Adirondack Mud Season has gotten a bad name. Generally consisting of April and May, it’s the period when snow is melting in the High Peaks, there’s a fair amount of rain in the forecast, and plenty of mud on the trails. The visual image of getting covered in mud doesn’t sound appealing, but it’s really not that bad. People seem to want to avoid mud season in the Adirondacks, but it’s one of my favorite times.

1. There are no crowds. Seriously. You can walk in any restaurant or shop and get immediate service. Trails aren’t crowded. You basically have the whole Park to yourself.

2. Parking is easy breezy. You can find great parking spots along Main Street and at the most popular trailheads. Also, if you’re hiking in the Adirondack Mountain Reserve (AMR), you don’t need a parking permit until May 1 — no permits required in April. Woohoo!

3. Temperatures are very comfortable. With highs in the 50s, 60s and sometimes low 70s, it’s perfect hiking weather. And cool nights get down in the 30s and 40s, which is wonderful for a cozy marshmallow roast by the backyard campfire. It’s also not yet buggy.

4. Low elevation hiking is excellent. Although you shouldn’t be hiking in the High Peaks — avoid trails over 2,500 feet elevation — there’s still plenty of wonderful hiking during mud season. A favorite hike that’s perfect for springtime is the 11-mile roundtrip hike to Indian Head. This is in the AMR, but if you hike in April you won’t need to reserve a parking pass and it shouldn’t be crowded. Park at the bottom of the hill near Rt. 73 and hike up the road to the Ausable Club gate. From there, take the Gill Brook Trail with its pretty waterfalls and pools, to Fish Hawk Cliffs and then to Indian Head.  The view of the Ausable Lakes and surrounding mountains from this rock outcropping is one of the most beautiful in the Adirondacks, but gets crazy busy is peak summer season. For more hiking ideas, check out these posts for great spring hikes: 5 Pond Walks and 5 Great Hikes with Elevation Gain Less Than 1,000 Feet.

5. Waterfalls and wildflowers. Obviously, spring is a time to catch waterfalls at their peak flow. Check out this list of favorite waterfalls around the ADK, or go straight down the road to High Falls Gorge. You’ll also see lots of early wildflowers popping up in the woods in late April and May.

6. Ice Out. After a frozen winter, we watch closely for ice out on lakes and ponds in the Adirondacks. It’s usually sometime in April, but can vary from year to year. Ice out means it’s time for paddling! Be careful because the water is still super cold, but it’s a great time to grab a canoe and paddle. Check out this post for some of our favorite paddle routes. The Raquette River between Stoney Creek, Axton Landing, the Crusher and down to Moody Landing is especially fun in springtime when the river is full and flowing fast.