‘Sick’ Moose Shuts Down Adirondack Path for Over a Month

An unsettling mystery is unfolding deep in New York’s wilderness — and it’s got hikers on edge.

A popular trail in the Adirondack Mountains has been shut down for more than five weeks after a lone bull moose began behaving in ways wildlife officials are calling “highly unusual,” raising fears of disease and potential danger to the public.

The closure affects the Goodman Mountain Trail in the Horseshoe Lake Wild Forest — a normally serene destination now turned into a no-go zone.

“This isn’t normal animal behavior,” a spokesperson for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) told our team Friday. “This moose isn’t moving along like most do. It’s staying put, watching hikers, and acting… off.”

DEC officials say the 1,000-pound moose has loitered near the trail since early June, showing a disturbing resistance to being scared off by humans or noise deterrents.

“We’re dealing with a wild animal that’s clearly not acting like itself,” the agency said in a statement. “There may be an underlying illness, possibly neurological.”

Some wildlife experts have quietly raised concerns about diseases like chronic wasting disease — a fatal brain disorder known to affect deer and moose populations — though DEC has not confirmed any diagnosis.

“We’ve had staff get within a few feet of the moose,” said one DEC ranger, who asked not to be named. “It’s letting people get way too close. That’s not just strange — it’s dangerous.”

Moose are the largest land mammals in North America and are capable of turning aggressive without warning. A startled or ill moose can kill a human with a single charge.

So far, no injuries have been reported, but trail cameras show the massive bull frequently crossing or standing directly on the trail, as if guarding it.

“It’s eerie,” said hiker Tom Wilkes, who encountered the animal days before the trail was shut down. “It just stood there. Didn’t move, didn’t blink. I turned around and left.”

The DEC closed the trail on June 6 — right at the start of summer hiking season — and has kept it shut with warning signs posted at every trailhead. Officials say the closure will remain in place until the situation is resolved.

Some local business owners, however, are frustrated.

“We rely on foot traffic,” said Emily Kerr, who runs a general store in nearby Tupper Lake. “Tourism drops when trails close, and no one’s giving us a timeline.”

With concern growing over possible wildlife disease, the Trump administration has stepped in. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — now under a Trump-appointed director — announced Friday that it would be “monitoring the situation closely” and pledged support if an outbreak is suspected.

“This is a public safety issue, and we need to get answers fast,” the White House said in a statement.

As of now, DEC is reviewing footage from three motion-sensor trail cameras set up in the area and continues to observe the animal’s behavior.

“We’re not jumping to conclusions,” the agency said. “But something is not right with this moose.”

Hikers across the state are being reminded not to approach any wildlife and to report strange animal behavior immediately. For now, Goodman Mountain remains off-limits — and one sick moose is keeping it that way.