By Mike Lynch
Adirondack Loj Road, a gateway for hikers to the High Peaks, may be in line for some major infrastructure upgrades in the next few years.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation is looking at building a new parking lot at the corner of South Meadows Road and Adirondack Loj Road.
“I think that would be really helpful with all the problems they have out there,” said North Elba Supervisor Jay Rand said.
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The potential upgrades came to light after they were mentioned in a proposed 20-year cooperative agreement that outlines future maintenance and infrastructure objectives between the DEC and Town of North Elba for South Meadow Road, Adirondack Loj Road, and Old Mountain Road. The contract, which was provided to the Explorer by the Town of North Elba, was authorized by its town board last week. The contract still needs to be finalized.
The idea to create a parking lot at the corner of this road is not new. The concept dates back to at least 1992, when the High Peaks Citizen’s Advisory Committee recommended a lot in this area. The 1999 High Peaks Wilderness unit management plan later called for a 100-vehicle parking lot on state land, but no action was ever taken.
But the influx of hikers in recent years has made the need for parking even greater than it was 20 years ago.
South Meadow Road is located a few miles from Adirondack Mountain Club’s property, which at the end of Adirondack Loj Road and is home several trailheads including the popular Van Hoevenberg Trail that leads to Mount Marcy, Algonquin Peak and other popular destinations in the High Peaks. During busy hiking days, ADK’s parking lots fill up before breakfast and vehicles line Adirondack Loj and South Meadows roads all day.
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“Being a hiker myself I’ve been out on South Meadows Road where cars are parked all over it, and it’s very unruly,” said Rand, noting it could be difficult to get an emergency vehicle down the road during those times.
Rand said he anticipated the lot being able to hold at least 100 vehicles.
The contract says that if the DEC does build the parking lot, it would then close much of South Meadow Road to vehicle traffic.
Rand said hikers who use the South Meadows parking lot could then walk down the road to the truck trail and hike to Marcy Dam and other destinations from there.
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The contract says if DEC doesn’t build a new parking lot at the corner of South Meadow and Adirondack Loj Road, it would come up with a parking alternative with North Elba.
DEC declined to elaborate on the contract or proposal.
“Once the agreement is finalized and executed, specific project details, including the timelines for construction, will be developed,” DEC spokesman Kevin Frazier said in an email.
He said funding would be addressed once the agreement is executed and project costs are calculated.
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Rand agreed that no timeline has been determined but said he’d like to see the project happen in the next couple of years.
In addition to coming up with parking solutions, the contact says DEC would pay North Elba up to $1.25 million to pave the last two miles of Adirondack Loj Road by no later than 2024. It also states the DEC would pay the town up to $12,000 annually for winter road maintenance on the road and a new parking lot. The contract does say the work is subject to the availability of funds.
ADK spokesman Ben Brosseau, whose organization borders much of the proposed work, said his organization wasn’t part of negotiations and couldn’t offer much comment about the plan until more specifics were known.
“We’re looking forward to hearing more details now that it’s on our radar,” he said. “There’s a framework there but a lot of details that are not clear at this point.”
Old Mountain Road
The contract also addresses infrastructure and maintenance on Old Mountain Road, a popular section of the Jackrabbit ski trail.
It says the DEC will construct a new parking area near the intersection of Old Mountain Road and Route 73, a project that is already laid out in the Sentinel Mountain Range Wilderness and Saranac Lake Wild Forest unit management plans. Those plans call for a parking area of 11 vehicles.
The contract also takes steps to continue preventing the use of motorized vehicles on Old Mountain Road, with the DEC proposing to build a gate or barrier to limit use to skiers and non-motorized users.
The parking area plans for Old Mountain Road and Adirondack Loj Road are among numerous ones planned in the High Peaks Region in recent years to accommodate the influx of visitors at busy trailheads. A 2018 amendment to the High Peaks unit management plan calls for the creation of two new two parking lots near Giant Mountain’s Ridge Trail near Chapel Pond and the expansion of the nearby Round Trail parking area. It also plans to close lots on Route 73 near Cascade Mountain once the trail there is rerouted to begin at the Mount Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex. DEC also has plans to build a 15-vehicle lot near the Ampersand Mountain trailhead on Route 3 near Tupper Lake. None of these plans have been implemented yet.
What happened to assessing trail capacity? Until you know what the carrying capacity of the trail system is, should you be encouraging more parking? Don’t put the cart before the horse.
And will cars still line the roads after THIS lot is filled?? Most certainly – especially toward the Loj. If DEC cannot control the current illegal parking situation, this will not solve it.
Because there’s no such thing as “trail carrying capacity” in the ADK. The entire concept is a myth pushed by the pro-permits groups who fancy themselves land use policy makers in the area. The constant variability from one section of the trail to the next renders quantifiable capacity impossible, even though some groups have tried establishing arbitrary numbers to no avail thanks to actual science. FWIW if you read through the DEC’s UMPs going back for the past 40 years or so, they’ve never been able to establish an accurate usage monitoring system, and have stated that counting cars is not an accurate gauge for usage.
Piggybacking this, numerous studies have come out over the last few years explaining the benefit of clustering vs. disbursement. If you’re a proponent of environmental conservation, you want to see clustering at high-use trail heads, not disbursement through out the region.
Getting back to the original point, what difference does it make if cars line the road from S. Meadows towards the Loj? Its private property at that point and the ADK (club) gets to make that call. Its not up to John Q. Public or the DEC to tell them that too many cars are parked along their own driveway.
Well stated my friend. A little logic, reason and commonsense need to be a value that makes a return to NYS.
Shuttles. I was just commenting about shuttles! Obviously the Loj would be on a shuttle route – could be a terminus.
Further, I don’t understand what stops anyone from expanding on or formalizing the space in Marcy field. It’s already leveled! Build a visitors Center & the whole 9 yards. As for parking closer to the Loj – yes sure someone should just build a big garage in Lake Placid in that lot next to the Olympic buildings.
I know the exact intersection next to the Loj referred to here, and you’re definitely going to have to down some big trees. I’m not even sure I’d disagree with a suit against it.
Infrastructure is absolutely needed – but this seems like a giveaway without any innovation. If the state couldn’t get this done since 1992, what makes us think it’s really gonna happen this time?
BUILDING ANOTHER LOT DOES NOT ADDRESS OVER USE. PEOPLE WILL STILL PARK ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD UNTIL ILLEGAL PARKING IS STRICTLY ENFORCED. NOT ONLY TICKET THEM ALSO START TOWING SOME AWAY SO THE MESSAGE GETS ACROSS
Using science and proven ecological/environmental affect, define “overuse.”
You can not restrict people from accessing state land, particularly those who are long time or lifetime NYS residents. I believe it is a very slippery slope and complex issue. 42 years ago there was nearly nothing at the the end of the Adirondack Loj Rd. Now it’s a retail outdoor gear & gift shop, museum, restaurant, campsite with cabins, lean-tos, canvas tents and yurts. I do ask myself did the ADK Mountain Club over develop this once simple trailhead to our beloved High Peaks? Perhaps some of the above mentioned amenities belong more in a location like the Cascade Welcome Center. I realize much outdoor education takes place on the property and certainly we can all hope it benefits the environment. However humans are a complex creature and learn and different levels and some may not learn at all based on what i see on the trails today verse’s the 80’s. It’s a complex issue and we all have our opinions and may that not divide us as we all share a love for the Adirondacks. Use good common-sense when parking to access trailheads and be considerate of others around you. Learn and follow the Outdoor Code.
ADKBCSkier,
Do your research – t was the Loj that complained loudest about the parking along the road. Emergency vehicles were impeded by illegally parked cars, creating safety issues obvious to anyone. They are kinda sensitive to lodges burning down.
Do your research – the DEC is indeed tasked with establishing carrying capacity on trails, whether you believe in the concept or not. That is the science you are requesting. It has yet to be done because DEC is kicking the can down the road. But I agree, until it is established for each trail system, “overuse” cannot be defined.
I totally agree with the worries of parking along the side of ADK Loj road, its one of the most dangerous roads I’ve ever seen in my life. I’ve seen cars barrelling through at 20 MPH or more.
totally agree. We have to invest in teleporting research. Cars are so last century. People too. Don’t want any people hiking at all. maybe we can have a virtual reality adk experience. Sit at home, hike in your brain and eat ice cream on the couch.