Public Meeting Aug. 6; Comments Accepted through Sept. 15
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton today announced the release of the Draft Visitor Use Management Plan for the Formerly Trailless Catskill High Peaks. The plan outlines sustainable management strategies to protect ecologically sensitive high-elevation peaks in the Forest Preserve that have historically been managed to be free of trails and other recreational facilities.
“While the Catskills have long provided a wild and scenic escape for hikers, an ongoing increase in use of herd paths and other informal trails is damaging sensitive ecosystems,” Commissioner Lefton said. “By proactively engaging in Visitor Use Management in highly visited locations, DEC is protecting natural resources while maximizing the public's experience in and appreciation of the Catskills. DEC encourages feedback on the draft plan to help continue balancing long-term conservation goals with safe and sustainable public access.”
A surge in user-created, informal trails is threatening fragile ecosystems and resulting in soil compaction, increased erosion, and damage to vegetation and wildlife habitat. Informal trails can also adversely impact the landscape through forest fragmentation and the introduction of invasive species into interior forest habitats. These types of unplanned trail networks in high-elevation areas are especially harmful to the breeding behavior and nesting success of migratory, ground-nesting mountain birds that rely on these peaks for critical habitat.
Since 2019, DEC has collected data to better understand the distribution of visitor-created, informal trails on 16 peaks over 3,500 feet that were historically managed as “trailless” areas. The draft Visitor Use Management Plan for the Formerly Trailless Catskill High Peaks shares findings from DEC’s research and provides recommendations to address the impacts of increased public use while protecting ecologically significant natural resources and providing a safer, more enjoyable hiking experience.
The draft VUM Plan helps identify desired conditions for visitor experiences, natural resource protection, facilities development, and recreational opportunities. It complements other ongoing efforts by New York State, local governments, and many other public and private partners committed to a thriving Catskill Forest Preserve with ongoing open space preservation, facility enhancements, and accessibility upgrades. DEC’s VUM Plan includes extensive public and stakeholder engagement, robust data gathering to determine existing resource conditions and patterns of recreational use, the development of management strategies, and continuous monitoring and adjustments to ensure desired conditions are achieved and maintained for current and future generations. The draft VUM Plan and additional background information is available on DEC’s website.
The draft plan helps fulfill a recommendation from the Catskill Strategic Planning Advisory Group to adopt the federal Interagency Visitor Use Management Framework (VUMF) as a core management tool throughout the Catskill Park to establish desired conditions, the associated user capacities of each area, and the management steps that are necessary to enhance visitor experiences while also protecting natural resources.
Upon final adoption of the Visitor Use Management Plan, DEC land managers will begin to address the fragmentation created by informal trails by using official trail markers to indicate a single, preferred route to the summit of each formerly trailless peak. Measures will also be taken to close and rehabilitate the remaining undesirable trails. Over time, the success of these actions will be monitored and if impacts continue, or if rehabilitation measures prove to be unsuccessful, new sustainable trails will be professionally designed and built to properly guide the public to each summit in a manner that allows the previously impacted areas to heal and provides a safer hiking experience for the public. DEC will update its website and work with partners to ensure the public is properly notified of changes as they occur.
Protected by the New York State constitution as “forever wild,” the Forest Preserve comprises state land within the Adirondack and Catskill parks which is managed by DEC and its partners in a manner that maximizes public appreciation of its wild setting while ensuring it remains welcoming and accessible. As public interest in outdoor recreation has increased nationwide, balancing public access with the ongoing protection of the Forest Preserve continues to be a high priority for DEC.
To learn more about monitoring efforts and to see previous reports documenting the adverse impacts of informal trails on the Catskill High Peaks, visit DEC’s website.
DEC will hold a virtual public meeting on Aug. 6, 2025, at 6 p.m. The public is encouraged to share their comments and provide input on the on the Draft VUM Plan during the virtual public information meeting. To participate, visit the meeting page for details.
The VUM plan is available for public comment through Monday, Sept. 15, by sending comments to [email protected] or by mail to Pine Roehrs, NYSDEC, 21 South Putt Corners Road, New Paltz, NY 12561. Comments will be accepted until Monday, Sept. 15.
Left: STRAVA heat map image of Rocky Mountain, an unmarked Formerly Trailless peak. Visitor-created, informal trails significantly fragmented the landscape.
Right: STRAVA heat map image of a high use marked trail in the Slide Mountain Wilderness. The marked trail consolidates foot traffic resulting in minimal landscape fragmentation.
