The Garden Trailhead is one of the most popular trailheads providing access to the Eastern High Peaks Region of the Adirondack Wilderness in upstate New York. It is located in the town of Keene Valley.
Parking
There are just over 30 spots at the Garden. As this trailhead provides access to many of the most popular hikes in all of the Adirondacks, it is incredibly common for this small parking lot to fill up fast, sometimes as early as 5 a.m. depending on the season. When planning to hike from the Garden in the morning, it is imperative to arrive early. Sleeping in the car or camping at the trailhead is not allowed. If the hike being planned does not require an extremely early start, it is possible to acquire a spot in the late morning or early afternoon after some of the early morning hikers are completing their hikes for the day and will create new, empty spots.
Fees
There is a fee to park at the Garden, which is $7 per night.
Bathrooms
There are two portapotties at the trailhead.
Overflow Parking
Overflow parking for the Garden is limited. Parking on the street nearby the trailhead is not allowed, as the roads are residential. The closest other parking lot is the Rooster Comb Parking lot, but it is still miles away. Parking is also available at Marcy Field with a seasonal shuttle that can take hikers to the Garden.
Depending on the intended destination in the High Peaks Wilderness, hikers can often approach from alternate trailheads such as the Loj at Heart Lake, or the AMR at St. Huberts, however, this lot requires a reservation during the busy hiking season or to take a shuttle to the trailhead to begin a hike there. The somewhat recent implementation of required reservations for the AMR has caused increased competition for parking spots at the Garden.
Popular Routes and Hiking Destinations
The range of destinations that can be reached from the Garden is vast, including many of the 46 high peaks required to become an Adirondack 46er. It is the undisputed starting point to hike Big Slide, with options to ascend via The Brothers Trail, or taking the Phelps Trail to the Big Slide Trail.
The Garden is a common gateway for backpacking, with campsites along the Phelps Trail, which leads hikers to the ever-popular John's Brook Lodge, a major camping hub with an NYSDEC Interior Outpost located nearby.
Many will use this area, or one of the various campsites or lean-tos nearby as a launching pad to hike a number of peaks that comprise The Great Range, in particular the Lower Great Range. Lower Wolfjaw, Upper Wolfjaw, Armstrong, and Gothics, Pyramid and Sawteeth are closely accessible, with Saddleback, Basin, Haystack, Marcy, Skylight, and Gray being a bit further out into the wilderness.
