The Garden in Keene Valley to be closed for the season

KEENE VALLEY | A popular High Peaks trailhead known as The Garden will be closed this spring and summer while the Town of Keene replaces a failing bridge over Johns Brook. In announcing the closure, the town said it will add to shuttle bus runs that take hikers from Marcy Field on Route 73 west of the town to The Garden trailhead. Under the plan, the shuttles would run seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., although the town acknowledged it may have trouble finding drivers to run the routes. The shuttle fee is $10 U.S. or $13 Canadian. On social media, several hikers, while acknowledging the need for the project, noted that the typical hikes emanating from The Garden are long, and require earlier starts, particularly in the summer heat. For many it's the trailhead of choice for accessing the Adirondacks Great Range. A detour will allow people with homes above the bridge, along with the shuttle, to bypass the bridge, but the public will be prohibited from taking it. In a release, Keene officials said, "The town is working closely with the DEC and Adirondack Mountain Club to help inform hikers and provide them with access in spite of the temporary closure. The town recognizes that this is a major disruption during the nicest hiking weather, but the bridge replacement is critical. The current bridge is in such poor shape that the town can't run plow trucks over it safely." The town asked for cooperation: "Please respect the closure and don't park or walk on private property to gain hiking access," officials said in the release. "Illegally parked cars will be towed. Town employees and DEC rangers will monitor the lot during the week." According to the Adirondack Almanac, The Garden is so named because of an actual vegetable garden that served as a landmark to hikers many years ago. The parking lot is not particularly large, and it is routinely jam-packed to the point that, as Yogi Berra said, it's so crowded that no one goes there anymore. A virtual cottage industry has emerged among hikers to predict when spaces might be available. That hiker traffic has spilled onto private land and caused private landowners to complain of trespassing with cars left in driveways or no-parking zones.

Signup for our newsletter

The Garden in Keene Valley to be closed for the season

COMPANY

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

SUBMISSION FORMS

BEYOND THE NEWS