5 of the Best Adirondacks Backpacking Loops

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5 of the Best Adirondacks Backpacking Loops

To those not familiar with the region, mountains may not be the first thing that come to mind when thinking of the states along the eastern seaboard. While they may not be the towering behemoths of the Rockies out west, states such as Vermont, Maine, and New York offer plenty of mountain hikes. In fact, New York alone boasts 3 notable mountain ranges: The Catskills, the Adirondacks, and part of the Appalachian range. With that said, the Adirondacks offer some of the best backpacking loops in the eastern United States.

Where are the Adirondacks?

Located in upstate New York in the northeast corner, the Adirondack Mountains and Park take up a whopping 6 million+ acres. This huge chunk of protected wilderness takes up more area than any of the national parks in the lower 48 states. Because of its protected status, many areas of old-growth forest can be found in the park.

What Can You Find in the Adirondacks?

The Adirondacks, as you can imagine, house a diversity of terrain. Be prepared to see everything from lakes and waterfalls to 4,000 foot mountain peaks and boreal forests. If you are into spooky stuff, even some ghost towns can be found in the region! Adirondack Park also contains an assortment of wetland areas, including swamps, bogs, and marshes.

Over half of the park is populated by hardwood forests. Naturally, as you get higher up in the mountains, the tree species change from hardwood forests into basalm fir and red spruce in the mid-regions and again to black spruce once you reach around 3,500 feet elevation. There are even several small areas in the park considered to be alpine habitats.

Speaking of elevation, the Adirondacks has some considerable peaks, ranging from 1,200 feet to 5,344 feet at the mountains’ (and the state’s) highest point, Mount Marcy. These mountains contain over 100 peaks, over 40 of which are over 4,000 feet high! (Known as the High Peaks Region) This mountain system is also interesting in that it is not a typical “range”, but rather a somewhat circular dome shape that spans 160 miles in diameter.

Taking up roughly the same amount of area as the entire state of neighboring Vermont, Adirondack Park is a backpacker’s paradise. With varying degrees of difficulty and length, you’re sure to find a hike that tickles your fancy out of the 2,000+ miles of trails it offers. And don’t forget about the 3,000 lakes and ponds and 1,200 miles of rivers along the way either!

With so many trails and the diversity of biomes in the park, it was hard to choose just a handful of the best backpacking loop hikes it offers. Whether you’re going on your very first backpacking trip or your 50^th, this list has a trail for you! Happy hiking!

Pharaoh Lake Loop Trail

Located near Ticonderoga, the Pharaoh Lake loop trail is a good one for beginners. At 6 miles and an elevation gain of less than 100 feet, Pharaoh Lake is not too long or arduous, perfect for dipping your toes in the waters of backpacking. You can literally dip your toes in the water too on a hot day along the 441 acres of Pharaoh Lake. Since the hike itself doesn’t take long, try some fishing while you’re here as well.

Several designated tent camping sites and a couple of lean-tos are available along this trail. As you can imagine, the lean-tos tend to be popular sites and are first come, first serve, so always be sure to bring ALL of your gear with you, just in case you’re not able to snag one of these spots. Besides, you’ll get a better view of the stars and the Milky Way on clear nights without the cover of a lean-to roof.

As you will quickly find with many of the trails in Adirondack Park, Pharaoh Lake Loop has more than one starting point and several connecting trails to make your hike even longer, if you like. In this case, the connecting trails lead to even more ponds to discover in the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness. If you are feeling extra adventurous, you can also head off to Pharaoh Mountain. (2,551 feet)

High Falls Cat Mountain Trail

This trail, located near Wanakena, is a little (ok, a lot) more challenging at 1,300 feet of elevation change, which isn’t terrible, but…It is 19.2 miles in length. Good thing you aren’t planning on doing it all in a day, right? Hiking difficulty is relative to each hiker, of course, but High Falls Cat Mountain trail could mostly be considered moderate with some areas proving more difficult.

This trail offers a little bit of everything, yet, perhaps because of the mileage, sees light traffic, so you’re almost guaranteed seclusion. This also makes it more likely for you to nab one of the lean-tos along the trail. One is located at Janack’s Landing and the other on the Oswegatchie River near the falls.

Speaking of the falls, it and the short hike to Cat Mountain are both actually located on short jaunts off of the main loop. High falls is on a mere .5 mile spur and Cat Mountain is about 1.5 miles off the trail.

With ponds and lakes along the way, springtime is probably not the best time to take a trip on this trail. It tends to get very muddy and buggy and sometimes the bodies of water even end up overflowing onto the trail. It’s advised to either wear waterproof shoes or go later in the season.

Mount Marshall Loop Through Indian Pass

If you’re a more seasoned hiker and aren’t afraid of a little elevation change, Mt. Marshall and Indian Pass are for you! Located near Newcomb, this trail is 15.5 miles long, contains 3,405 feet of elevation gain, and also receives light traffic.

This trail poses some interesting challenges with steep areas, rock scrambles, and ladders, but the views can’t be beat. The Indian Pass Brook is especially gorgeous in the fall. You’ll also find huge boulders along the way, evidence of herd paths, and views of Wallface Mountain and Summit Rock. And, of course, you’ll eventually be climbing Mount Marshall (4,360 ft) and checking off another summit on the 46 high peaks in the park, if you’re into that.

If you’re not familiar, many people like to challenge themselves to hike to all 46 peaks in the park above 4,000 feet (the High Peaks). Falling in about the middle of the list height-wise, Mount Marshall would be a great one to start with too!

Great Range Loop Trail

With a daunting 5,458 feet of elevation gain and 16.5 miles in total, the Great Range Loop Trail is definitely more for the advanced hiker. You can find the trailhead near Keene Valley and, with 7 different mountains to summit, you had better be prepared to do some prolonged climbing!

Along this section of the Great Range trail you will climb Roostercomb, Hedgehog, Lower and Upper Wolf Jaw, Armstrong, Gothics, and Pyramid. (Don’t you just love all of these names?) All of these are of varying difficulties to climb, though most are said to be not too bad. There are some tough scramble spots and even an area on the other side of Gothics with a permanent cable to help hikers, so exercise caution, especially in/after the rain. (By the way, Gothics is said to be one of the most scenic areas in the park with its 360° views.

From here you can go one of two ways. You can either head back down past Rainbow Falls or continue on for an even more extensive hike to Mount Marcy, summiting Sawteeth, Saddleback, Basin, and Haystack Mountains along the way. In our opinion, the Great Range Loop Trail an excellent option if you’re looking for advanced hiking loops for your backpacking trip through the Adirondacks.

Mount Marcy, Mount Skylight, and Gray Peak Loop

Being the highest point in the park as well as the entire state of New York, this trail is sure to be a challenge. Located near Lake Placid, this Mount Marcy trail is 17.6 miles long, offers 5,068 feet of elevation gain, and gives you the chance to cross off 3 of the 46 High Peaks in one day.

Other than the fun challenge of climbing these three peaks, you also pass Lake Arnold, Feldspar Brook, Indian Falls, and Lake Tear of the Clouds. The latter is especially cool because it is said to be where the Hudson River begins.

Several options are available for camping. There is a campground at the beginning of the trail at Marcy Dam. Or, if you prefer something more secluded, there are a few lean-tos and designated campsites along the way.