More than 15,000 hikers signed up to use the new Adirondack Mountain Reserve pilot parking reservation system over the summer, AMR and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation recently announced, according to an article from North Country Public Radio.

The online reservation system, HikeAMR, was launched in the spring to mitigate safety issues and traffic problems on a stretch of state Route 73 near the entrance to the AMR lot that has several popular High Peaks Wilderness trailheads.

Previously, when the parking lot was full, there was no way for hikers to know it was full before they arrived. Upon arrival, some hikers would park illegally along the roadside and walk along the road to their trailhead.

Tested in the AMR parking lot this year, the pilot program gives High Peaks visitors the chance to register for a parking spot in advance.

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