Lost hiker in Harriman State Park charged with hallucinogen possession

A routine lost-hiker response in Harriman State Park turned into a felony drug arrest after New York State Police said a Brooklyn man they found in the woods was carrying hallucinogenic mushrooms. Jashiya B. Smith, 30, was charged after troopers said they recovered about 45 grams of psilocybin mushrooms and linked him to a late-night separation from his group near Stahahe Lake.

State police said the investigation began June 15, 2026, at about 8:02 p.m. after New York State Park Police responded to a report of lost hikers in the park. Investigators said Smith became separated from the group around 11:00 p.m. after allegedly consuming psilocybin mushrooms, then called for help when he could not find his way back. Troopers later located him on Arden Valley Road in the Town of Tuxedo, where they said the mushrooms were found in his possession.

Smith, identified by police as Jashiya B. Smith of Brooklyn, was arrested June 16, 2026, and charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 2nd Degree, Hallucinogen, a Class A-II felony. The case shows how quickly a rescue call can turn into an enforcement matter when illegal drugs are involved, especially in a park as large and heavily used as Harriman.

Harriman State Park covers about 46,000 acres, making it the second-largest park in New York’s state park system. It has more than 200 miles of hiking trails, 31 lakes and reservoirs, two camping areas, and the Appalachian Trail runs the length of it. The park is open year-round from dawn until dusk, drawing steady traffic from Orange County and beyond.

For local residents, the practical warning is straightforward: getting lost in the park can trigger a swift response from state and local agencies, but help from rescuers does not erase criminal exposure if contraband is found. The incident also adds to the list of recent Harriman search-and-rescue calls, including a May 2026 rescue that brought out three stranded hikers, one of them a child. In a park this size, where darkness and distance can turn a simple hike into an emergency, impaired judgment can quickly become a public-safety problem.