Highest point in New York, with its stature and expansive views make it a popular destination for hikers, who crowd its summit in the summer months
General Information
How to Get There
From Lake Placid village (approximately 9 miles): Take NY-73 E for approximately 3 miles, then turn right onto Adirondak Loj Rd and follow it approximately 5 miles to the parking area at Adirondak Loj (Heart Lake). The Van Hoevenberg Trail to Mount Marcy begins here.
Overview
Mount Marcy is the highest point in New York at 5,344 feet, in the High Peaks Wilderness Area of the Adirondacks. The last few hundred feet are above tree line, with rocky outcrops, lichens, and alpine shrubs, and on clear days views reach Vermont's Green Mountains and Quebec's Monteregian Hills. It is named for Governor William L. Marcy, and Ebenezer Emmons led the first recorded ascent in 1837. Nearby Lake Tear of the Clouds is often cited as the highest source of the Hudson River.
Routes to the Summit
| Route | Distance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Van Hoevenberg Trail | About 14.8 miles round trip | Shortest and most used, from Adirondak Loj near Heart Lake; doable in a day |
| Johns Brook Trail | About 18 miles round trip | From the Garden trailhead in Keene Valley; can be split at Johns Brook Lodge |
| Southern approaches | Longer | From Upper Works or Elk Lake |
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Mount Marcy", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
Featured Trail
Jeff P from Berkeley, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted
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Van Hoevenberg Trail
16.7 miles round-trip, 3,540 feetTrail to summit of Mount Marcy and highest point in New York. Starts at Adirondack Mountain Club's High Peaks Information Center parking lot, near Adirondack Loj
