocks and Adirondack History, The Great Forest of the Adirondacks, To the Lake of the Skies (story of the Benedicts), The Glove Cities, Perspectives on the Adirondacks, The Privately Owned Adirondacks and Adirondack Timeline. She also wrote a series of pamphlets and Citizen's Guides for the Adirondack Park Agency.

She was proudest of her service on NYSDEC advisory committees: the High Peaks Advisory Committee from 1974 to 1978 and the Forest Preserve Advisory Committee from 1979 to 2003. She chaired the Forest Preserve Advisory Committee from 1979 to 2003 where she helped write many NYSDEC policies.

She served as volunteer curator at the Caroga Historical Museum and at the Fulton County Museum. She had numerous photograph exhibits of her work and published many magazine articles. In 1992 she chaired the NYS Adirondack Park Centennial.

Among the many awards were the Founder's Day Award from the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake as well as both the Adirondack Communicator and Adirondack Heritage Awards fromthe Adirondack Council.

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