Greetings to Our Canadian Friends
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation welcomes our Canadian friends who are celebrating the Victoria Day Holiday Weekend by visiting and recreating on the lands and waters of the Adirondack backcountry.
This information is provided to help you have a safe and enjoyable experience while you hike, camp, boat and paddle. Adirondack Backcountry Information provides more details.
FIRE DANGER: MODERATE, except in the High Peaks where it is Low
CAMPGROUNDS: All DEC campgrounds are open for the season.
SEASONAL ACCESS ROADS: Seasonal access roads used to access the backcountry can be rough, the use of 4-wheel drive pickup trucks, SUVs and other high clearance motor vehicles is recommended. Most seasonal access roads are open. Check the Adirondack Backcountry Information web pages using the link above for the few closed roads.
BOAT LAUNCHES: All DEC boat launches are open and docks are installed.
HIGH USAGE LEVELS: Trailhead parking lots and interior campsites will often fill to capacity in the Eastern High Peaks, Dix Mountain and Giant Mountain Wildernesses. Plan accordingly and seek backcountry recreation in other areas of the Adirondacks.
MUDDY TRAIL ADVISORY: Hikers are advised to avoid trails above 2,500 feet in the High Peaks Region to protect the trails and surrounding vegetation which are very vulnerable at this time of year. Hikers can cause severe erosion of trails and significant damage to vegetation. Steep, wet and muddy trails are also very slippery. Hikers are asked use low and mid-elevation trails at this time. More: DEC Alerts Hikers of Muddy Trail Conditions in The High Peaks
BITING INSECTS: Black Flies & Mosquitoes are present minimize the nuisance of biting insects by:
- Wearing light colored long sleeve shirts and long pants
- Tucking shirts into pants, buttoning or banding sleeves at the wrist, and tucking pant legs into socks.
- Pack a head net to wear when insects are thick.
- Use an insect repellant with DEET, follow label directions.
WATER CONDITIONS: Water levels are below average level for spring. Water temperatures are cool. Paddlers and boaters are encouraged to wear Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs, aka life jackets) at all times while on the water.
BEAR RESISTANT CANISTERS: The use of bear-resistant canisters by overnight users in the Eastern High Peaks Wilderness and is encouraged throughout the Adirondacks.
ROCK CLIMBING ROUTE CLOSURES: Due to nesting Peregrine Falcons the following routes are closed:
- Poke-O-Moonshine Mountain – All routes on the Main Face, except for the climbing routes between and including “Opposition” and “A Womb with a View”.
- Chapel Pond – All routes on Lower Washbowl Cliffs.
- Wilmington Notch – All routes on Moss Cliff and Labor Day Wall.
- Crane Mountain – All routes within the Amphitheater on the Black Arches Wall.
- Shelving Rock Mountain, Lake George – All routes on the Big Wall and Jackass Buttress.
Enjoy your visit to the Adirondacks!
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents statewide. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people from the backcountry.
