The famed and popular Adirondack Mountain Reserve (AMR), in conjunction with the NYSDEC and the Town of Keene, will require parking reservations at its 70 car lot starting this year in a pilot permit program. Hikers will now be required to have reservations from May 1st to October 31st and cannot access the reserve’s trail system without one. Hikers, whether parking a vehicle, getting dropped off, or arriving on a bicycle, will need to make one of the reservations. The car capacity will be limited to six people. No walking-in will be permitted. According to the organization, the move is to reduce the dangerous parking conditions along route 73 and reduce crowding. Some overnight parking will be allowed. There is no fee for the reservation.
According to NYSDEC Commissioner Basil Seggos, “With the increasing number of visitors to trailheads accessed through AMR, exacerbated in 2020 by New Yorkers looking for a nature break as a respite from COVID-19, DEC and AMR are working together to promote sustainable recreation and protect public safety. To address concerns at this particular location, we are excited to announce this unique pilot reservation system, which will help protect visitors and our natural resources, while also ensuring equitable access and educating visitors about sustainable use”.
The hiking trails that cross the 9000 acres AMR provide the most direct route to peaks such as Noonmark, Bear Den, Dial, Colvin, Blake, Sawteeth, Nippletop, the incredible view of the Lower Ausable Lake from Indian Head. Also impacted is the route to stunning Rainbow Falls.
According to the AMR, with reservations, “the parking lot hours of operation from May 1st to October 31 are 5:00 AM to 7:00 PM, 7 days a week. Access into or out of the parking lot is restricted to the hours between 5:00 AM and 7:00 PM. No access into or out of the parking lot will be granted prior to 5:00 AM or after 7:00 PM”.
You can start reserving April 15th
A website has been established for reservations which will be accepted starting on April 15th. The website is now live at hikeamr.org, and you can register but not reserve until the 15th.
Map of the Adirondack Mountain Reserve
Click the map or here for a print/downloadable version of the map.
Featured image: Ausable Valley – Sawteeth – Pyramid – Gothics, seen from Hurricane Mountain
Mwanner at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Backwoods wanderer with a passion for backpacking, hiking, kayaking, and exploring the wilds of the Catskills and Adirondacks in New York. A Catskill 3500 Club Member and Adirondack Forty-Sixer. Climbed Mount Rainier. Professionally an Exercise Physiologist.
