High Peaks Information Center — Attraction in Town of North Elba

I was really looking forward to this hike, but several issues made the experience frustrating:

Bear Canister Issue: Staff pushed a rental bear canister on me, claiming my own wasn’t legal—even though it fully met DEC requirements. I was pressured into renting a 3lb bulky, unnecessary canister, and the staff came across as inflexible and condescending.

Trail Maintenance: The wooden planks along the trail are mostly in poor condition—loose, rotted, or uneven. Instead of helping, they actually increased the risk of slipping or falling. They either need serious repairs or should be removed altogether.

Fees & Overall Value: With fees for parking, overpriced food, rental gear, and constant donation requests, it felt more like a money grab than a thoughtfully managed park.

It’s a beautiful area, but the experience didn’t match the cost or the reputation. Better maintenance, honest communication, and more respectful treatment of visitors would...

Helpful and friendly staff here help to make any adventure in the High Peaks smooth and enjoyable. In the winter, you can rent snowshoes at about $15 a pair if you don’t have your own. There’s also a 24 hour heated, clean bathroom outside of the info center if you need a place to warm up or relieve yourself when the center is closed. The gift shop also has a selection of trail snacks, memorabilia, and useful gear (including snowshoes, finger warmers, etc.) for purchase. I recommend stopping by for suggestions and to support the AMC’s great work. Pro tip, weekend parking is discounted to $7 after 1pm. Otherwise,...

The gateway to your own wilderness and probably one of the best places on earth in its own right.

The stewards, park rangers and staffs at the info center are absolutely knowledgable and very helpful. You can get snacks, food, souvenir, outdoor gears, pay for parking and maps (which are well marked) at the info center. Also, you can rent bear canister(don’t worry they’ll demo if you have never used one) and always ask for trail and weather info when they are open.

The restrooms are open 24/7 through the outside which is so convenient for the bag packers and the hikers. Overall, I would rate this 10/5...