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Four hikers on psychedelic mushrooms rescued in popular mountain destination

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Four hikers on psychedelic mushrooms rescued in popular mountain destination

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Four hikers who admitted to taking psychedelic mushrooms were rescued in New York’s Catskill Mountains after becoming disoriented and straying off the trail, officials said. It’s the second such case this year in New York’s popular mountain areas.

The group called for help around 5 p.m. on Aug. 29 when one member suffered a “debilitating high,” according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

Forest rangers and the Pine Hill Fire Department located the group at about 6:45 p.m. – less than 1,000 feet from the marked trail. 

New York State Forest Rangers carry a disoriented hiker out of the Slide Mountain Wilderness after a group admitted to taking psychedelic mushrooms near Giant Ledge in the Catskills on Aug. 29, 2025. Psilocybin mushrooms, seen at right, are a hallucinogen that can cause intense hallucinations and confusion. (Department of Environmental Conservation; James MacDonald/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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CRIES FOR HELP LEAD RESCUERS TO INJURED HIKER AFTER TERRIFYING 25-FOOT PLUNGE AT POPULAR WATERFALL

The four men are in their 20s and one hiker was in the fetal position and unable to communicate, according to the New York Times. 

One hiker was hallucinating about a bridge that did not exist, Forest Ranger Russell Martin told Fox News Digital. 

Psychedelic mushrooms, also known as “magic mushrooms,” contain psilocybin, a hallucinogen that alters brain chemistry and can trigger vivid hallucinations, a warped sense of time, and rapid mood swings. Psilocybin mushrooms are illegal in New York.

“This was treacherous, steep Catskill terrain and when people intentionally get high like this, it reduces their ability to make good decisions,” Russell said. “Mushrooms are illegal, but whether you’re using marijuana or alcohol, it’s a good idea to make sure you’re with at least one responsible person who is not partaking.”

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The men were hiking in the Giant Ledge area of the Slide Mountain Wilderness, about 80 miles southwest of Albany and one of the Catskills’ most popular trail destinations, offering sweeping views of Panther and Slide Mountains from a series of sheer rock outcrops. The ledges rise to about 3,200 feet, with hikers climbing roughly 1,200 feet from the trailhead to reach the overlook.

Dried psilocybin mushrooms are displayed in a glass bowl. (iStock)

DANGEROUS TRAIL LEAVES HIKERS STRANDED OVERNIGHT ON MAINE’S HIGHEST MOUNTAIN

The men had strayed about 1,000 feet off the trail, according to the New York Times.

Once rangers and firefighters located the men, they guided the group back to the trailhead, where they were evaluated. Officials said none of the men required hospitalization and rangers later drove them back to their rental lodging.

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Somewhere along the way, the hikers also lost their car keys, officials said. The following day, one of the rangers hiked back up and found a sling bag with the keys under a log in tall ferns.

Psilocybin mushrooms dry on a rack in the Uptown Fungus lab in Springfield, Oregon, on Aug. 14, 2023. (Craig Mitchelldyer)

In May, two hikers in the Adirondack Mountains – in the northeastern part of New York state near Lake Placid – called authorities to report that a member of their hiking party had died. It turned out they had taken hallucinogenic mushrooms and were mistaken.

The hiker who was believed to be dead called and was not injured. A ranger escorted the two hikers down to an ambulance, which took them to a hospital and brought the third to the group’s campsite, where they all later met up, officials said.

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The two hikers who called 911 also told a steward on the mountain’s summit that they were lost. The steward “determined the hikers were in an altered mental state,” according to the DEC.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Maine

18 jaw-dropping views from Katahdin to help you plan for warmer weather

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18 jaw-dropping views from Katahdin to help you plan for warmer weather


Editor’s note: This story was originally published in September 2022.

When it comes to Maine hiking, summiting Katahdin is the ultimate achievement.

Maine’s tallest mountain stands at 5,269 feet, and there are a number of different trails hikers can take to get up and down Katahdin. And while some are harder than others, none are easy.

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But the views are incredible.

Whether it’s the rugged terrain of the Knife Edge or the vast landscape of the 200,000 acres that compose Baxter State Park below, here’s a look at what it’s like to climb Katahdin.

Hunt Trail

Hunt Trail traces the edge of a ridge on the west side of Katahdin known as Hunt Spur. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN
Sara Clark (front) navigates a steep section of Katahdin’s Hunt Trail, while Sam Schipani takes a break on a boulder. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN
Katahdin Stream Falls is one of the many scenic highlights of Katahdin’s Hunt Trail. It’s located about a mile from the trailhead at Katahdin Stream Campground. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN

Abol Trail

A group of friends and family hiking down Abol Trail, Katahdin. (From top to bottom) Jeff McBurnie, Janet Jordan, Eve Jordan, Kerry Jordan (far right), Bruce Jordan, Joyce Sarnacki, Aislinn Sarnacki (far left), and Gary Robinson, in 2010. Credit: Photo courtesy of Derek Runnells
Hikers climb and enjoy the open views along the Abol Trail on Katahdin, the tallest mountain in Maine, on Sept. 10, 2016, in Baxter State Park. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN

Chimney Pond Trail

Bright fall foliage surrounds Derek Runnells of Dedham as he walks along a boardwalk on the Chimney Pond Trail in Baxter State Park. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN

Cathedral Trail

A rock formation on Katahdin called the Second Cathedral is seen from above on the Cathedral Trail on Sept. 27, 2014, in Baxter State Park. Peaking out behind the Cathedral is Chimney Pond, a pristine tarn at 2, 914 feet above sea level. The closest ridge on the right leads to Pamola Peak and is traversed via Dudley Trail. And the mountain range at the center of the view is South Turner, North Turner and East Turner mountains. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN
Hikers approach the first Cathedral on the Cathedral Trail on Katahdin. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN

Saddle Trail

Members of the 2015 Beyond Limits Katahdin Expedition make their way down the Saddle Trail after reaching the summit of Katahdin. Six men took 10-minute turns carrying Jacquelyn Lowman ,63, — who is paraplegic — to the summit, assisting each other along the way. The expedition took a year of planning and involved the help of about 20 people, who helped with the planning, carrying food, equipment and cooking. Eleven members of the group reached the summit with Lowman. Credit: Gabor Degre / BDN
Clouds settle over the upper reaches of the Saddle Trail, a route the leads to the peak of Katahdin, on Aug. 10, 2012. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN

Northwest Basin Trail

BDN reporter Aislinn Sarnacki walks toward Hamlin Peak on Katahdin on the Northwest Basin Trail in Baxter State Park. Credit: Courtesy of Derek Runnells

Knife Edge

From Baxter Peak of Katahdin, hikers can enjoy a stunning view of Pamola Peak and a mile-long ridge known as Knife Edge. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN
BDN reporter Aislinn Sarnacki hikes over Knife Edge of Katahdin on July 13, 2013. The ridge becomes just a few feet wide at some points, and the mountain drops away for thousands of feet on both sides. The trail should only be hiked in good weather. Credit: Courtesy of Derek Runnells
Hikers on the Knife Edge of Katahdin have few options for getting off trail to relieve themselves of human waste. Above treeline, Leave No Trace principles recommend planning ahead to avoid the necessity of going to the bathroom in fragile alpine areas, or getting off trail as far as possible to relieve themselves on rock or gravel. Credit: Courtesy of Brad Viles

Tablelands

A hiking trail winds through delicate alpine vegetation on the tablelands of Katahdin in Baxter State Park. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN
The Tablelands of Katahdin, a relatively flat area between Baxter and Hamlin peaks, is visible from Cathedral Trail on Sept. 27, 2014, in Baxter State Park. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN

South Peak

Hikers descend from South Peak on Katahdin in 2016. Credit: Courtesy of Brad Viles

Hamlin Peak

The rocky Hamlin Peak extends to the east, and beyond it are the Basin Ponds, South Turner Mountain, Katahdin Lake and the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN



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Massachusetts

Police shoot and kill man armed with knife in Lexington, DA says

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Police shoot and kill man armed with knife in Lexington, DA says


Police shot and killed a man who officials say rushed officers with a knife during a call in Lexington, Massachusetts, on Saturday.

Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said the situation started around 1:40 p.m. when Lexington police received a 911 call from a resident of Mason Street reporting that his son had injured himself with a knife.

Officers from the Lexington Police Department and officers from the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (NEMLEC), who were already in town for Patriots’ Day events, responded to the call.

Police were able to escort two other residents out of the home, initially leaving a 26-year-old man inside. According to Ryan, while officers were setting up outside, the man ran out of the home and approached officers with a large kitchen knife.  

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She added that police tried twice to use non-lethal force, but it was not effective in stopping him. The man was shot by a Wilmington police officer who is a member of NEMLEC. The man was pronounced dead on scene and the officer who fired that shot was taken to a local hospital as a precaution.

The man’s name has not been released.

Ryan said typically in a call like this where someone was described as harming themselves, officers would first try to separate anyone else to keep them out of danger, which was done, and then standard practice would be to try to wait outside.

“It would be their practice to just wait for the person to come out. In the terrible circumstances of today, he suddenly rushed the officers, still clutching the knife,” Ryan said.

The investigation is still in the preliminary stages and more information is expected in time. Ryan said her office will request a formal inquest from the court to review whether any criminal conduct has occurred, which is the standard process.

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This happened around the same time as the annual Patriots’ Day Parade, and just hours after a reenactment of the Battle of Lexington, which drew large crowds to town.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.



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