Dix Mountain Wilderness · Keene Region · Loop Hike

Dial Mountain

Part of the 46 High Peaks
Dial Mountain, an Adirondack High Peak in the Colvin Range
Heading out? Conditions change fast and help can be hours away. What to bring ↓
  • Distance~9.4 miRound trip
  • Summit4,020 ftElevation
  • Ascent3,400 ftTotal gain

Dial Mountain, the #41 Adirondack High Peak in the Colvin Range, can be hiked as an out and back from the Lake Road or paired with more peaks. Expect a fair bit of up and down, with three solid summits on the way.

The route

The route starts on Adirondack Mountain Reserve land and follows the Lake Road Trail to the Dial trailhead.

  1. 0 – 0.7 mi

    Lake Road Trail

    Follow the Lake Road Trail for 0.7 miles until you reach the trailhead for Dial, then turn left off the Lake Road Trail.

  2. Next 1.6 mi

    Climb to the west summit of Noonmark

    Climb moderately for 0.9 miles and continue another 0.2 miles to where the trail opens up to a view of Noonmark Mountain. Continue for 0.5 miles to the west summit of Noonmark.

  3. Col, then 0.5 mi

    Over Bear Den

    The trail swings sharply left and descends to the col between Noonmark and Bear Den, then climbs out of the col for 0.5 miles to the top of Bear Den Mountain.

  4. Next 0.5 mi

    Down to the col

    Follow the trail downhill another 0.5 miles to the col between Bear Den and Dial.

  5. Nearly 1 mi

    Final climb to Dial

    The trail begins a nearly mile-long climb to the summit of Dial, 3.8 miles from the Lake Road.

The views

The view from Dial is sweeping, beautiful and somewhat unique.

Loop option

We recommend making the hike a loop that includes Bear Den and Nippletop, since it makes sense to snag Dial and Nippletop in one go. Keep in mind that it requires a significant amount of climbing and descending. See our Nippletop guide for details on continuing from Dial.

Often hiked with

Dial is usually paired with Nippletop. Read about the experience Evan and Hilary had on the Dial and Nippletop loop.

High Peak details

Difficulty
Strenuous
46er rank
#41 of 46
Range
Colvin Range
Trail type
Marked trail
Trailhead
Adirondack Mountain Reserve, Lake Road
Distance note
Dial only, including the Lake Road Trail

Trail resources

Conditions
Conditions change fast. Check current trail conditions and DEC's High Peaks page before heading out.
#40 Mount Emmons#42 Grace PeakAll 46 High Peaks

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