Holiday weekends are a convenient time for everyone to explore outside. But with more people on the trail, it’s important to share them properly. Be considerate of others and follow these tips so that everyone has a great time outside this Labor Day weekend.
Outdoor conditions: Flooding on Croghan Tract
The following are only the most recent notices pertaining to public lands in the Adirondacks. Please check the Adirondack Backcountry webpages for a full list of notices, including seasonal road statuses, rock climbing closures, specific trail conditions, and other pertinent information.
NEW THIS WEEK
- Watson’s East Triangle Wild Forest – The Croghan Tract Conservation Easement Main Haul Road is temporarily closed to public motorized use due to washouts caused by a recent rain event. The closure also impacts access to portions of Pepperbox Wilderness Area accessed through the easement property. The property remains open for public use, but visitors will need to park prior to the gate.
Outdoor Conditions (8/18): Section of Adirondack Rail Trail to be paved, unsafe for use during construction
The following are only the most recent notices pertaining to public lands in the Adirondacks. Please check the Adirondack Backcountry webpages for a full list of notices, including seasonal road statuses, rock climbing closures, specific trail conditions, and other pertinent information.
NEW THIS WEEK
- Adirondack Rail Trail – The section of the trail in Saranac Lake, stretching from Route 86 to North Country Community College is undergoing paving beginning 8/18. During this time, it will be unsafe for recreational use. The public should refrain from using this section of the trail during the construction period. Pavement will be used on this short section of high-use trail in order to provide a consistent surface throughout the village.
Outdoor Conditions (8/11): High-water and muddy trails advisory in effect in ADKs
The following are only the most recent notices pertaining to public lands in the Adirondacks. Please check the Adirondack Backcountry webpages for a full list of notices, including seasonal road statuses, rock climbing closures, specific trail conditions, and other pertinent information.
NEW THIS WEEK
- Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest – Cheney Road in North Hudson will be closed 8/14 and 8/15 to prep for road work. The road will close again the following week (dates TBA) to finish construction.
Outdoor Conditions (8/4) – Marcy Brook Lean-to being repaired
High Peaks Wilderness – Starting Thursday, July 27, Marcy Brook Lean-to will be unavailable for use. The lean-to is being repaired over several weekends by the Adirondack 46ers Volunteers. Campers can utilize existing tent sites across the hiking trail from the lean-to or camp at nearby lean-tos.
A high-water and muddy trails advisory is in effect until further notice: Recent heavy rains have washed out numerous roads, bridges, and trails. The extent of damage is still being assessed. More thunderstorms bringing potential heavy rain are forecast throughout the remainder of the week. Users are advised to:
- avoid recreating near and in streams and rivers due to fast-moving currents and floating debris.
- avoid high-elevation trails to protect the thin soils and fragile habitats until things dry out and harden.
Outdoor conditions (7/28): Hiker information stations in place this weekend
A high-water and muddy trails advisory is in effect until further notice: Recent heavy rains have washed out numerous roads, bridges, and trails. The extent of damage is still being assessed. More thunderstorms bringing potential heavy rain are forecast throughout the remainder of the week. Users are advised to:
- avoid recreating near and in streams and rivers due to fast-moving currents and floating debris.
- avoid high-elevation trails to protect the thin soils and fragile habitats until things dry out and harden.
This bulletin provides only the most recent notices. Check the Adirondack Backcountry webpages for more detailed information on access, outdoor recreation infrastructure, and conditions.
Emergency Situations: If you get lost or injured; keep calm and stay put. If you have cell service, call 911 or the DEC Forest Ranger Emergency Dispatch, 833-NYS-RANGERS.
Welcome to the Adirondacks. The Welcome to the Adirondacks webpage provides information about the Forest Preserve, conservation easement lands, outdoor recreation, and Leave No Trace™.
Love Our New York Lands: All New Yorkers and visitors should be able to access, enjoy, and feel welcome on state lands. While enjoying these shared spaces, be respectful of other visitors. Share trails, treat people with kindness, and leave things as you found them for others to enjoy. All of us have a responsibility to protect state lands for future generations. Learn more about how you can Love Our New York Lands.
A Warming Climate
Extreme Weather Events
I recall reading, earlier this year, about unprecedented flooding, in several areas of California that, until that time, had been stricken by years of climate-change-induced mega-drought so dire that, in August of 2021, a major hydroelectric power plant, Edward Hyatt Power Plant, was forced to shut down for the first time since it opened in 1967, due to extraordinarily low water levels. The plant’s reservoir, California’s second-largest, Lake Oroville, had fallen to just 24% of total capacity.
After this year’s January storms, however, the water level started to rise. It was 82% full on March 10th, when officials began letting water out of the reservoir for the first time in four years. Earlier this month, Lake Oroville had filled to 100% capacity.
In April, California’s Tulare Lake, a dry lake, was refilling, due to torrential rainfall. It’s currently five – to seven-feet deep. Fish now populate its waters. And birds have flocked to its shores. Tulare Lake was once the largest lake west of the Mississippi River. When full, it covered 800 square miles and fed several rivers. But it dried up completely nearly a century ago, as a result of dams, canals, and levees being built in and around California’s San Joaquin Valley; the largest agricultural region in the state of California. The last time a portion of the lake resurfaced was in 1983.
Outdoor conditions: Muddy trail advisory still in effect
A high-water and muddy trails advisory is in effect until further notice: Recent heavy rains have washed out numerous roads, bridges, and trails. The extent of damage is still being assessed. More thunderstorms bringing potential heavy rain are forecast throughout the remainder of the week. Users are advised to:
- avoid recreating near and in streams and rivers due to fast-moving currents and floating debris.
- avoid high-elevation trails to protect the thin soils and fragile habitats until things dry out and harden.
This bulletin provides only the most recent notices. Check the Adirondack Backcountry webpages for more detailed information on access, outdoor recreation infrastructure, and conditions.
Outdoor Conditions (7/14): High-water and muddy trails advisory in effect in ADKs
The following are only the most recent notices pertaining to public lands in the Adirondacks. Please check the Adirondack Backcountry webpages for a full list of notices, including seasonal road statuses, rock climbing closures, specific trail conditions, and other pertinent information.
NEW THIS WEEK
A high-water and muddy trails advisory is in effect until further notice: Recent heavy rains have washed out numerous roads, bridges, and trails. The extent of damage is still being assessed. More thunderstorms bringing potential heavy rain are forecast throughout the remainder of the week. Users are advised to avoid recreating near and in streams and rivers due to fast moving currents and floating debris. Users are advised to avoid high elevation trails to protect the thin soils and fragile habitats until things dry out and harden.
DEC Adirondack Outdoor Recreation Bulletin
A high-water and muddy trails advisory is in effect until further notice: Recent heavy rains have washed out numerous roads, bridges, and trails. The extent of damage is still being assessed. More thunderstorms bringing potential heavy rain are forecast throughout the remainder of the week. Users are advised to avoid recreating near and in streams and rivers due to fast moving currents and floating debris. Users are advised to avoid high elevation trails to protect the thin soils and fragile habitats until things dry out and harden.
This bulletin provides only the most recent notices. Check the Adirondack Backcountry webpages for more detailed information on access, outdoor recreation infrastructure, and conditions.
Emergency Situations: If you get lost or injured; keep calm and stay put. If you have cell service, call 911 or the DEC Forest Ranger Emergency Dispatch, 833-NYS-RANGERS.
Welcome to the Adirondacks. The Welcome to the Adirondacks webpage provides information about the Forest Preserve, conservation easement lands, outdoor recreation, and Leave No Trace™.
Love Our New York Lands: All New Yorkers and visitors should be able to access, enjoy, and feel welcome on state lands. While enjoying these shared spaces, be respectful of other visitors. Share trails, treat people with kindness, and leave things as you found them for others to enjoy. All of us have a responsibility to protect state lands for future generations. Learn more about how you can Love Our New York Lands.
Outdoor Conditions (7/7): Knowing signs of heat stroke, exhaustion
The following are only the most recent notices pertaining to public lands in the Adirondacks. Please check the Adirondack Backcountry webpages for a full list of notices, including seasonal road statuses, rock climbing closures, specific trail conditions, and other pertinent information.
NEW THIS WEEK
- Sable Highlands Conservation Easement and Cobble Hill Public Use Area – The bridge across Ouleout Creek is CLOSED TO ALL, including pedestrians.
Outdoor Conditions (6/30): Skiff Pond Trail impassable due to washout
The following are only the most recent notices pertaining to public lands in the Adirondacks. Please check the Adirondack Backcountry webpages for a full list of notices, including seasonal road statuses, rock climbing closures, specific trail conditions, and other pertinent information.
NEW THIS WEEK
Debar Mountain Wild Forest
- The Skiff Pond Trail is impassable due to washout. The washout is 0.25 miles south of the parking area at Debar Meadows. Skiff Pond can be accessed by taking the Debar Meadows to Meacham Lake Trail for about 1.8 miles to the intersection with the Skiff Pond Trail and turning east towards Skiff Pond.
Outdoor Conditions (6/23): Being aware of oncoming thunderstorms, safety tips
The following are only the most recent notices pertaining to public lands in the Adirondacks. Please check the Adirondack Backcountry webpages for a full list of notices, including seasonal road statuses, rock climbing closures, specific trail conditions, and other pertinent information.
NEW THIS WEEK
Nothing new this week
Outdoor Conditions (6/16): Tips for hiking with pups
The following are only the most recent notices pertaining to public lands in the Adirondacks. Please check the Adirondack Backcountry webpages for a full list of notices, including seasonal road statuses, rock climbing closures, specific trail conditions, and other pertinent information.
NEW THIS WEEK
Nothing new this week
Last Week
Independence River Wild Forest:
- Eatonville Trail will remain closed through mid-July.
Outdoor Conditions (6/9): State’s fire danger rating moderate to high for most of the season
The following are only the most recent notices pertaining to public lands in the Adirondacks. Please check the Adirondack Backcountry webpages for a full list of notices, including seasonal road statuses, rock climbing closures, specific trail conditions, and other pertinent information.
NEW THIS WEEK
Independence River Wild Forest:
- Eatonville Trail will remain closed through mid-July.
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