What is "Mud Season?

Mud Season is New England’s unofficial fifth season: the messy, muddy weeks of melting snow and wet ground between late March and May. During this time, trails are highly vulnerable to erosion, soil damage, and the footsteps of hikers on the muddy ground.

​

How to protect the trails this mud season

To protect fragile soil and surrounding vegetation, give trails time to dry out. Land managers may close certain trails during this time. Please respect any trail closure signs you see.

 

Even if a trail is open, please follow these guidelines to prevent damage to our trails:

 

• If you see large areas of standing water on the trail, or it is so muddy that you must walk on vegetation next to the trail to keep your feet dry, turn back and seek another trail.

• Look for trails on south-facing hillsides at low elevations; stay below 3,000 feet.

• If a parking lot is very crowded, or many people are gathered at that location, please find an alternative area to recreate. 

• When in doubt, don’t go out!

​

Want to help take care of our trails? Check out our volunteer opportunities.

​

Check back for trail conditions and closures

Future trail closures will be posted here as needed. Thank you for helping protect our beloved trails—we’ll see you in May​