Because of damage caused by flooding, the roads in the Moose River Plains will not be open for Memorial Day weekend, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
DEC spokesman David Winchell said work crews have not yet repaired washouts created by snowmelt and spring rains. He expects the roads will be fixed sometime in June. “The intent is to have the open as soon as we can,” he said.
Last year, DEC touched off a controversy when it proposed to keep the Moose River Plains roads closed all year to save money. DEC relented after local governments agreed to help repair and maintain the roads. Winchell said the local governments–Hamilton County and the towns of Inlet and Indian Lake–will pitch in again this year.
Several other Forest Preserve also will not open in time for the holiday weekend. Following is DEC’s list of closed roads and roads that have been recently opened.
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NOTE: Since I originally uploaded this post, I have been told by DEC that the Powley-Piseco Road is open. This road runs through the Ferris Lake Wild Forest in the southern Adirondacks.
CLOSED FACILITIES
Clinton County
- Ausable Point Campground and Day Use Area and access road
Essex County
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- Mountain bikers should avoid using the Flume Bike Trail System in Wilmington to prevent damaging it
Hamilton County
- Moose River Plains Road System, gates are closed at Limekiln Lake and Cedar River Flow
- Cedar River Road is also closed near its terminus, preventing motorized access to the campsites near Wakely Dam and the Cedar River Headquarters
- Old Military Road and Jessup River Road, preventing motor vehicle access to the Pillsbury Mountain and Spruce Lake trailheads
Herkimer County
- Haskell-West River Road along the West Canada Creek from Route 8 into the Black River Wild Forest
Warren County
- Old Farm Road near Thirteenth Lake, preventing motor vehicle access to the trailhead – park at the snowplow turnaround
- Lily Pond Road near Brant Lake
- Jabe Pond Road near Hague
- Gay Pond Road in the Hudson River Recreation Area.
Washington County
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- Dacy Clearing Road
RECENTLY OPENED FACILITIES
- All DEC Campgrounds and Day Use Areas except Ausable Point
Essex County
- Moose Pond Road in Town of St. Armand
- Elk Lake Road in the Town of North Hudson
- Connery Pond Road between Lake Placid and Wilmington
Franklin County
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- Upper and Lower Locks on the Saranac Lakes Chain
- Corey’s Road which accesses the western High Peaks from State Route 3
- Madwaska Flow Road on the Santa Clara Tract Conservation Easement Lands
- Pinnacle Road on the Santa Clara Tract Conservation Easement Lands
Hamilton County
- Perkins Clearing Road north of Speculator
- Lake Lila Road in the William C. Whitney Wilderness, the road is still rough in some areas – use caution
Herkimer County
- Wolf Lake Landing Road in the hamlet of McKeever is only open to high clearance vehicles
Warren County
- Lake George (Million Dollar) Beach
- Prospect Mountain Veterans Memorial Toll Road in Lake George
- River Road in the Hudson River Recreation Area, however it is muddy and rutted
- Two designated campsites at Scofield Flats and two designated campsites at Pikes Beach in the Hudson River Recreation Area are currently restricted to day use only.
Washington County
- Shelving Rock Road
- Dacy Clearing Parking Lot
in 2010, DEC did not “relent.” They said “Thank you, suckers, for falling into our power play, and agreeing to pay more (apparently permanently) for facilities you already pay for.” Did your state taxes go down when the towns agreed to share this?
What about Piseco-Powley Road, the gated the section — the other truly great truck trail at almost 20 miles? How could they leave that off the press release?
I am not surprised Moose River Plains is still shut due to the abnormally wet weather. It’s been an awful spring, and truck trails are very wet all over. The Indian Lake entrance, from the reports sounds like it’s a mess and needs
I took these pictures on Moose Club Way at Vanderwhacker Wild Forest on last Saturday. This road is passable with a 4×4 truck, but it was very sloppy and slippery in places, and the mud was deep.
http://andyarthur.org/photos/vanderwhacker/may-21-2011/
Northwoods Club Road was posted closed at the State Forest line as of last week, so don’t plan to drive there to get to the Hudson River Gorge trail. I did not drive or walk down there past the sign, so I don’t know if the road was washed out or just very muddy.
What about Piseco-Powley Road, the gated the section — the other truly great truck trail at almost 20 miles? How could they leave that off the press release?
I am not surprised Moose River Plains is still shut due to the abnormally wet weather. It’s been an awful spring, and truck trails are very wet all over.
The Indian Lake entrance, from the reports I’ve sounds like it’s a mess and needs a lot of work from washouts, at Wakely Pond, and probably those slopes coming in from Inlet, probably are eroded, and would become quickly washboarded and rutted from the rain, if opened now. Hopefully soon though, as it’s a real disappointment for people wanting to get out this weekend.
I took these pictures on Moose Club Way at Vanderwhacker Wild Forest on last Saturday. This road is passable with a 4×4 truck, but it was very sloppy and slippery in places, and the mud was deep.
http://andyarthur.org/photos/vanderwhacker/may-21-2011/
Northwoods Club Road was posted closed at the State Forest line as of last week, so don’t plan to drive there to get to the Hudson River Gorge trail. I did not drive or walk down there past the sign, so I don’t know if the road was washed out or just very muddy.
I added a note in the post. The Powley-Piseco Road is open, DEC tells me.
DEC now says some roads in the Moose River Plains will be open for Memorial Day weekend. You can read the full text of the agency’s news release in a more recent post.
Interesting how the DEC is listing the opening and closing of a bunch of roads they have no jurisdiction over. Hopefully their intent was simply to inform this time.
Is the Moose River Plains Preserve rd. at cedar river flow open yet?