Four hikers on psychedelic mushrooms rescued after straying near Giant Ledge in Catskills

Four men in their 20s who acknowledged taking psychedelic mushrooms were rescued by New York State Forest Rangers and the Pine Hill Fire Department after becoming disoriented and straying from a marked trail in the Slide Mountain Wilderness on Aug. 29, officials said.

The group called for help around 5 p.m. when one member suffered what the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) described as a “debilitating high.” Rangers and firefighters located the hikers at about 6:45 p.m., roughly 1,000 feet off the trail near the popular Giant Ledge overlook. Once reached, the rescuers guided the group back to the trailhead where the men were evaluated; none required hospitalization and were later driven back to their rental lodging, the DEC said.

Forest Ranger Russell Martin said one member of the party was found in the fetal position and unable to communicate, and another was hallucinating about a bridge that did not exist. "This was treacherous, steep Catskill terrain and when people intentionally get high like this, it reduces their ability to make good decisions," Martin said. He added that it is advisable to have at least one responsible companion who is not partaking in substances whether users consume marijuana, alcohol or other drugs.

The hikers were in the Giant Ledge area of the Slide Mountain Wilderness, about 80 miles southwest of Albany. Giant Ledge is among the Catskills’ most frequented trail destinations, with rock outcrops that rise to about 3,200 feet and an approximate elevation gain of 1,200 feet from the trailhead to the overlook.

Psilocybin mushrooms, commonly known as "magic mushrooms," contain a hallucinogenic compound that can alter perception, distort the sense of time and produce vivid hallucinations and rapid mood changes, health officials say. Psilocybin mushrooms are illegal in New York.

Rangers said the hikers had strayed about 1,000 feet from the marked path when they became disoriented. During the response, the group also reported losing their car keys. A ranger returned the following day and recovered a sling bag containing the keys under a log in tall ferns.

The incident is the second reported rescue this year in New York mountain areas involving people who had taken hallucinogenic mushrooms. In May, two hikers in the Adirondack Mountains called authorities after believing a member of their party had died; they later told rescuers they and the third hiker had been using hallucinogenic mushrooms and were mistaken about the person’s condition. In that case, rangers escorted the hikers to medical care and the situation was resolved without serious injury, state officials said.

Recreational drug use has been cited in other rescue scenarios as contributing to impaired judgment and increased risk on remote or rugged trails. The DEC and local emergency personnel emphasize preparedness and caution when hiking, including staying on marked trails, carrying adequate supplies and having a sober, experienced companion when venturing into steep or challenging terrain.

The DEC did not report any enforcement actions against the hikers after the evaluation. Officials continue to field calls for assistance on busy recreational lands during peak seasons and stress that altered mental states—whether from substances, heat, exhaustion or medical conditions—can complicate rescues and put both visitors and rescuers at increased risk.