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Avalanche Pass Reopens in the High Peaks After Storm Damage Repairs

The Department of Environmental Conservation has reopened Avalanche Pass in the High Peaks Wilderness Area, more than a year after rock and mud slides from Mount Colden tore across the trail in July 2025. Crews spent the past several months stabilizing the trail surface, installing drainage, and rebuilding stone steps and bridges to get the route back open for hikers.

Avalanche Pass connects Marcy Dam to Lake Colden along a narrow two mile ravine, including the wooden platforms known as Hitch Up Matildas that hug the rock face along Avalanche Lake. The trail is one of the most popular routes in the High Peaks for hiking, skiing, and snowshoeing, so its closure was felt widely across the region.

DEC Region 5 Director Joe Zalewski credited staff, contractors, and volunteers from the Student Conservation Association, Adirondack Mountain Club, and Adirondack 46ers for getting the pass open ahead of schedule. Repair and rerouting work is expected to continue through 2027, so hikers heading out this fall should expect to see crews and equipment along the trail.

For visitors planning a High Peaks trip, this reopening restores access to one of the classic Adirondack routes just as fall hiking season picks up. DEC asks trail users to be mindful of ongoing work and to check current conditions before heading out.

Anyone planning a hike should check DEC's backcountry information page for the latest closures and safety notices before setting out.