Route 73 parking closed
April 21 UPDATE: We’ve now got the full story posted here.
April 20: We’re pursuing a story right now about the pull-outs/parking areas along Route 73 being closed off between the Beer Walls parking and Roaring Brook Falls trailhead. Stay tuned for more information. — Melissa Hart
Is AMR running both the DEC and the DOT now? Was the rock climbing community even consulted? When was the public comment period?
All this does is to make the Adirondacks visitor unfriendly. You can drive thru but not stop. I travel all over the USA and nowhere are there more negative signs along the road than here. Over the years whenever something is to be done positively for the traveling public the local people in the area startscreaming “it’s a safety issue”. So the project gets stopped or the pull offs get blocked. That phrase has become the mantra to push the issue into the negative column in order to stop it. Usually for personal reasons having nothing to do with public safety. States out west encourages people to stop and enjoy the area. We here do everything we can to discourage people from stopping and enjoying the area except for designated area such as Lake Placid or Old Forage. I see this happening with the pull offs here and the one that was to be built on Harriettstown hill where the same mantra was effectively used much to the detriment of the traveling public.
I understand the no parking on the side of the road. It is a safety thing. I’m in the lake placid area every other week to climb and enjoy my time in the mountains. What is the plan if you can’t park on the road is there a place to park so u can get a ride the the mountain your going to climb or is it just go on by and look. I guess what I’m getting at is what is the answer to the problem. Of you can’t park near the mountain I want to climb when do I park and how do I get there. Other then that I don’t think it’s Keene or Keene valleys or lake placid intention to be rude its them trying to keep people safe
Saw these pull offs blocked the other day. Other than being temporarily closed to protect nesting peregrine falcons, I do not grasp the concept. What idiot came up with the idea to block these off? These pull offs should have been left open.
What is going on. New York spends millions on tourism advertising but yet they discourage visitors to enjoy the mountains and trails. Stop spending tourism dollars and invest in trails and parking. It seems their is local forces not wanting to share
Just another way to keep keep particular locals in a control and happy.. All I see it is a way to stop people from coming to the adks.A bunch of grumpy old people with a few bucks that get to make all decisions of the area.Honestly, start sending letters to your government leaders..I have traveled all over the country..you can park beside the road..take pics..enjoy state land, state parks, national parks and feel happy to spend your money there.. Really? This is just silly..I have said for years build some more parking areas, get more paid staff to maintain trails. Rally around the other 54 peaks besides the 46ers and start focusing on distributing information and improving/maintaining those areas to park in..I see it as the people in that area want to keep the mountains to themselves..Not realistic..somebody please go visit a national park see how they do it? Ugh such a mess people like me who have hiked for years in the adks..just .well…. The locals will get their wish. All I’ve ever heard is complaints about newbies and how they ruin what they have.
What about the business people in the area? How do they feel about this?
Has anyone factored the pandemic in this situation ? Understanding how things will change as time goes on? Or been excited for the newbies who all of a sudden want to get outside.and try to solve the new influx.? Has anyone ever thought of educating new hikers? Anything.??.Creative juices welcome..instead of ..’close r down’..’dang outsiders..its our mountains’.how dare they?. It’s not the parking they are controling really… it’s the amount of people who want to hike.think about it.
Btw good luck on controlling the control.
All of this is completely ridiculous. To begin with, many of these parking places only ever had room for 20 or 30 cars; parking on the shoulder was the only place you could find after 6:00 AM. But it ain’t 1970 anymore, and more people want to hike. And so, how hard is it to build a few more decent parking areas? (Without a million dollar study and a ten year plan!)
Other states figured this out years ago. For example, there is a lot of flat land on the north side of Route 73 at the beginning of the Roaring Brook trail. Get in a bulldozer, clear a few saplings, and put down some more gravel. Where is all our tax money going to, anyway?
I am a local by choice and I do not agree with what has happened. I believe something should be done to help regulate the foot traffic on trails, but it is not this. I think by putting up these barriers it will cause more harm and frustration than anything else.
Saplings you say…remember, anything over 3″ ABH (at breast height) is timber and you cannot cut timber on state land in the ADK park. I know, how ridiculous is that right? A 3″ ABH log…
Part of the lawsuit against snowmobile trails being cut to connect Newcomb to North Creek. The environmentalists sued and they won and the result is that now any tree over 3″ ABH is considered timber.
Be careful what you ask for.
they can be considered toothpick lumber…seriously though, they need to allow some improvements and adding some snowmobile trails and lord forbid ATV trails for more broad ranged used and access to those with limited abilities. My poor dad in a wheel chair from serving his country would love utv trail and get into the mountains like he did as a kid.
I would support a ban on 2 stroke snowmobiles for doubling of trails