The colors are coming soon, and hiking is one of the best ways to experience fall foliage in the Adirondacks. Enjoy the hikes and views without the hassle of driving and parking. No-cost shuttles will run during peak foliage weekends on Oct. 1 and 2 and again over Indigenous Peoples’/Columbus Day weekend on Oct. 8, 9, and 10 from the Frontier Town Gateway to the Giant Mountain, Roaring Brook Falls, and Rooster Comb trailheads and the Marcy Field Parking Area. These are the same drop-off locations currently offered by the Route 73 Hiker Shuttle (PDF) from Marcy Field, but from an alternate starting point.
The October shuttle will operate in a loop from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Seating is available on a first-come-first-served basis. Dogs are not permitted on the shuttle, and masks are required. The gateway shuttle stop is conveniently located near the DEC Frontier Town Campground, Equestrian, and Day Use Area.
For more information on planning fall foliage hikes in the Adirondacks, including a list of family-friendly trails ideal for hiking in the spring, summer, and fall, click here. Due to their lower elevation, these hikes are great alternatives during transitions between seasons like mud season in the spring and colder, shorter days in the fall.
Photo at top: DEC photo.
Secret Language of Mushrooms
Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland was chock-a-block full of whimsical characters such as a hookah-smoking caterpillar and a bloodthirsty Queen of Hearts playing-card. Although animals and some objects in the story are able to speak, somehow the idea of a talking mushroom was too far-out even for Carroll’s rich imagination. The book depicts a colorful hallucinogenic Amanita muscaria mushroom on which Alice dines (without so much as a parental warning) to become large or small. But while the Cheshire cat is chatty, the mushroom remains mum.
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