Crowded Trails? Visitor Caps and Parking Bans Could Be Coming to Adirondacks and Catskills

Crowded trails? Visitor caps and parking bans could be coming to Adirondacks and Catskills

Some of the most popular trails in the Adirondack High Peaks and Catskills could soon have daily hiker limits on their busiest days, according to new state-commissioned reports.

ADK Applauds NYS Use of Visitor Use Management Process, Urges Additional Data Collection

April 3, 2026 – Heart Lake Program Center – 1002 Adirondack Loj Rd – Lake Placid, NY: ADK applauds the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) initiating a Visitor Use Management (VUM) process in contracting DJ&A to study the social elements of trail use in the popular High Peaks Wilderness. This is a first step in a VUM plan for the area.

High Peaks study proposes hiker limits at most popular Adirondack trailheads

DEC releases long-awaited study of visitor use in the Adirondack High Peaks Wilderness; report proposes hiker limits