2021 was the first year of the new permit system at the Adirondack Mountain Reserve (AMR) parking area and trailheads in St. Hubert’s, organized by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The permit reservation system is seasonal and runs from May 1st to October 31st. 2022 is year two. Last year I went through the system in its first month on a hike up Gothics Mountain and wrote a review about my experience.
This year, I went back on a summer weekend, a day I figured to be a busy weekend, on Saturday, July 9th, the height of the hiking season in the High Peaks. I’ve looked at the AMR reservation system as an important experiment in public use management in the High Peaks Wilderness, an area that has seen remarkably little experimentation over the years.
Discussion time: Hiking permits, parking and shuttles
The Adirondack Mountain Reserve hiking permit system closes for the season on Oct. 31. Did you use it this summer or plan to make a reservation before the end of the month? Did you take one of the fall foliage shuttles the state started trying this year?
In your opinion, what are some creative ideas the state and/or local communities should be considering to move people from parking lots to trailheads?