9 Mountains, One Remarkable Adventure

Location: Lake Placid, NY

Elevation: 2,332 feet

Distance: 2.2 miles round-trip

Trailhead: 

*ATTENTION- Due to Covid-19 the trailhead at Northwood School is temporarily closed. Hikers should park on Main Street or in the Village of Lake Placid and walk around Mirror Lake to Mount Whitney Road to access the Cobble Hill Trail (the trail will be on the right side of Mount Whitney Road just footsteps away from Mirror Lake Drive)

From the intersection of Route 73 and Route 86 in Lake Placid, follow Route 86 toward the center of town. Take a right at the town hall onto Mirror Lake Drive. Continue through the four-way stop and follow Mirror Lake Drive past Northwood Road to the entrance to Northwood School. There is a trailhead parking area 200 yards up this entrance road on the left. One can also park on main street, enjoy a stroll around Mirror Lake, and pick up the trailhead on foot with ease.

GPS Coordinates (Trailhead)- 44.29333°N, 73.97139°W

About: A great hike for the whole family with a fun view of Lake Placid and the high peaks region. Perfect to start on or add to an afternoon in Lake Placid with the trailhead starting near Main Street, Lake Placid. There is a short trail (steeper, but not too bad) and a long trail (more gradual ascent). We recommend making this a loop and hiking up one trail and down the other. Up the short trail and down the long trail is great but either way is a fun hike and you’ll go along Echo Pond on the long trail.

Location: Lake Placid, NY

Elevation: 2,876 feet

Distance: 2.6 miles round-trip

Trailhead: From Lake Placid, go east on Rt. 73 to Adirondac Loj Road, which is the first right after the ski jumps. The parking lots are 5 miles from Rt. 73. There is a $10/day parking fee. From the parking lot at the High Peaks Information Center at the end of Adirondak Loj Road return to the entrance station and find the trail at the far corner of the snowplow turnaround. 

GPS Coordinates (Trailhead)- 44.1825°N, 73.96639°W

About: One of the most popular hikes in Lake Placid for good reason. Major high peak views for a minimal effort. This mountain offers two trails up/down or can be hiked as a loop trail, which we recommend. The longer trail is a more gradual climb and better for new hikers while the shorter trail is a much steeper climb. The two trails rejoin prior to the summit.

Location: Keene, NY

Elevation: 2,440 feet

Distance: 2.4 miles round-trip

Trailhead:Leave Lake Placid on Route 73 and head west, toward Keene. Continue through Keene and turn left on Route 9N toward Elizabethtown. Continue for about 2 miles to the top of the hill and park at the trailhead on the right — look for the DEC sign. If you come to Baxter Mountain Tavern you have gone a bit too far (but it's a great place to eat after your hike).

GPS Coordinates (Trailhead)- 44.2205°N, 73.7492°W

About: Another excellent hike for the whole family. Easy to moderate terrain and switchbacks make this trail an excellent peak early in the challenge to prepare your lungs for the hikes to come. The trail is on private land and graciously opened to the public by its owners so give extra special care to leaving no trace on this peak.

Location: Lake Placid, NY

Elevation: 2,940 feet

Distance: 4.4 miles round-trip

Trailhead: South Meadows Trailhead. From the intersection of Route 86 and Route 73 in Lake Placid, follow Route 73 toward Keene. Continue for 4-miles to the Adirondack Loj Road on the right. Follow here for another four miles to Meadow Lane on the left. Follow here for 0.25 miles to the trailhead on the left.

GPS Coordinates (Trailhead)- 44.1937°N, 73.9548°W

About: The summit of Mt Van Hoevenberg is the LP9 creator's favorite summit view in the Adirondack Park (especially in the Fall). A great hike and typically not as busy as many of its counterparts. This mountain is home to the Olympic bobsled and luge run but also offers excellent hiking. The trail begins with a long flat walk into the woods to warm up the legs. Soon you'll come to a pond which you will follow around to the left. It can be slightly tricky to navigate but just follow the trail markers and trail around the pond to the ascent. This part can be wet/muddy so be prepared and calculate every step. Once around the pond the trail begins to climb. Moderate terrain makes up most of this hike and after coming to the first rocky ledge clearing, the true peak is slightly further up the trail. This summit offers unique views that can not be matched.

The summit overlooks many high peaks including the Macintyre Range, Marcy, Colden, Big Slide, Street, Nye, and others as south meadows sits in front of them making for, in this writer’s humble opinion, the best views for fall foliage in the entire Adirondack Park.

Location: Keene, NY

Elevation: 2,815 feet

Distance: 1.4 miles round-trip

Trailhead: From Lake Placid, go 15 miles east on Route 73 to Keene. At 200 yards past the intersection with Route 9N in Keene, turn left on Hurricane Road at the Keene Town Hall. At just over 2 miles from Route 73, bear left on O'Toole Lane (dirt) for 1.2 miles to the end at Crow Clearing. The trail to Big Crow begins on the left side of the clearing.  (In winter, the end of plowing is 0.3 mile before Crow Clearing, and this final stretch is usually closed during muddy spring season as well).

GPS Coordinates (Trailhead)- 44.2609°N, 73.7330°W

About: A quick hike but don't let the mileage fool you. After a short hike into the woods this trail goes straight up all the way to the top, your lungs (and legs) will be working hard for this one. Excellent views of Hurricane Mountain and 28 different high peaks!

BONUS PEAK- Upon summiting Big Crow you will see Little Crow down to the right which can be hiked in one trip. Follow the cairns (stacked rocks acting as trail markers) along the summit and the trail markers to head over to Little Crow and bag "The Crows" in one day. If doing this we recommend making it a thru hike going down Little Crow which will take you to Hurricane Road. At this point you'll walk a mile back to your car and the loop will be complete. Once you come out of the woods to the street go left on Hurricane Road, then left on the dirt road O'Toole Lane to the end, Crows Clearing, where you parked for Big Crow.

Location:  Wilmington, NY

Elevation: 2,650 feet

Distance: 4.5 miles round-trip

Trailhead: Whiteface Mountain Ski Center, Bear Den lot. From the intersection of Route 73 and Route 86 in Lake Placid, follow Route 86 toward Wilmington. Continue for 9.2 miles to the Whiteface Mountain Ski Center. Turn into the center and follow the road around to the right and to the Bear Den Lot.

GPS Coordinates (Trailhead)- 44.3595°N, 73.8576°W

About: A hidden gem in the Adirondacks offering unique views of the popular Whiteface Mountain and it's region. The bottom portion of the trail is also a mountain bike trail to be mindful of riders if you pass them. This hike enjoys switchbacks throughout and will certainly test your aerobic conditioning as it continuously goes up without many breaks. Great summit