Intense Rockslides Force Several Adirondack Trails To Close

Heavy Rains Hit New York State

The East Coast has been getting slammed with heavy rains and incredibly hot weather over the last few weeks.

Storms blew into the region earlier this week and caused dangerous flooding. The storm flooded parts of the Taconic, Sprain Brook and Bronx River Parkway.

Trees feel on cars on I-684 and a woman needed to be rescued from her car that was stuck in floodwaters.

Rockslides Force Several Adirondack Trails to Close

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is alerting the public to trail closures in the Adirondack's due to mud and rockslides.

Rockslides happen when "blocks of rock detach from a steep slope and tumble down, often along a pre-existing fracture or bedding plate." Usually, these slides happen due to gravity but there are a handful of factors that could cause them to happen.

British Geological Survey website states that heavy rainfall leading to saturation of the ground, erosion of the base of a slope and the changes to the material’s strength through weathering are all factors that contribute to rockslides.

On July 14th, 2025 the DEC took to social media to  share that an Avalanche Pass in the Adirondacks was impassable due to multiple mud/rock slides.

According to an updated post from the DEC, the following are the trails that have been affected by the rockslides: " the passage south to Lake Colden area from the Adirondak Loj, and loop routes over Algonquin Peak, Mount Colden, and Mount Marcy back to the Adirondak Loj through Avalanche Pass."

The DEC adds on social media, that they will "provide updates once the trails are reopened."

Seek Alternative Adirondack Routes After Rockslide at Avalanche Pass

In the update Facebook post, the DEC also adds:

An alternate route through Lake Arnold is possible but hikers are advised conditions are extremely wet and muddy

Additionally, there was another slide on the southeast side of Mount Colden " into Feldspar/Lake Arnold trail in Keene, Essex County, resulted in trail blockage."

The DEC writes:

Hikers are encouraged to take extreme caution if seeking alternate routes or navigating debris. DEC staff are checking other trails in the High Peaks for storm damage or slide impacts that could potentially require trail closures or cleanup work that could impact usage.

Follow the DEC on social media to keep up to date with rockslide information and trail closure details.

In the meantime, check out some of these other great trails to hike across New York State: