Sawteeth

The route

The route starts on Adirondack Mountain Reserve land and hikes in to Lower Ausable Lake, where a loop climbs the Scenic Trail and returns via the Pyramid-Gothics Trail.

1. 0 – 3.8 mi

   West River Trail to Lower Ausable Lake

   Follow the West River Trail to your right. It begins on a driveway heading down to the river, which you cross on a bridge. The trail then takes you for a gradual, rolling 3.8 miles to the dam of Lower Ausable Lake. There will be options to turn off onto other trails sooner, but these take you to Gothics and the Wolfjaws. At the dam, take a bridge over to the beginning of the trail up Sawteeth.

2. 3.8 – 6.8 mi

   Scenic Trail to the summit

   From the bridge, the trail soon turns off to your left and meanders for a little way before heading steeply up to the summit. It takes you up toward a lookout of Rainbow Falls. The summit is 3.0 miles from the bridge at Lower Ausable Lake.

3. 6.8 – 9.0 mi

   Pyramid-Gothics Trail down

   Descend into a col between Sawteeth and Pyramid, where a trail to the left leads up to Pyramid and Gothics. Continue to the right if you are headed down, or up to the left if you want to hike Gothics too. It is a total of 2.2 miles from the summit to the bridge at Lower Ausable Lake.

4. 9.0 – 12.8 mi

   West River Trail back

   Retrace the 3.8 miles along the West River Trail.

High Peak details

Difficulty

Very strenuous

46er rank

#35 of 46

Range

Great Range

Trail type

Marked trail

Trailhead

Adirondack Mountain Reserve

Route

Loop from Lower Ausable Lake

Trail resources

Conditions

Conditions change fast. Check current trail conditions and DEC's High Peaks page before heading out.