What to know for hiking the Adirondack High Peaks

LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. (NEWS10) – The Adirondack Park has dozens upon dozens of hiking and walking trails across its 6 million acres. Among them, 46 stand apart, as the (literal) highest achievements an aspiring Adirondack hiker can hope to reach. If you’re a seasoned hiker in the North Country, it’s likely you’re familiar with the Adirondack High Peaks.

Climbing the peaks is no small challenge. Their elevations range from 3820 feet – Couchsachraga Peak – all the way up to 5344 feet – Mt. Marcy. The longest in terms of miles traveled is Mt. Skylight, coming at 17.9 miles, with an estimated average hike time of 15 hours – a long way from the park’s shortest, sub-3-mile treks.

Hikers who take on the High Peaks and scale them all are able to join the ranks of the “Adirondack 46ers,” a nonprofit organization for people who have recorded their trips up each and every mountain. Hikers are logged by number, and get an official 46er patch to commemorate the achievement. The organization produces a thrice-annual newsletter, gives scholarships to children attending DEC camps, and provides bear canisters and educational materials to camps and hiking trail areas.

If you’re planning to step up to some of the steepest hikes in the Adirondacks, there’s a lot to know. Adirondack stewardship groups and the 46ers organization encourage the close and careful use of “Leave No Trace” rules.

The 7 principles of “Leave No Trace,” as outlined by the Center for Outdoor Ethics, include:

Plan ahead, minimizing trash to be brought onto a trail and being equipped to carry any garbage back with you;
Travel/camp on durable surfaces, avoiding trekking on wet ground where footprints could damage or erode land or water;
Dispose of waste properly, including both garbage (which should be carried back out) and human waste (feces should be buried in a hole 6-to-8 inches deep);
Leave what you find, leaving plants where they are, and not carving initials into trees;
Minimize campfire impacts, purchasing firewood within 50 miles of your campsite, ensuring you are at a location where fires are allowed, and having the knowledge to safely start and extinguish the fire;
Respect wildlife, and do not disturb, approach or feed wild animals, or create any quick or loud commotion that could startle them; and
Be considerate of other visitors, taking care not to disturb fellow hikers as they make their own journeys.

Other rules are in place regarding spending multiple days in the High Peaks Wilderness. Camping is allowed, but overnight group size is limited, with a maximum of eight people at a campsite. Camping is allowed in most places through the backcountry, with exceptions that include historical sites, nature preserves and wildlife management areas, as well as areas within 150 feet of roads, trails, or bodies of water.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has specially-marked “Camp Here” sites, indicated by yellow markers, that are recommended. Bear-resistant canisters are required for all campers to store food, garbage, repellant and toiletries in, from April 1 to Nov. 30.

With safety secured, the next step is knowing the stats of the 46 titans of the upper Adirondacks. The following are stats on every mountain listed among the Adirondack High Peaks, ranked from highest total elevation to lowest.

Mt. Marcy
- Keene Valley
- 5,344-foot elevation
- 14.8 miles
- ~10 hours
Algonquin Peak
- North Elba
- 5,114-foot elevation
- 9.6 miles
- ~9 hours
Mt. Haystack
- Keene
- 4,960-foot elevation
- 17.8 miles
- ~12 hours
Mt. Skylight
- Keene
- 4,926-foot elevation
- 17.9 miles
- ~15 hours
Whiteface Mountain
- Wilmington
- 4,867-foot elevation
- 10.4 miles
- ~8.5 hours

Dix Mountain
- Keene
- 4,857-foot elevation
- 13.2 miles
- ~10 hours
Gray Peak
- Keene
- 4,840-foot elevation
- 16 miles
- ~14 hours
Iroquois Peak
- Newcomb
- 4,840-foot elevation
- 11.6 miles
- ~11 hours
Basin Mountain
- Keene
- 3,650-foot elevation
- 16.5 miles
- ~11 hours
Mt. Gothics
- Keene
- 4,736-foot elevation
- 10 miles
- ~9 hours
Mt. Colden
- Keene
- 4,714-foot elevation
- 15.2 miles
- ~10 hours
Giant Mountain
- Keene
- 4,627-foot elevation
- 6 miles
- ~7.5 hours

Nippletop
- North Hudson
- 4,620-foot elevation
- 12.6 miles
- ~10 hours
Santanoni Peak
- Newcomb
- 4,607-foot elevation
- 11.4 miles
- ~10 hours
Mt. Redfield
- Keene
- 4,606-foot elevation
- 17.5 miles
- ~14 hours
Wright Peak
- North Elba
- 4,580-foot elevation
- 7 miles
- ~7 hours
Saddleback Mountain
- Keene
- 4,515-foot elevation
- 13.4 miles
- ~10 hours
Panther Peak
- Newcomb
- 4,442-foot elevation
- 12 miles
- ~13.5 hours
Table Top Mountain
- Essex County
- 4,427-foot elevation
- 10 miles
- ~7-9 hours

Rocky Peak Ridge
- Keene
- 4,420-foot elevation
- 13.4 miles
- ~11 hours
Macomb Mountain
- North Hudson
- 4,405-foot elevation
- 8.4 miles
- ~8 hours
Armstrong Mountain
- Keene Valley
- 4,400-foot elevation
- 12.7 miles
- ~11 hours
Hough Peak
- North Hudson
- 4,400-foot elevation
- 13.7 miles
- ~11 hours
Seward Mountain
- Harrietstown
- 4,361-foot elevation
- 16 miles
- ~17 hours
Mt. Marshall
- Newcomb
- 4,360-foot elevation
- 14 miles
- ~11 hours
Allen Mountain
- Keene Valley
- 4,340-foot elevation
- 16.2 miles
- ~13 hours