Earning the Views: Dix Mountain and Hough Peak via Elk Lake

If you want to earn your views in the Adirondacks, the Dix Mountain Wilderness will make you work for them. Evan and I did just that — and came back with two High Peaks, an eagle sighting, and legs that felt every single foot of elevation.

We set our alarms early and pulled into the Elk Lake parking area around 7:30 in the morning. Even at that hour there were only two spots left. The Dix Mountain Wilderness draws a crowd — if you're planning this route, get there before 7 or be prepared to park further down the road and add extra miles to an already long day.

The first four miles follow the Hunter Pass Trail through some genuinely beautiful terrain — clear mountain brooks cutting across the path, a pair of lean-to camping areas tucked into the trees, and the kind of quiet morning forest that makes you glad you got up before the sun. The trail is relatively moderate in this stretch, which is a good thing, because what comes next is not.

Just past the 4-mile mark we broke right onto the Beckhorn Trail toward Dix. The next two miles don't let up — a steady, often steep push upward through the trees that keeps demanding more from your legs just when you think you've earned a break. By the time the rock wall of the Beckhorn comes into view, the relief is real.

We pulled out the ultralight chairs, ate lunch on the open rock, and watched an eagle work the thermals below us. Some moments you don't plan for.

The Beckhorn is one of those natural stopping points that earns its reputation. The views open up across the Great Range and toward the Giant of the Valley — a wide, sweeping panorama that makes the climb feel exactly worth it. From there it's a short 0.2-mile push to the summit of Dix, the sixth highest peak in the Adirondacks.

The summit of Dix wasn't the end of it. A narrow but well-defined herd path runs along the ridge line descending from the Beckhorn, and we followed it out to Hough — technically Hough Peak, another High Peak at 4,400 feet. The ridge walk is exposed and open, with Elk Lake appearing below and the surrounding peaks spreading out in every direction. It's the kind of second summit that would be the highlight of most hikes on its own.

We turned back toward the trailhead via Lillian Brook, picking up the trail in the col between Hough and South Dix near a flat spot with a fire pit. The descent is long but forgiving, and we had good company along the way — moose tracks pressed fresh into the mud on the trail. No sighting, but close enough to feel it.

The Dix Mountain Wilderness holds five High Peaks total — Dix, Hough, South Dix, East Dix, and Macomb. Knocking out two in a day is a solid objective; doing all five is a serious undertaking that most people spread across multiple trips or attempt as a dedicated traverse. If you're working through the 46 High Peaks, this area is worth planning carefully — the approach miles add up fast from Elk Lake.