Adirondack Hiking
From the High Peaks to the Low Lands
Sawyer Mountain
If you’re just getting introduced to Indian Lake hiking, Sawyer Mountain is a great starting point. With only 630ft of elevation gain in about 1 mile, it makes for a great beginner hike.
Lampson Falls/Grass River Wild Forest Loop
If you’re looking for a quick and easy day hike, with amazing views, look no further. Lampson Falls is located in Clare, NY on the Northwest corner of the Adirondacks. As the name suggests, the trail features a couple of different views of Lampson Falls on the Grass River.
Elephant’s Head Trail
Located at the northern boundary of the Adirondacks in Malone, NY is a fun 4.1-mile out-and-back with incredible views of Lake Titus. The trail is in the Malone Memorial Recreation Park just a few miles from Titus Mountain Family Ski Center.
Champlain Area Trails (CATS)
The trails that make up CATS provide different vistas than other areas of the Adirondacks, namely in that many of the trails look out over and meander alongside the shores of Lake Champlain, something uncommon in the rest of the Adirondacks.
Cooper Kiln Pond Trail
If you’re trying to escape the crowds flocking to the more frequented Adirondack hikes, Cooper Kiln is a wonderful trail to explore. Outside of Wilmington, NY, it meanders easily through the valley between two small mountains and ends at a beautiful pond with a lean-to and space to tent camp at the pond.
Goodman Mountain
A gradual hike up to an open summit, Goodman Mountain is a nice, gradual hike for families and dogs, or those looking to get in a moderate hike with a good view from the top. While the view is well worth the trip up, the trail up Goodman is also beautiful, weaving through hardwood forests and opening up to a couple of vistas along the way.
Coney Mountain
A shorter hike in the Tupper area, Coney boasts an expansive view (especially during fall foliage!), and is a great quick hike to take the kids on – for a fall lunchtime picnic on top, or as a morning hike in the summer before spending the hotter part of the day on the water.
Rocky Mountain
A shorter and easier (though no less steep) hike than its neighbor, Black Bear Mountain, Rocky Mountain is a great hike for families and hikers with dogs. Even though it’s a quick hike, you still get a good view from the top of Fourth Lake, as well as nearby Inlet and Eagle Bay.
Black Bear Mountain
Rising up from Inlet, Black Bear Mountain begins from the same trailhead as Rocky Mountain, a slightly smaller neighboring peak. Black Bear Mountain has great views of the lakes below, and while steep in some parts, it can be hiked in a nice loop.
Crane Mountain
More southernly than the better-known peaks of the Adirondacks, Crane Mountain is a great family hike with a steep trail up to the summit, but one that is short enough to be enjoyed by the whole family.
The Flume Trail System
The Flume trails have a special place in my heart because, as a native “Wilmingtoner”, it was my dad who cut the first trails there – Flume Knob and Bear Den. The story of him bushwhacking in that area and getting chased down a small waterfall he named Waterspout Falls by an angry momma bear is family lore, and where the Bear Den trail gets its name.
Boreas Ponds Tract
The beauty of Boreas Pond is truly hard to beat in an “untouched pristine wilderness” kind of way, but one thing to keep in mind is that Boreas Pond is not the destination if you’re looking for mountaintop views, as it is mostly encompassed by low wetlands.
