DEC Adirondack Outdoor Recreation Bulletin

May 29, 2020

This bulletin provides only the most recent notices. Check the Adirondack Backcountry Information web pages 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, 518-891-0235.

Hike Smart by packing the proper gear. See our recommended packing list and safety tips.

Welcome to the Adirondacks

The Welcome to the Adirondacks webpage is the place to go if you are interested in learning more about the Adirondacks. It provides information about the Forest Preserve and conservation easement lands, outdoor recreation opportunities, and Leave No Trace. Be sure to check out the links to additional information and tips for recreating safely and minimizing your impacts on natural resources, recreational infrastructure, and other backcountry users in the Adirondacks.

Recreate Local – Safely and Responsibly

DEC encourages responsible recreation during the COVID-19 public health crisis.
Following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the New York State Department of Health for reducing the spread of infectious diseases, DEC and State Parks encourages New Yorkers to recreate locally, practice physical distancing, and use common sense to protect themselves and others. Use DECinfo Locator to find DEC-managed lands near you and use #RecreateLocal to share your outdoor experiences in open spaces and parks close to home.

Social Distancing Guidelines
Follow DEC’s guidelines for social distancing while recreating outdoors:

• Stay Local: Stay close to home. Keep visits short. Avoid high-traffic destinations.
• Be Safe: Avoid crowds and groups. Recreate only with members of your immediate household. Keep a distance of six feet or more from others. Alert others as you’re about to pass or step aside to let people pass. Wear a mask when you cannot maintain social distancing.
• Be Ready: Move quickly through parking lots, trailheads, and scenic areas. If crowded, choose a different park, trail, or time to visit.
• Stay Home: If you’re not feeling well, stay home. Anyone 70 and older or with a compromised immune system should postpone their visit.

Pack A Mask
New Yorkers are required to wear masks in public when appropriate social distancing cannot be maintained, including on trails and in the backcountry. No matter how or where you plan to recreate, pack a mask and wear it in parking lots, on crowded summits, and anywhere else you meet people along the trail or in the outdoors.

Camping
DEC campgrounds and pavilions are closed to overnight visitation through June 7. DEC has suspended all new camping reservations for the 2020 season until further notice. We are assessing campground status on a daily basis. Visitors who wish to cancel an existing reservation may do so and receive a full refund or can transfer the reservation to the 2021 season. Thank you for your patience as we work to protect the safety of our visitors and staff.

Water-access campsites at DEC campgrounds remain closed to overnight visitation until DEC’s campgrounds reopen. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Saranac Lake Islands Campground;
• Indian Lake Campground;
• Lake George Islands Campground;
• Tioga Point Campground;
• Forked Lake Campground; and
• Alger Island Campground.

Use of lean-tos should be restricted to members of a single household at a time to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Primitive camping is permitted for groups of nine or fewer people from a single household camping three nights or less. Campsites along seasonal access roads that remain closed will not be accessible by motor vehicle.

DEC Boat Launches
DEC boat launches not located within DEC campgrounds are open for recreational use by individuals and households that adhere to guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID-19:

• Try to keep at least six feet of distance between you and others.
• Avoid close contact, such as shaking hands.
• Wash hands often or use a hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available.
• Avoid surfaces that are touched often, such as rails, posts, and tie off cleats.
• Wear a mask when appropriate social distancing cannot be maintained.

Boaters and other day users should continue to social distance on the water and on shore and avoid crowded sites. Boaters and day use visitors should use mainland bathroom facilities before going out on the water, as outhouse facilities at DEC day use sites and campsites are not currently maintained or sanitized.

The Adirondack Watershed Institute Stewardship Program is underway. Stewards will be present at public boat launches throughout the Adirondacks to check for invasive species on water vessels and educate users about proper clean, drain, and dry techniques and other methods of preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species.

Trailhead Registers
Trailhead registers provide vital information, so please continue to sign in and out. During the COVID-19 public health crisis, special precautions should be taken while using trailhead registers to minimize spread of the virus through commonly touched surfaces, such as pencils and the registers themselves. Follow these guidelines when using trailhead registers to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

• Only one person per group should register. Others in the group should stay away from the register.
• If someone is at a register when you approach, stand at least six feet away and wait for them to leave before you approach.
• Bring your own pencil or pen.
• Minimize touching surfaces.
• Carry hand sanitizer and use it immediately before and after using the register.
• Don't cough or sneeze while at the register. If you must cough or sneeze, move away from the register and hand sanitize before returning.

Fire Towers
Fire towers are closed to public access. Trails and summits to towers remain open, but the towers themselves present a potential risk with multiple people climbing the stairs, in close quarters, unable to appropriately socially distance, and using the same handrails.

Limit Parking
Please avoid visiting crowded areas. For visitor safety and the safety of others, do not park on roadsides, and only park in designated parking areas. If parking lots are full, please choose a different area to visit, or return another time or day when parking is available.

Hike within the Limits of Your Physical Abilities and Experience
Adirondack lands and forests are patrolled by forest rangers and environmental conservation police officers (ECOs) and other staff. These officers and staff respond to, and assist, local agencies with search and rescue missions, wildfire suppression, and more. Following this guidance will prevent unnecessary burdens on, and dangers to, state resources and frontline emergency first responders during the ongoing COVID-19 response.

Muddy Trails Advisory

A Muddy Trails Advisory is now in effect for the Adirondacks. DEC urges hikers to be cautious and postpone hikes on trails above 2,500 feet until high elevation trails have dried and hardened. North facing trails have retained snow and ice late into the season this year. Despite recent warm weather, high elevation backcountry trails are still covered in slowly melting ice and snow. These steep trails feature thin soils that become a mix of ice and mud as winter conditions melt and frost leaves the ground.

The remaining compacted ice and snow on trails is rotten, slippery, and will not reliably support weight. Known as “monorails,” these conditions are difficult to hike on and the adjacent rotten snow is particularly prone to postholing. Hikers can severely damage trail tread as they struggle to gain traction on loose, saturated soils. Hiking off the compacted snow impacts vulnerable trailside soils and easily damages sensitive alpine vegetation.

Help minimize damage to hiking trails and alpine vegetation by avoiding trails above 2,500 feet, particularly high elevation trails in the following wilderness areas:

• High Peaks Wilderness - all trails above 2,500 feet where wet, muddy, snowy conditions still prevail, specifically: Algonquin, Colden, Feldspar, Gothics, Indian Pass, Lake Arnold Cross-Over, Marcy, Marcy Dam - Avalanche - Lake Colden, which is extremely wet, Phelps Trail above Johns Brook Lodge, Range Trail, Skylight, Wright, all "trail-less" peaks, and all trails above Elk Lake and Round Pond in the former Dix Mountain Area.
• Giant Mountain Wilderness - all trails above Giant's Washbowl, "the Cobbles," and Owl Head Lookout.
• McKenzie Mountain Wilderness - all trails above 2,500 feet where wet, muddy, and snowy conditions still prevail, specifically Whiteface, Esther, Moose and McKenzie Mountains.
• Sentinel Range Wilderness - all trails above 2,500 feet where wet, muddy, snowy conditions still prevail, specifically Pitchoff Mountain.

Until conditions improve, hikers are encouraged to explore lower elevation trails close to home and enjoy other forms of recreation such as paddling and fishing. If hikers do encounter mud on trails, they should hike through mud instead of around it. This helps to reduce trail widening and minimizes damage to trailside vegetation. Visit DEC's website for a list of hikes in the Adirondacks below 2,500 feet.

General Conditions

• Travel: Check NY511 for road closures and conditions.
• Weather: Check the National Weather Service or NY Mesonow for current conditions and forecasts for the locations where you plan to recreate.
• Seasonal Access Roads: Seasonal access roads are beginning to open. Seasonal access roads are dirt and gravel which can be rough. Four-wheel drive SUVs, pick-up trucks, and other high clearance vehicles are recommended for driving on these roads. Roads may be narrow – use caution, drive slowly, and watch for oncoming vehicles.
• Water Conditions: Water levels are lower than is typical for this time of year. Check the USGS Current Water Data for New York for stream flow of selected waters. Water temperatures are still extremely cold this time of year. Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs aka lifejackets) are strongly recommended to be worn by all anglers, boaters and paddlers.
• Biting Insects: Black flies, mosquitoes, and ticks are present. Wear light-colored, long sleeve shirts and long pants. Tuck shirts into pants, button or rubber band sleeves at the wrist, and tuck the bottom of pant legs into your socks. Pack a head net to wear when insects are plentiful, and use an insect repellant – follow label directions. Additional tips for tick prevention.
• Fire Danger: Moderate. Check the DEC Fire Danger Map for updated conditions. DEC forest rangers have been suppressing numerous wildfires during the past week, many of them started by unattended or unextinguished campfires. Be careful with campfires.

Hiking

Before you hit the trail, check out DEC’s Hike Smart NY page to learn about safety, best practices, and preparedness. While recreating in the Adirondacks, please follow the Hiker Responsibility Code and avoid busy trailheads. Discover trails less traveled and visit when trails may not be as busy.

Muddy Trails Advisory: DEC has issued a Muddy Trails Advisory for trails above 2,500 feet in the Adirondacks. Trails are a mixture of mud and ice as late season ice and snow melt and frost leaves the ground. Trails are particularly dangerous for hikers and susceptible to damage at this time. Help protect high elevation trails by choosing hikes under 2,500 feet until conditions improve.

Be Prepared. Trails will be muddy in middle elevation ranges and in some locations at lower elevations. Wear waterproof shoes and walk through mud, not around it, to protect trail edges. Dress in layers, and be prepared for conditions to change. Temperatures will be lower on summits than at trailheads, and many exposed summits will be windy. Check the National Weather Service Northern Adirondacks and Southern Adirondacks Mountain Point Forecasts for selected summits. If conditions become unfavorable, turn around. You can always complete your hike another day.

Use Caution. Many Adirondack trails encounter water crossings, and not all of them have bridges. Use caution at crossings and on trails along fast flowing brooks and rivers. Water is cold and moving swiftly this time of year due to spring snowmelt.

Recent Notices

Included here are notices reported in the past week. Please check the Adirondack Backcountry Information webpages for comprehensive and up-to-date information on seasonal road statuses, rock climbing closures, specific trail conditions, and other pertinent information.

Speculator Tree Farm/Perkins Clearing Conservation Easement Tract:

• The full length of Jessup River Road is open to public motor vehicle use.
• Old Military Road beyond Sled Harbor (access to Pillsbury Mountain and West Canada Wilderness) remains closed.

Sable Highlands Conservation Easement Tract: The wheelchair ramp at the Fishpole Pond Accessible Fishing Site was damaged by a recent wildfire and is unusable.

Adirondack Mountain Reserve:

• An Adirondack Trail Improvement Society trail crew will close and begin rebuilding the piers on the Leach Bridge, located below the dam at Lower Ausable Lake, beginning June 1.
  • The project is expected to take two weeks.
  • Hikers will need to access the Weld Trail to Gothics and the two trails to Sawteeth by crossing the river on the Beaver Meadow Bridge and using the West River Trail.
• There are a few smaller trees blocking Indian Head from Gill Brook Trail.

Lake George Wild Forest:

• Lake George Beach (aka Million Dollar Beach) will remain open on weekends only for the time being. The beach will be open on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Following Department of Health guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19, a maximum of 500 people will be allowed on the beach at a time, half its normal capacity.
• DEC has erected a fence on the nearby strip of state land on the south shore of Lake George known as “Dog Beach.” This temporary closure is to ensure social distancing and protect public health, in accordance with DOH guidelines that require the closure of areas where people congregate and where social distancing cannot be maintained.
• Prospect Mountain Veteran’s Memorial Highway remains closed.

Saranac Lake Wild Forest:

• Water-access campsites in the Saranac Lake Islands Campground and other DEC campgrounds remain closed to overnight visitation until DEC’s campgrounds reopen.
• The Saranac River Locks are open and working. The Lower Lock is staffed, but the Upper Lock remains self-operational.

Terry Mountain State Forest:

• Terry Mountain Road is now open to public motor vehicle use.
• The Mud Pond Trail has blowdown – the trail is passable, but some additional effort is required to navigate around the blowdown.

Moose River Plains Complex:

• The Limekiln Lake Gate at the western end of the Limekiln Lake-Cedar River Road (aka Moose River Plains Road) is open and the road is open to public motor vehicle use to Campsite #39.
• The Cedar River Gate at the eastern end of the Limekiln Lake-Cedar River Road (aka Moose River Plains Road) is closed due to a large washout that cannot be repaired because the road is still too soft to support road equipment.
• Due to seasonal road conditions, the Moose River Plains Recreation Area will be partially opened until further notice. In addition to the information above regarding the Limekiln Lake-Cedar River Road (aka Moose River Plains Road), here is the status of roads within the Complex:
  • Open Roads:
    • Otter Brook Road is open to the Otter Brook Bridge.
  • Closed Roads:
    • Rock Dam Road
    • Indian Lake Road
  • Roads will be opened as conditions improve and repairs are completed.

High Peaks Wilderness (Dix Mountain Area):

• Nippletop via Elk Pass: There are a few mid-sized trees downed across the trail, all of them past Elk Pass and before the Nippletop summit.
• South Meadow Road is now open to public motor vehicle use.
• The main span bridge in Marcy Swamp on the Elk Lake-Marcy Trail has failed.
  • Hikers will have to wade the river to get across - rock hopping is not possible as it is a swamp.
  • Be aware that during rain events, the water level can fluctuate significantly.
  • DEC does not expect to replace the bridge this year.

Hurricane Mountain Wilderness: The Hurricane Mountain East Trail has a few small to mid-sized trees downed across the trail.

Giant Mountain Wilderness: In the Chapel Pond Area, all rock climbing routes on the Lower Washbowl Cliffs are open. All rock climbing routes on the Upper Washbowl Cliffs remain closed to allow peregrine falcons to hatch and raise their young.

Independence River Wild Forest:

• Big Otter Lake Road is temporarily blocked before Tommy Roaring Brook due to a large washout.
• Stillwater Mountain Fire Tower is temporarily closed due to COVID-19.
• Trails in the Otter Creek Horse Trail System have not been cleared - some trails still have significant amounts of blowdown.

Hammond Pond Wild Forest: The bridge near the beginning of the Hammond Pond Trail washed out during the 2019 Halloween storm and has not been replaced.

Chazy Highlands Wild Forest: Lyon Mountain Trail has blowdown – the trail is passable, but some additional effort is required to navigate around the blowdown.

Taylor Pond Wild Forest: Mud Pond Trail off State Route 3 has blowdown – the trail is passable, but some additional effort is required to navigate around the blowdown.

Essex Chain Lakes Complex: Four-wheel drive and other high clearance vehicles should be used on Chain Lakes Road South due to the rutting and washouts present.

Ferris Lake Wild Forest: Powley Road is open to public motor vehicle use from the north entrance on State Route 10 to 10 miles south at the Brayhouse Brook crossing. The southern portion of the road is closed for the foreseeable future due to severe damage caused by the 2019 Halloween storm.

Silver Lake Wilderness: West River Road is closed to public motor vehicle use for at least the next few weeks until the Town of Wells replaces a large culvert at the Dugway Creek.

If You Care, Leave It There

What’s the best way to show young animals you care? Leave them there! Whether you’re in your backyard or on a trail, always appreciate wildlife from a safe distance and resist the urge to touch or pick up newborn fawns and other young wildlife. Human contact with wildlife can carry unintended consequences that end up hurting instead of helping.

Spring and early summer are when many wild animals give birth to new young. At this time of year, sightings of and encounters with young rabbits, fawns, fox kits, and recently fledged birds are common. It is easy to mistake a young animal on its own as being abandoned, but many wild animals keep a distance from their young except during feeding times to avoid attracting predators to them. If an animal senses that a human has engaged with their young, they might delay returning, leaving the young animal in more trouble than it otherwise would have been.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking young critters need your help to survive. Instead, enjoy wildlife from afar and avoid approaching or touching wild animals. And remember – young wildlife are not pets. Keeping wildlife in captivity is illegal and harmful to the animal. Wild animals are not well-suited for life in captivity and they may carry diseases that can be transferred to humans. If you observe an animal that appears to be sick or behaving abnormally, contact your DEC regional wildlife office.

#AdventureAtHome

Adventure NY is going virtual! Follow the #AdventureAtHome campaign for weekly inspiration on how to enjoy the outdoors close to home.

Week 1: Fishing

Fishing is a sport that is easy to learn and can be enjoyed by people of all ages and physical abilities. It can be done nearly anywhere in New York, including urban environments. To dip your toes into this great outdoor activity, visit DEC's website. DEC offers plenty of resources for outdoor enthusiasts on how to get started.

Not ready to hit the water just yet? Check out these fun indoor fishing activities, including how to turn your bathtub into a fishing pond. Watch our YouTube playlist for how-tos in English and Spanish. Don’t forget your license!

Find your next adventure using DECinfo Locator - an interactive map featuring public fishing rights, parking areas, boat launches, wildlife management areas, and other information to help you plan your fishing trip – or on your mobile device using the NY Fishing, Hunting & Wildlife App.

Find out more about the #AdventureAtHome campaign on DEC’s website and check out DEC’s social media for inspiration on how to enjoy some of your favorite outdoor activities while you #RecreateLocal.