Residents tell board Pikes Falls is overrun: calls for signage, enforcement and designated parking

Multiple residents told the Select Board on July 13 that Pikes Falls is experiencing hazardous summer overcrowding, with vehicles parked in the travel lane, trash left at the swimming hole and visitors trespassing on private property.

"We're just having, again, issues with upwards of, like, 40 to 50 cars," a resident said, describing videos showing dozens of cars lining the road and crowding pull‑offs. Commenters reported seeing pools of 30–100 people at busy weekend peak times, trash left in the river corridor and visitors using private driveways and yards as walking paths when trail signage is unclear.

Residents and board members discussed immediate steps: clearer signage marking legal parking and the no‑parking sections of road, reinforcing the small existing designated pull‑off (10–12 car capacity), targeted sheriff enforcement during peak hours, and working with nearby short‑term rental owners and online listings so Google/guide content accurately shows limited parking. One board member suggested using the town‑owned lot to provide safe parking and a clearly marked trailhead instead of ad hoc roadside parking.

The chair said the topic will be a recurring agenda item and the board formed a sign‑ordinance subcommittee (Kate, Greg, Tom) to craft recommended sign language and enforcement approaches. The board also agreed to coordinate a site visit with the road commissioner and sheriff to identify locations where signs and enforcement would be most effective.

Next steps: staff will work with the road commissioner and sheriff, obtain sign language options from the sign subcommittee, and return with a plan for targeted signage and enforcement during the summer season.