Watkins Glen

Rainbow Falls and Triple Cascades

2 miles loop, 450 feet elevation gain
Difficulty: Easy-moderate

Access: Paved road to trailhead, New York State Park fee or Empire Pass required

An intimate sandstone gorge and graceful waterfalls make Watkins Glen State Park one of the most scenic and fantastic landscapes of New York State’s Finger Lakes region and a must-visit for anyone traveling through the region. The Gorge Trail- a beautifully built stone pathway through the canyon with rock staircases and arch bridges that harmonize with the nature around it- is the best way to see this state park, which lies just outside its namesake town at the southern end of Seneca Lake. The hike described here is a loop through the park that follows the Gorge Trail through the canyon’s highlights and then returns via a smoother path on the canyon’s north rim. There are plenty of stairs and the trail is usually wet and passes underneath falling water, so come with appropriate shoes and perhaps a rain jacket.

I visited Watkins Glen on an October fall foliage trip through upstate New York. I won’t provide detailed directions here, as it’s unclear where which direction most visitors would come from; the hike starts from the large parking lot at the mouth of the gorge, which is off of Route 14 (Franklin Street) just south of downtown in the town of Watkins Glen. There is a large parking lot at the park entrance that charges $10 a day for parking (there is nearby street parking in town as well, but much of that parking is limited to 2 hours or so). A large visitor center, restrooms, an outdoor relief map, and plentiful interpretive signage were just beyond the parking area at the mouth of the canyon.

There are two separate entrances to the park as well: one on the south rim of the gorge and another on the north side, at the far end of the gorge. The most straightforward way to access the gorge is still to enter from the main entrance; it’s also the most spectacular entrance. From the visitor center area, the Gorge Trail leads directly into the gorge, while the North Rim Trail leads up to the north rim of the canyon. At the time of my visit, the opening stretch of the Gorge Trail- which passes through a rock tunnel, crosses Sentry Bridge and travels underneath Cavern Cascade- was closed. Instead, we had to initially ascend the north rim via the North Rim Trail and then descended into the canyon and join the Gorge Trail at a point slightly farther into the canyon. While this caused us to miss the famed and scenic Cavern Cascade stretch of the gorge, we still got to see the rest of the gorge, including the famous Rainbow Falls segment in the heart of the gorge. It’s unclear if Sentry Bridge will be repaired in a reasonable time frame, so conditions on the trail may change by the time you visit; either way, it’s still worth visiting the rest of the gorge if you’re in the area.

We started our hike by walking along a paved path paralleling Glen Creek through the wider mouth of the gorge to the base of the Entrance Cascade, a waterfall that tumbled out of the canyon’s narrows into a broad bowl cut into the sandstone cliffs. The wide canyon mouth was the site of a sawmill in the early nineteenth century built by Samuel Watkins, the village’s namesake, who took advantage of the gorge’s abundant hydropower for industrial purposes. The natural beauty of the gorge was later recognized and tourism in the area developed by the late nineteenth century, although the current set of paths through the gorge did not exist until the Civilian Conservation Corps built them following a massive flood on Glen Creek in the 1930s that destroyed most of the previous visitor infrastructure.

Entrance Cascade and Sentry Bridge

From the viewpoint at the base of the Entrance Cascade, the Gorge Trail continued into a tunnel; but this marked the closure point on the Gorge Trail, so we backtracked slightly to the beginning of the North Rim Trail, which led uphill via a wide staircase. Over the next 200 meters, the trail ascended 120 feet, quickly rising above the canyon mouth below and soon delivering some views out to the village of Watkins Glen and beyond to the low ridges of the Finger Lakes. For most visitors, this is the most physically strenuous stretch of the hike, as the stairs are relentless until the trail reaches the rim of gorge.

Village of Watkins Glen

Once on the north rim of the gorge, the trail flattened out a bit. At 0.4 miles from the trailhead, we came to Point Lookout, where we had a view down into the gorge; here, a connector trail left the North Rim Trail and descended into the gorge to join up with the Gorge Trail. We took this connector trail, which dropped us into the sculpted sandstone walls of the canyon and soon brought us to the Gorge Trail and the tumbling waters of Glen Creek. Upon meeting the Gorge Trail, we took the right fork to travel up the canyon.

While not necessarily small, the gorge at Watkins Glen is a landscape that is beautiful on an intimate rather than a majestic scale. Here, wave-like canyon walls of eroded sandstone surrounded us, with Glen Creek happily burbling as it flowed down the canyon and autumn leaves floating down into the gorge from the hardwood canopy above. The trail itself blended in beautifully with this landscape: the Civilian Conservation Corps had built rustic rock walls and staircases that harmonized well with the sandstone and shale layers of the gorge.

Watkins Glen

Central Casccade

We followed the Gorge Trail over the next 0.6 miles until reaching the Mile Point Bridge, passing by the Lovers Lane turnoff along the way. The gorge was immensely scenic at first and only became more so as we went along, with the beauty of the gorge peaking after the junction with the Lovers Lane Trail, in a stretch that included Central Cascade, Rainbow Falls, and the Frowning Cliff. It’s advertised that there are 19 waterfalls in total in Watkins Glen; I’m a bit unsure of that number, but there are certainly over five significant drops in Glen Creek along the Gorge Trail in addition to Rainbow Falls, a tributary stream that feeds into the gorge by plunging straight down the shale and sandstone walls.

Central Cascade

Gorge above Central Cascade

Gorge below Rainbow Falls

Rainbow Falls and Triple Cascade

Behind Rainbow Falls

Watkins Glen has a complex and rich geological history. The plateaus of the Finger Lakes region are of a similar geological origin to the plateaus of West Virginia and Kentucky: they are all part of the broader Allegheny Plateau, an uplifted region of sedimentary layers. These sedimentary layers were laid down in the Paleozoic Era when a shallow sea covered much of what is now upstate New York. The resulting layers of shale and sandstone were uplifted directly during the Alleghenian Orogeny when the North American continent collided with the African plate to form Pangaea; this mountain-building event also created the more geologically complex crystalline Appalachians (the Blue Ridge, the Taconics, etc) to the east.

Frowning Cliff

In more recent geologic history, Ice Age glaciers scoured the Allegheny Plateau in the Finger Lakes region, eroding deep and wide valleys in the region that are now filled by those lakes. Smaller tributary glaciers fed into the large glacier carving out Seneca Lake’s valley, but these smaller glaciers did not leave gashes as deep as the larger glaciers; thus, after the ice retreated, hanging valleys formed above Seneca Lake. These hanging valleys created the elevation differential necessary for waterfalls to form; when Glen Creek flowed down one such hanging valley, it began cutting a gorge into the sedimentary layers of the Allegheny Plateau on its way down to Seneca Lake, creating the Watkins Glen that you see today.

 

Pluto Falls

Frowning Cliff

At a mile from the trailhead, we came to the appropriately named Mile Point Bridge, where there was a four-way junction in the trail. The Gorge Trail continued ahead, but connector trails split off to either side here, leading to the South Rim Trail and the Indian Trail. While there was about a half mile of canyon left between here and the upper entrance to the park, we chose to end our journey through the gorge here, partly because the gorge was less impressive upstream of the bridge and partly because we had spent so much time enjoying Rainbow Falls and Central Cascade that it was getting late. We took the connector for the Indian Trail to start heading back: this trail carried us uphill through some staircases to the top of the gorge’s north rim, where we joined up with the Indian Trail and turned right to start heading back towards the trailhead.

Mile Point Bridge

The Indian Trail descended steadily along the canyon’s north rim; while the trail generally stayed slightly back from the rim, a few spur staircases on the south side of the trail led to viewpoints overlooking Rainbow Falls and Central Cascade. At one point, the Indian Trail came to an unmarked junction: we took the right fork here to stay along the rim of the gorge (the left fork led to a nearby cemetery). At 1.5 miles into the hike, after a particularly steep stretch of descent, the Indian Trail came to a multi-way trail junction with the Lovers Lane Trail and a suspension bridge spanning the gorge. We walked out onto the suspension bridge here to gaze 200 feet down into the gorge, then continued along the trail along the rim until reaching Point Lookout, where we had begun our journey down into the gorge earlier. From Point Lookout, we followed the North Rim Trail downhill to the visitor center to finish this gorgeous hike.

Watkins Glen is a true highlight of the Finger Lakes region. Is it popular and crowded? Yes. But where else are you going to see such a spectacular interplay of sandstone and falling water? Avoid peak tourist times if you want to avoid crowds, but don’t miss this absolutely gorge-ous hike.

Kaaterskill Falls

Kaaterskill Falls

1.6 miles round trip, 400 feet elevation gain
Difficulty: Easy-moderate

Access: Good gravel road to trailhead, no entrance fee required

Wild and scenic, the two-tiered Kaaterskill Falls- the tallest waterfall in the state of New York with a 260 foot drop- has enchanted visitors for centuries, inspiring paintings by Thomas Cole and writings by Washington Irving. Near the popular North South Lake recreation area in the Catskill Mountains, the base of the falls can be accessed by a short but steep hike with lots of stairs from the Laurel House Trailhead. Uphill-averse visitors can still see the falls from above via a short hike to an overlook, although the view from the base of the falls is far mightier and satisfying. This is one of the highlights of New York’s Catskill Mountains but it’s no secret: expect to share this wonder with hundreds of other hikers on nice weekend days.

A word of warning: as with almost all waterfalls, the terrain around Kaaterskill Falls can be treacherous due to cliffs, slippery rocks, and fast-moving water. Stay on trail and don’t do stupid things.

I hiked Kaaterskill Falls during a fall foliage trip through the Catskills with Anna and my parents in mid-October. The waterfall is about two to three hours driving from the New York metro area, depending on where you leave from; we took I-87 (the New York Thruway) north to exit 20 at Saugerties, turned left at the exit ramp onto Route 212 west just briefly and turned right onto Route 32 north, following it 6 miles to a fork between Route 32 and Route 32A. At the fork, we stayed to the left to take Route 32A, which brought us into the village of Palenville. When Route 32A merged with Route 23A, we took the left fork to follow Route 23A west into the Kaaterskill Clove (the canyon of Kaaterskill Creek). Route 23A winded through the canyon and ascended to the village of Haines Falls; once in town, we followed the signs for North South Lake and turned right onto North Lake Road. We followed North Lake Road two miles east to the signed turnoff on the right for Laurel House Road and Kaaterskill Falls. Laurel House Road was a bumpy paved road that headed briefly downhill to a large gravel parking lot. Although the parking area is large, Kaaterskill Falls is immensely popular and the lot is frequently full; we waited about 10 minutes to be able to pull into the lot and find a parking spot on a sunny October holiday Monday.

The trail to Kaaterskill Falls departed from the southeast corner of the parking lot. While the hike described here is the full hike to the base of the lower falls, there are three potential final destinations for hikers, depending on how much they wish to exert themselves: the short, easy half-mile round trip to the falls overlook and the viewpoints at the base of the upper and lower falls, both of which involve long staircase ascents on the return hike.

Initially, the trail was wide with a gentle downhill grade and a comfortable trail tread as it began descending through the forest from the Laurel House Trailhead. Arriving in mid-October, we had come near peak fall color and so we enjoyed the yellow and red foliage around us shining in the afternoon lighting. After just 0.2 miles of hiking, as the trail approached a bridge on Kaaterskill Creek, we came to the turnoff for the falls overlook. On our inbound hike, we checked out the overlook, taking the short spur trail downhill through a switchback to reach the wooden viewing platform. The view at the overlook was decent: we could see the upper falls dropping into the cliff-lined gorge below and there was also a nice view to Kaaterskill High Peak across Kaaterskill Clove. However, this view was far more subdued than the view we caught later from the base of the falls and lacked the grandeur that the lower viewpoints delivered. This overlook is easily reached by most visitors and while it still involves a bit of elevation change, the round trip from here to the parking lot is never steep and the trail is always well maintained.

Kaaterskill Falls from the overlook

View of the Catskills from the waterfall overlook

Returning along the overlook spur trail to the main trail, we turned right onto the main trail and crossed a bridge over Kaaterskill Creek. The creek was pretty, tumbling down a rocky and wide (by Appalachian standards) streambed through the brilliantly lit forest of autumn hardwoods.

Kaaterskill Creek

On the far side of the bridge, we came to a trail junction with the Escarpment Trail, where we took the right fork, which led towards the spur trail to Kaaterskill Falls. The wide, easy-hiking trail ended here, transitioning to a much rockier path that briefly ascended for an eighth of a mile to reach a junction with the Kaaterskill Falls Trail. We followed the Kaaterskill Falls Trail as it branched off to the right from the Escarpment Trail and began descending, first gradually and then more steeply, into the gorge below. The beautiful fall foliage canopy and bountiful mushrooms fruiting in the understory made the descent down some occasional stone steps quite enjoyable.

Mushrooms

Fall foliage

The trail turned right for a steeper final descent into the gorge, dropping down a set of staircases to reach a fork between the trails leading to the bases of the upper and lower falls. 

Staircase on the descent to the base of the falls

We took the right fork initially: this trail followed a sandstone ledge, clinging to the top of a cliff above the lower falls. The trail here was muddy and a bit slippery due to mist coming from the falls, so luckily a chain fence provided some support and protection. The trail ended on a sandstone ledge at the edge of a pool directly below the leaping, taller drop of the upper falls. The upper falls is a 180 foot free fall, which makes it just taller than Niagara Falls and the second tallest single drop in the state of New York, after Taughannock Falls near Ithaca.

Airy upper drop of Kaaterskill Falls

Thomas Cole, the painter who founded the Hudson River School (the first major landscape painting movement in the United States), painted Kaaterskill Falls multiple times, including once climbing to the rocky alcove behind the upper falls to paint that scene. Fellow painter Asher Durand’s Kindred Spirits- a staple of art history textbooks- featured the falls as well. However, it was writer Washington Irving who first drew the attention of these European American artists to the area: he described the wildness of the falls vividly in Rip Van Winkle. Publicity from Irving and Cole eventually made Kaaterskill Falls a major tourist attraction in the later nineteenth century; the Laurel House, a large hotel, was built at the current trailhead to welcome tourists from New York City. By the mid-twentieth century, tourist attention had moved to other sights out West and Laurel House was torn down.

During our visit, water flow in Kaaterskill Creek was sufficient to make the waterfall quite impressive. However, in dry years (or even dry times of year), the waterfall may shrink to a trickle; I advise you to time your visit appropriately and check trail reports or river gauges in the area to get an idea of what to expect if you are set on seeing the falls in higher flow.

We also had lovely views from here of the steep, tree-lined walls of Kaaterskill Clove.

Forested Kaaterskill Clove

Returning to the main trail, we continued downhill on the long staircase, which ended at the base of the lower falls. From there, we made our way across some rocks to reach the banks of Kaaterskill Creek just below the lower falls. Here, we could see both drops of Kaaterskill Falls, an exceptionally scenic two-tier shape that almost reminded me of Yosemite Falls. This was the busiest spot on the hike; as there’s only a small area from which one can see the falls fully, expect things to be a bit crowded. After enjoying the views here, we retraced our steps and ascended the staircases out of the gorge to return to the trailhead.

View from the base of the lower drop of Kaaterskill Falls

This was a great short hike to one of the more impressive waterfalls on the East Coast. The only real drawback to this hike is the crowds: the beauty of the falls is well known and the hike is short, so this is a popular spot. While there’s enough room on the hike for people to spread out a bit (or at least to avoid lengthy queuing at popular viewpoints), the trailhead parking for this hike is likely to be overcapacity on nice weekends.

Giant Ledge

Fall colors of the Catskills from Giant Ledge

3 miles round trip, 1000 feet elevation gain
Difficulty: Moderate
Access: Paved road to trailhead, no fee required

The sweeping views of the high peaks of the Catskills makes Giant Ledge one of the most popular summit hikes in New York State's Catskill Park. The hike delivers panoramic vistas of the range's most spectacular mountains while requiring a relatively mild effort, by Catskill standards; however, this trail still involves a good amount of uphill and has multiple stretches that are very rocky, so novice hikers should understand that although this is an easier wilderness hike in the Catskills, it's still a wilderness hike in the Catskills.

I hiked up to Giant Ledge with Anna and my parents in mid-October during a fall color trip through the Catskills. The trailhead is about three hours driving from the New York metro area; we took I-87 (the New York Thruway) north to exit 19 for Kingston and Route 28, where we exited and then hopped onto Route 28 heading west from the exit roundabout. We followed Route 28 for about 30 miles west into the mountains to the village of Big Indian, where we turned left onto Oliverea Road (signs before the turn indicated the direction of the Giant Ledge trailhead). We then followed Oliverea Road south for 7 miles, passing through the village of Oliverea before ascending into the mountains and coming to the trailhead, which was at a sharp right bend in the road. Parking at the trailhead is unfortunately limited as there's no parking lot; you'll have to find room on the shoulder of Oliverea Road. We did not have trouble finding parking when we arrived on an autumn Tuesday, although I would certainly imagine that on nice weekends you might have to park some distance away from the trailhead and walk along the road to get to the start of the hike.

The hike started on the yellow marker Phoenicia East Branch Trail, which left Oliverea Road at the sharp bend in the road. The trail crossed over a small footbridge at the beginning and then immediately entered the Slide Mountain Wilderness, a wilderness preserve within Catskill Park that protects Slide Mountain, the highest peak in the range. The trail was initially fairly flat as we followed it through a beautiful autumn forest to a sturdy footbridge spanning a small stream. After crossing the stream, the trail began a steady ascent over the next three-quarters of a mile to reach the high ridge connecting Slide Mountain to Giant Ledge and Panther Mountain.

The Phoenicia East Branch Trail was quite rocky in places, especially during the steeper stretches of the ascent; wet soil from recent rains and copious fallen autumn leaves made the path a bit more treacherous at that time of year. However, there was plenty around the trail to entertain and reward us on what would otherwise have been a rocky uphill slog: the forest around us was at peak color and mushrooms were popping out all over the forest floor. This initial stretch of trail carries the majority of the hike's elevation gain, with just under 600 feet of uphill between the footbridge and the ridge.

Peak color

Autumn leaves of the Catskills

Mushrooms everywhere

Autumn mushrooms

At three-quarters of a mile from the trailhead, after a final push up a particularly rocky stretch, we arrived at the top of the ridge and came to an intersection with the Giant Ledge-Panther Mountain Trail, which was signed with blue markers. At this four-way intersection, we turned left and began following the blue-marked trail north along the ridge. This marked the halfway point of the hike, although at this point we had completed a majority of the hike's elevation gain. 

The half mile of trail that followed was fairly gentle as we followed a wide and fairly flat ridge that rose inperceptibly as we traveled north, although this stretch was surprisingly wet and muddy. The beautiful peak foliage in the forest around us made the rock-hopping through the mud a little more pleasant; it was interesting to me that we would find so much water at what is essentially the top of a mountain.

Beautiful foliage and flat hiking along the ridge of Panther Mountain

The Giant Ledge Trail became much steeper at one and a quarter miles into the hike. The final quarter mile of the hike was particularly rocky and ascended over 200 feet; many of the rock steps here were quite high and although most hikers can deal with this stretch without using their hands, some may find they have to engage in some mild rock scrambling here. We passed a small spur trail on the left that led to a spring at the start of this final ascent; otherwise, the trail was quite straightforward, heading continuously uphill through the rocks.

Rocky trail along the ridge on final ascent to Giant Ledge

The trail leveled out atop the long summit ridge of Giant Ledge, although it remained quite rocky. After a mile and a half of hiking from the trailhead, we came to an unmarked spur path to the right, which led briefly downhill and brought us out onto a rocky outcrop with a spectacular view: this was the first of the ledges at Giant Ledge and the destination of this hike.

There was a stunning 180-degree panorama of the Catskills east of Giant Ledge. Below us, the hardwood forests of the range were approaching peak color, although substantial swaths of green remained at lower elevations. The forested slopes of Giant Ledge eventually dropped into the gentle cradle of Woodland Valley, which was bound by Mount Pleasant on its far end. Beyond Mount Pleasant rose the imposing ridge formed by Indian Head Mountain, Twin Mountain, and Plateau Mountain, which are collectively known as the Devil's Path. An extremely challenging trail of that same name connects that chain of mountaintops. Beyond these peaks, the Catskills dropped away to the Hudson River Valley; we could not make out details in the Hudson River Valley clearly but could see the faraway peaks of the Taconics and the Berkshires- including what must have been Massachusetts' Mount Greylock- rising across the valley.

Remarkably, the view included no obvious signs of human habitation: no houses or roads or power lines were clearly visible, so this view gave the illusion that the range- which is actually quite populated- was some remote, untrammeled wilderness. 

Woodland Valley and the Greene County high peaks

Slide Mountain rose to the south as the high point of a ridge that included Wittenburg and Cornell Mountains. At 4190 feet, Slide Mountain is the highest point in the Catskills and the crowning summit of the Catskill High Peaks, which consists of the 35 Catskill peaks that exceed 3500 feet. 

Cornell and Slide Mountains from Giant Ledge

There are a total of five ledges at Giant Ledge, each a rocky outcrop facing east with similar views; hikers wishing for a quieter experience can continue past the first ledge to one of the later overlooks for a bit more solitude. Hikers who are done with the rocky Catskill terrain won't miss out on too much if they turn back after this first ledge, however. Intrepid hikers looking for a longer day hike can continue north up the ridge to the summit of Panther Mountain, roughly a 6 mile round trip journey, but most hikers will find Giant Ledge to be a sufficiently satisfying destination. 

Split Rock Mountain

Lake Champlain from the Ore Bed Overlook on Split Rock Mountain

4 miles round trip, 800 feet elevation gain

Difficulty: Easy-moderate
Access: Paved road to trailhead, no entrance fee

Split Rock Mountain is a quiet hike near the shore of Lake Champlain at the edge of New York State's Adirondack Mountains. This is not a standout hike, delivering just one limited view of Lake Champlain and the surrounding countryside, but it is still an enjoyable jaunt through the forest and you're very likely to have most of this hike to yourself. While multiple hikes are possible in the Split Rock Mountain Wild Forest, a state-managed property that is part of Adirondack Park, and a loop trail in the park heads north over the summit of Split Rock Mountain, most of the trails in the park don't have views; the best hike is perhaps the round-trip journey from the trailhead to the Ore Bed Overlook, which is just south of the mountain's true summit and overlooks the lake.

I hiked Split Rock Mountain during an early October visit to the Adirondacks. Split Rock Mountain abuts Lake Champlain just south of the town of Essex, where a ferry crosses the lake to Vermont; the mountain is the tallest to rise directly above Lake Champlain. The trailhead is about two hours from either Montreal or Albany. To reach the hike from I-87, take exit 31 and follow Highway 9N east to the town of Westport. In town, turn left onto Champlain Ave- New York Route 22- and follow 22 north for a third of a mile. Turn right onto Lakeshore Road and follow it north for 4 miles to the trailhead, which is on the right (east) side of the road and is marked by a hanging wooden sign for the Split Rock Mountain Wild Forest. There is a small gravel parking lot here; the property is administered by the State of New York, which provides online maps of the area.

The first 0.3 miles of the trail follows the Lewis Clearing Bay Trail, ascending gently on a former roadbed through the forest. At 0.3 miles, I came to a junction with the North Rim Trail and I took the left fork, heading off on the North Rim Trail, a logging road which started a slightly steeper ascent as it climbed up the slopes of Split Rock Mountain. In early October, most of the trees here still had their green summer foliage, although a few trees were showing hints of yellow as they started their autumnal transition. Peak fall color along the Adirondack Coast usually comes in mid-October.

North Rim Trail through the forest

After a steady 400 foot ascent from the trailhead, the North Rim Trail dropped downhill slightly to reach a junction with the Robin Run Trail one mile from the start. At the junction, I took the right fork to stay on the North Rim Trail. Continuing along the old roadbed, the trail alternated between gentle ascent and flat hiking through the forest along the ridge for the next 0.6 miles until it reached the base of Split Rock Mountain's summit bump. Here, I started the steepest ascent of the hike, a thankfully short 200-meter stretch that packed in nearly 200 feet of uphill. At the top of the ascent, about 1.8 miles from the trailhead, I came to a junction where the trail to the Ore Bed Overlook split off to the right. The high point of Split Rock Mountain was just about 40 feet higher, another fifth of a mile north along the North Rim Trail and covered with trees, but I skipped tagging the high point to instead visit the Ore Bed Overlook, which has the best view on Split Rock Mountain.

The Ore Bed Overlook Trail was a narrow single-track that circled around a rounded bump on the mountain to reach the top of a small rock outcrop. Trees are growing up and beginning to obscure this view, but there were still pretty views down the length of Lake Champlain, the largest lake in the Northeast outside the Great Lakes. Lake Champlain fills the Champlain Valley, which itself is the northermost extension of the Great Appalachian Valley; the lake is fed by Green Mountains and the Adirondacks and drains north to the St. Lawrence River. Across the lake, I could see some farmland on the Vermont side. A narrow and long lake, Lake Champlain almost looks like a fjord from this angle- it's quite scenic. The lake had great strategic importance to both the Continental and British Armies during the American Revolution and was best known for military engagements at Fort Ticonderorga at the lake's southern end.

View of Lake Champlain from Ore Bed Overlook

The view at Ore Bed Overlook also stretched to the west to encompass some nearby farms and the Adirondacks in the distance. Cloud cover was unfortunately quite low on the day of my visit, preventing me from seeing the High Peaks of the Adirondacks, but the lower foothills near Lake Champlain were still quite pretty. There was a smattering of fall color that appeared to be more intense in the deeper areas of the range.

View of the Adirondacks from Ore Bed Overlook

Adirondacks from Split Rock Mountain

I saw a single other hiker on this trail during about two hours of hiking and didn't see anyone else at the overlook; this did not seem to be a heavily used trail. This is somewhat understandable as the scenery is nice but not amazing, but the lack of crowds did make my experience here more enjoyable. Rattlesnake Mountain, another short hike to the north near Willsboro, is a better option for views of Lake Champlain, but if Rattlesnake is crowded then the hike up Split Rock Mountain to Ore Bed Overlook is a good alternative.

Rattlesnake Mountain (Lake Champlain)

View of Long Pond from the summit of Rattlesnake Mountain

3 miles round trip, 700 feet elevation gain
Difficulty: Easy-moderate with a steep stretch
Access: Paved road to trailhead, no parking fee

Rattlesnake Mountain is a low peak near Lake Champlain in New York State's Adirondack Mountains. The peak lies on private land that has been opened to the public for hiking and provides nice views of Lake Champlain as well as the ponds and mountains that make up the northeastern Adirondacks. The hike up to this peak is fairly gentle save a very steep climb at its conclusion, but rewards with views of the Lake Champlain that extend into Vermont on a clear day.

I hiked Rattlesnake Mountain during an early October visit to the Adirondacks. The hike starts near the town of Willsboro on the shores of Lake Champlain, not far from the town of Essex, where a ferry runs across the lake to Vermont. The trailhead is 1.5 hours from Montreal and a little less than 2.5 hours from Albany. To reach the hike from I-87, take exit 33 and follow New York Route 22 southeast five miles to Long Pond. When you see Long Pond Cabins on the right side of the road, you will spot the trailhead- a dirt turnoff with limited parking- to the left (east) side of the road. This hike is on private land; you should always treat the outdoors respectfully but understand when you visit that public access to wonderful hikes like this one is easier to maintain when the landowners don't have to deal with litter, spillover parking, and other problems. Thanks to the current landowner for allowing access to the peak and its views!

The trail- an old roadbed- delved straight into the forest on a gentle ascent on the lower slopes of Rattlesnake Mountain. The former road crossed a low saddle and then worked its way into a narrow stream valley, steepening as it ascended here. At about a mile in, the trail broke off to the left and began a very steep and direct ascent up Rattlesnake Mountain, climbing up an eroded slope with much exposed rock. Just as the beginning of this trail was very gentle, this stretch of the trail was really very steep, ascending 350 feet in just a fifth of a mile. The trail is not steep enough to require scrambling but hiking poles can be quite helpful for ascending and descending this stretch. The trail leveled out atop the pleasant, forested ridge.

Forest at the top of the ridge on Rattlesnake Mountain

At the top of the ridge, I followed the trail to the right. Almost immediately, a spur trail broke off to the right. I followed this spur trail out to a beautiful southeast-facing overlook. Long Pond lay below while the higher peaks of the Adirondacks rose in the distance. The forest below was showing just a few hints of fall color: I had timed my trip for peak color in the Adirondack High Peaks, which meant that I was too early for peak color by Lake Champlain. In a typical year, one can expect to see peak fall color around Lake Champlain in mid-October.

View of Long Pond and the Adirondacks

Returning to the trail, I soon arrived at a larger rocky outcrop that most visitors will probably take to be the end of the hike. From here, there was a wide view over Willsboro Bay and Lake Champlain, with a view to the south down the length of the lake. The northern end of Willsboro Point was not visible from here, but on a clear day the Green Mountains of Vermont, including Mount Mansfield and Camels Hump, would be in the field of view. The weather was unfortunately overcast during my visit, so even though I could see across the lake and make out the city of Burlington I could only see the bases of the Green Mountains.

View of Willsboro Bay, Lake Champlain, and Vermont

Lake Champlain is the largest lake in the Northeast outside the Great Lakes and one of the larger lakes in the US, defining much of the New York-Vermont border and draining Champlain Valley, which is hemmed in by the Adirondacks and the Green Mountains, north into the St. Lawrence River.

Although it's not obvious, the trail continued from this main viewpoint outcrop, heading north for a fifth of a mile along the flat ridge of Rattlesnake Mountain. There was one more good viewpoint, this one expanding the view shed a bit more to the north to take in the northern edge of Willsboro Point and Lake Champlain; past this viewpoint, a sign indicated that the trail had ended and that the land beyond was private and not open to the public.

View past Willsboro Point and Lake Champlain to the Green Mountains from the last lookout

I saw a handful of other people on this hike on a weekday afternoon with a storm threatening, so it's likely that this hike is fairly popular. The views are indeed quite enjoyable and although the steep stretch of this hike makes this decidedly not an easy hike, it is still a nice summit that is within reach for most hikers.

Noonmark Mountain

Dix Mountain rises above the colorful fall forests of the Adirondacks

6 miles loop, 2350 feet elevation gain
Difficulty: Moderate-strenuous
Access: Paved road to trailhead, no parking fee

Although only 3556 feet tall, the summit of Noonmark Mountain delivers a stunning view of the High Peaks of New York State's Adirondack Park, accessible via a steep trail that requires scrambling up rocks and ladders. Noonmark is not one of the Adirondack High Peaks but is surrounded by those peaks on all sides; it is an excellent fall foliage hike as it overlooks deciduous forests in Keene Valley. The peak is so named because the sun appears behind the mountain at noon when viewed from Keene Valley. This was my favorite hike during my Adirondack visit, reaching a beautiful summit on a trail that was slightly less crowded than many neighboring hikes. I highly recommend this hike, especially in early October.

There are two routes up Noonmark Mountain, both extremely steep: the Henry Stimson Trail up the north ridge of the mountain and the Felix Adler Trail down the southeast ridge. Most hikers approach and return via the Stimson Trail, but I found it enjoyable to make a loop by ascending via the rockier Stimson Trail, descending via the Adler Trail, and then returning via the Old Dix Trail. The loop does not add any particularly scenic destinations to the hike but it does give a bit of variety and avoids descending the ladders on the Stimson Trail. If you choose to skip the loop, you can hike to the summit round trip via the Stimson Trail in 5 miles round trip with slightly less elevation gain.

I hiked Noonmark Mountain during an October visit to the Adirondacks to see the fall foliage. Peak color at Noonmark Mountain is around late September to the first two weeks of October in most years. The hike is near the village of Keene Valley, slightly east of Lake Placid. The trailhead is not far off of I-87, which surely contributes to its popularity; it is a 2 hour drive from either Montreal or Albany. From I-87, you can reach the trailhead by taking exit 30 and then turning left and following US Highway 9 north for 2 miles and then turning left onto New York Route 73. Follow New York Route 73 north for 5.5 miles and then turn left onto Ausable Road at the bottom of a long downhill; the turnoff for Ausable Road is directly across from a turnoff on the right for the Giant/Roaring Brook Trailhead. After turning onto Ausable Road, immediately make another left to enter the trailhead parking lot. There is plenty of parking here, but during the summer and on fall weekends the lot will fill up fairly early in the morning. This is an immensely popular trailhead (it's also used to access Ausable Lake) so it's important to arrive early if you want a spot here. Parking along Highway 73 or Ausable Road is illegal and the town of Keene aggressively tickets anyone who parks along roadways. The town of Keene does operate shuttles to the trailhead from Marcy Field during busy hiking times; otherwise, if the lot is full, you can choose to approach Noonmark Mountain from the Round Pond trailhead or do another hike.

The actual trail does not begin at the parking area, but the last stretch of road to the start of the trail is reserved for members of the Ausable Club, a private country club. From the parking lot, I turned left and followed Ausable Road to the west, crossing Icy Brook. After following the paved road for 0.3 miles from the parking area, I came to the edge of Ausable Club's golf course on the right side of the road; on the left side of the road, a sign directed me to follow a gravel road that split off here to access the Noonmark Mountain Trail. I followed this gravel road uphill through the forest, passing a few driveways to residences before I arrived at the start of the actual trail, which split off to the right of the road.

The trail began with a gentle ascent above Icy Brook through the forest, entering the High Peaks Wilderness and then reaching a junction with the Stimson Trail at 0.6 miles (1 mile from the trailhead). Taking the right fork here, I began a long and direct ascent up the slopes of Noonmark Mountain. The ascent here was very aggressive and steep, packing in 2000 feet of elevation gain over the next 1.5 miles en route to the summit. There's not much to say here: the eschews switchbacks for going straight up the mountain, gaining the north ridge of the mountain and following it up about a third of the way through the ascent. Soon after gaining the ridge, the first views of the hike opened up, an eastward glimpse of the forested slopes of Giant Mountain across Keene Valley. The fall colors were already beautiful here, but it was just a teaser for the incredible foliage show that was to come.

Fall color on the slopes of Giant Mountain

The trail along the ridge was both steep and rocky, with the ascent frequently utilizing climbs up angled rock slabs. At two points on the trail, the obstacles on the rocky terrain were a bit too much and so ladders helped me tackle the uphill. The colorful deciduous forest that I hiked in earlier on transitioned to a dark green conifer forest.

Ladders on the ascent up the Henry Stimson Trail

The sustained ascent helped me gain elevation quickly and finally paid off as I reached the first impressive view outcrops around 3200 feet. Walking out onto massive west-facing cliffs on the ridge, I found extraordinary views of the Great Range and Keene Valley. The mountain slopes above Keene Valley sported some spectacular autumn color, with streaks of dark green conifers mixed into the arboreal cloak of red and orange. I really enjoyed the prevalence of reds and oranges in Adirondack fall colors, which I found more visually stunning than the yellows and browns that dominate fall foliage in the Blue Ridge. 

View north along Keene Valley

To the west lay the Great Range, a rugged ridge connecting a string of Adirondack High Peaks. The lower slopes of these peaks were showing off spectacular fall color as well, though their rocky peaks were above the transition zone to coniferous forest. More or less the entire Great Range is visible here: Lower and Upper Wolfjaw Mountains, Armstrong Mountain, and Gothics Mountain. Behind the Great Range lay Mount Haystack and Mount Marcy, the third and first tallest peaks in New York State.

The Great Range rising above forests exploding with fall color

Although I had already ascended quite a bit, looking above me to the south at the great cliffs of the west face of Noonmark Mountain I realized that I still had a little ways to go.

View toward the summit of Noonmark Mountain

A final push through the still-rocky terrain brought me to the very top of Noonmark Mountain. The good workout of the climb and the spectacular views were extremely invigorating: it felt great to be atop this peak. The summit area was quite spacious, with a broad rock platform providing plenty of good lunch spots on the western and southern sides of the summit. A few trees at the summit prevented me from seeing a full 360-degree from any one spot but I was able to see the whole view with a little bit of walking. Having arrived early in the morning, the summit was fairly quiet while I was there but I appreciated how even with more crowds there would have been plenty of room to space out.

The earlier views of Keene Valley and the Great Range remained in my viewshed at the summit, not particularly changed from when I had gazed out at them at the lower outcrop. The summit brought in views of many more peaks, though: Giant Mountain dominated the horizon to the east, while Dix Mountain rose majestically above a forest blazing with fall color to the south. Layer upon layer of brilliantly colored hills stretched to the southeast, with the Green Mountains of Vermont forming a distant wall along the horizon across Champlain Valley. Even though the view here may not encompass as many peaks as the view on Marcy or other High Peaks, I appreciated being able to study many of the High Peaks from fairly close up. Being at a lower elevation than these peaks also made them seem more majestic than they looked when I saw them on Mount Marcy.

Giant Mountain across the valley from Noonmark Mountain

The Great Range and Mount Marcy

Dix Mountain

Fall colors on the Adirondacks with the Green Mountains in the distance

After sufficiently enjoying the marvelous views, I started the descent on the Felix Adler Trail, which left from the east side of the summit block. This trail required rock scrambling just as the ascent on the Stimson Trail had, although there were no ladders on my descent this direction. The Felix Adler Trail has a grade just as steep as the Henry Stimson Trail: it dropped nearly 1300 feet in a mile. The descent started by following the southeast ridge of Noonmark Mountain, pushing through rocky terrain in coniferous forest, but later returned to some pretty deciduous color during the latter parts of the descent. The trail was continuously brutally steep in its descent, taking a toll on my knees, until it all of a sudden ended as the Adler Trail intersected with the Old Dix Trail.

Fall colors on the descent down the Felix Adler Trail

I turned left to follow the Old Dix Trail north. The trail passed a small clearing with views of colorful forests on nearby Round Mountain. In the spring, this clearing sometimes floods into a pond but during my autumn visit, it was a dry meadow. Continuing past the meadow, the trail gently ascended to a saddle between Noonmark Mountain and Round Mountain. An unmarked trail broke off to the right from the pass to ascend Round Mountain; I ignored that trail and stayed on the Old Dix Trail, which began descending into the Icy Brook drainage on the north side of Noonmark Mountain.

Round Mountain rises above a clear on the Old Dix Trail

Over the next mile, the Old Dix Trail descended moderately and steadily down a pretty, forested ravine, crossing Icy Brook on its way back to meeting up with the Stimson Trail. Finally, 5 miles from the trailhead, I arrived back at the junction for the Stimson Trail; from here, I followed the trail out for the final mile back to Ausable Road and the parking lot.

Noonmark Mountain is an extraordinarily beautiful hike, easily accessible from I-87 with a good workout, some fun rock scrambling and ladders, and absolutely magnificent views. I know it's a popular hike, but that's because it's a good hike! Come early to make sure you nab a parking spot, but do come as this is surely one of the most enjoyable hikes of the Adirondacks.