By MIKE LYNCH
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is advising people against camping above 4,000 feet in the High Peaks, after a number of instances recently became public on social media.
It’s banned above 4,000 feet in the Adirondacks. People camping between 3,500 and 4,000 feet need to be in designated campsites.
Forest ranger Lt. Chris Kostoss told the Adirondack Explorer that the DEC is currently looking into a case of a person camping in the high elevations on Gothics, a 4,734-foot-tall mountain in Keene. The incident came to light after a post on Instagram.
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Kostoss said in some cases the campers aren’t even aware of the regulations. “In most cases people need education, so they better understand the rules,” he said.
He said people can be fined up to $250 for the violation.
The regulations are in place to protect the alpine zone’s thin soils from eroding and vegetation from getting trampled. “It’s basically to protect the environment,” he said.
Kostoss said he doesn’t believe there has been an increase in violations recently. The issue is drawing attention because people are posting the images of their camping trips on social media.
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So, the entire state of nebraska is okay?
Couldn’t DEC install signs on all trails AT THE 4000′ MARK stating “No camping BEYOND THIS POINT May – December 15”?? Otherwise, people can simply say “I didn’t know I was above 4000 feet”. (If someone is found camping in a col under 4000′ they would be OK.) At least proper signage would eliminate the “ignorance” defense. But without enough Rangers to patrol effectively, regulations are meaningless.
This is all bullshit….there used to be magnificant leanto’s at little marcy, haystack, Indian falls on the gothics trail until the year the pigs left a couple of tons of litter for volunteers to pack out from Indian falls…..welcome to socialism now we are all punished because the dec will not enforce the carry it out rule…..ask yourself what really changes in the dainty alpine environment after dec 14 to render it ok to camp higher then….???
Just tell the truth…don’t wrap everything in the environment because it diminishes the justification….
Just tell us the truth
“…ask yourself what really changes in the dainty alpine environment after dec 14 to render it ok to camp higher then….???”
Several feet of snow and ice, not to mention fewer potential campers.