Hiker Shuttle Service to Adirondack High Peaks Starts Saturday
Since the pandemic, it seems more and more people are hiking the Adirondacks. There are cars parked on the sides of roads and a ton of foot traffic. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has teamed up with Essex County, and the Town of Keene to run a new shuttle system that will take hikers to the base of the Adirondack High Peaks.
The new shuttle system will run through the Route 73 corridor which is the roadway that gets you to the High Peaks. This roadway is very congested and busy. The shuttles will run on weekends and holidays and will start this Saturday, August 21st. The shuttle will continue running until Monday, October 11th according to News 10 ABC. The hours of operation will be 7 am until 7 pm on all weekends and holidays. The final shuttle will leave from Marcy Field at 6 pm.
The new public transit will hold twenty passengers per shuttle and will drop off hikers in the most popular areas. There will be stops at Rooster Comb, Giant Mountain Ridge Trail, and Roaring Brook Falls trailheads.
The DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said of the new shuttles:
Ensuring public safety and enhancing access to the world-class opportunities in the Adirondack Park is a top priority, and this new pilot shuttle system is a critical next step in our comprehensive efforts to promote sustainable tourism in the region.
There is an increase in the amount of dangerous roadside stopping and parking in these areas and very hazardous to the hikers that go onto the trails.
You aren't allowed to bring your furry friend on the shuttle unless it is a permit-certified animal. The new shuttle service is being funded by the Environmental Protection Fund. This shuttle would add to the one that exists from the Garden Trailhead and the Marcy Field Parking Area.