Problems with Adirondack Trail Directions

tgoodwin · November 18, 2023, 10:31pm

I have worked on this problem before, but there are still major problems with Google Map directions to popular hikes in the Adirondacks. The Adirondack “Park” is actually a nearly 50/50 mix of public and private land. Many popular trails start on private land, and private roads often run closer to the destination than the public trailhead. So, Google Maps sends users up private roads where they end up parking in people’s driveways. This is not good.

There is also an approach to many popular hikes where the public is allowed to legally walk the road, but not drive it. All Google Maps says is that this road is “partially restricted”, but without specifying what the restriction might be. And I am quite sure that even this “partial restriction” designation only came about because I took it upon myself to write so may negative reviews of these destinations that someone at Google finally noticed. My one-star reviews immediately said the poor rating was only for the poor directions and did not downrate the actual destination. When nothing more happened than the “partial restriction” designation, I tried a profanity-laced review and asked readers to report my review.

So, how can we have a conversation about the realities of Adirondack trail access so that landowners don’t become angered and cut off any more access than has already been lost due to hiker trespass - trespass often based on Google Map directions?

Flash · November 19, 2023, 1:02am

Hello @tgoodwin ,

To determine what might be appropriately changed, we would need a link to the directions with which you are having issues.

tgoodwin · November 20, 2023, 2:58pm

As requested, here are four examples of the erroneous Google Map descriptions:

Indian Head

Indian Head description

Problem: The description should clearly state that the “restriction” is that the public may not drive the final three miles and should park at the “Indian Head Trailhead”. Also, my comment references the requirement for a reservation May-October, but that should be in the “Overview” as well.

Porter Mt. Description

Porter Mt. description

Problem: The final two miles of this road is private with no access for the public by vehicle or foot.

Big Slide Mt. description

Problem: This description uses the “Porter Mt. Trail”. That route was never more than a jeep road and was abandoned over 50 years ago. Once on Nimrod Trail, one is back on private property owned by an individual who would waste no time having anyone there arrested and prosecuted for trespassing.

Otis Ledge description

Problem: Gulf Brook Road is only drivable seasonally. Where it becomes “Adirondack Park Road”, it has been closed to all motor vehicles, and there is not even a trail for the final two miles to the destination - at least not from this approach. The trail that does reach Otis Ledge is private.

The above are just four of many totally inaccurate descriptions for Adirondack destinations on Google Maps. In general, Google Maps is very accurate when it comes to reaching destinations on named streets. However, Google should stop trying to provide descriptions for every geographic location that is named on U.S. Geological Survey maps.

As you can probably determine from my above comments, i am a local resident. For the past 40 years I have also been the editor of five editions of “High Peaks Trails”, the Adirondack Mt. Club’s guide to the local hiking trails. Additionally, for 35 years I was the director of the Adirondack Trail Improvement society, the organization that maintains many of the trails included in Google Map descriptions.

I hope this communication will convince you to make at least the above-mentioned corrections. I am also willing to help with other corrections should you choose to make them.

Tony Goodwin

tgoodwin12942