Absolutely beautiful. Loved every minute of trekking through the caves, bridges and trails. This is…read morea must see attraction in the Adirondacks and a great way to see the natural landscape. Grab a walking stick and get ready for a fun outdoorsy adventure and don't forget to check out the gem & gift shops on the way out!

A really fascinating place to visit for a decent hike/ tour. It's a self guided tour after you grab…read moreyour tickets inside the gift shop. There are some pretty incredible views & a few astounding caves you can explore. The trail features quite a bit of stairs & winding paths so come prepared (eg. walking stick if need be). We saw plenty of families, children & seniors on the trail so it's suitable for an array of people. We saved the coolest part for last: cracking open a few geodes. This is completely random but it's enchanting to wait & see what color is inside! We love this place.

Bald Mountain is rated an easy trail to do with families around Old Forge. My family with teens…read moredecided to hike this trail and said it was super fun. They liked the climbing the boulders, ledges and roots. It does take some balance and finesse to navigate the trail. Some difficult areas have herd trails next to it to help with the steep portions if you're unable to climb. It would be difficult for anyone with mobility issues or balance issues. 3 areas with breath taking views. The full trip is 1.8 miles with a steep incline a few steps in and then some ups and down in the trail. It took our family 28 minutes to hike up. This was with stops to take pictures and 34 minutes to hike down. Descending is more of a challenge. Registration book and pencil at the beginning of the trail to sign in. I would use caution during a wet season or early morning dew.

REALLY enjoyed my hike the other weekend!!…read more I didn't know what to expect because of the number of people this mountain attracts but I was really happy during the hike because it wasn't as crowded as I thought. It was like the perfect amount of hike! The views were gorg and amazing!! We had to wait in line for like 20 minutes to climb up the lookout, but it was totally worth it for the pic and the view! Really beautiful, will be back for sure! Also - be careful parking on the side of the road, the cops wait to give out tickets after people park..

A great hike of moderate difficulty. The summit is lovely, with beautiful views of Lake George and…read morethe surrounding mountains. Some areas of the trail are fairly eroded, but there were crews there working to protect the trail and divert water. Even with a full parking lot, the hike was long enough that we didn't see people very often along the way. We saw some families with little ones, but none near the top, so I'm not sure how far they made it. This wouldn't be an easy hike carrying kids, and I don't think most kids under 10 would stick it through to the end. A few portions are pretty steep, so it'd be tough on little legs. The one downside is that apparently Dacy Clearing Road isn't always fully open to vehicles, so rather than parking closer to the trailhead, you may have a few extra miles to walk on a gravel road. This takes your roundtrip from approximately 5 miles to roughly 8.

One of the most beautiful places I've hiked in. The view from the summit is spectacular on a sunny…read moresummer day, and probably even better in the fall. The hike to the top can be long or short, depending on your skill level, and how you want it to be. If you choose to do a longer hike, you can park at the Hogtown parking lot at the bottom. If you choose the shorter path ( 1.8 mi) to the summit, you must drive further down a dirt path (if the gate to go further is open) for another mile or so and park at the Dacy clearing. The hike itself is not bad. It can be a little rocky and steep, but if you're in average shape, you should be okay. It is for the average to moderate hikers. There were a lot of families with smaller children and dogs when I went. It's definitely something a family can enjoy. If you go on a nice day, I would recommend bringing lunch or snacks with you. It was really nice to eat with a view of the Adirondacks, and Lake George.

Easy hike with wife and 2 kids, ages 12 and 9. Plenty of parking at the trail head. Views are…read moregreat. Fire tower well maintained but they need to remove the glass. The fresh air breeze on the top is always a bonus. There are a couple steep parts but very manageable and one of the easier fire tower hikes you can do. Enjoy

Awesome Hike with a beautiful view on top. About a mile long with some rugged slants and water!!!…read moreThis is the place to go for a "amateur" hike!

Beautiful views! I'm 55 and in fair shape, so the hike got a little daunting towards the top (got…read morea little steep), but the views at the top make it well worth the sweat and panting! A huge plus is that you are protected from the sun by the shade of beautiful trees the entire hike!

The 2-hour hike and 3-hour drive was worth the view we were able to see at the top! The only…read moredownfall to this hike was that it was SUPER muddy but we still continued to hike. The weather was also nice as it peaked in the high 60's.

This was the first high peak we climbed and wow did it pay off! This is often considered the best…read morebeginner high peak but it was still very tough for us given that we were out of shape. Parts of ot are very steep and can be difficult in wet conditons. Cascade is great because if you can push yourself a little more, you can double back to see Porter mountain's peak as well! The view was absolutely breathtaking and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a challenging hike!

One of my favorite hikes in the high peak region -- it's a great starter one to those interested in…read moredoing a high peak. You combine it with Porter to get two mountains off your list, for the "physical price" of doing one! This is a gentle mountain, but still should not be taken lightly as it is a high peak and it will challenge you, no matter how fit you might be. I've climbed this in the summer 2-3 times and at least 2-3 times in the winter. I prefer doing it in the winter personally for less crowds and beautiful ice covered pine sights and an Arctic wonderland, but either one is gorgeous. Parking is free, but limited...come early to try to snag a spot. Doing both mountains will only add an hour or so to your total hike time, so don't be afraid to tackle both even if you might be tired after hitting Cascade. I think Cascade is good to hit first and then head over to Porter, but honestly either one will work well. Plan 3-8hours round trip, depending on your level of physical ability. Come prepared and know the conditions, talk to the rangers or other hikers so you know what to expect.

Great trail for beginners! Pretty short (2ish miles) and about 400ft in elevation change. Great pay…read moreoff at the end

Parking was convenient, the hike was a short 2 mile going and 2 mile coming back. The hike wasn't…read morebad except for the fact we were going up the mountain and the bugs and massive caterpillars. Took us about 30-40 mins going and less going back. Stayed up the mountain to enjoy the view for awhile. We enjoyed our hike and the view was worth it! We would go back!

Super cool and beautiful place to hike there are an abundance of trails a few picnic areas and for…read morethose of you who don't wanna hike you can drive up to the top! Currently it's free to drive up as when I passed the toll booth it stated so! This one will be short and sweet as it's just beautiful here in the trees overlooking the lake! Overall this was an awesome find and the view the breeze blowing through my hair was satisfying beyond any means as this chill relaxing spot was much needed!

This is an excellent autumn hike with amazing views. Although short at only two miles from…read moretrailhead to summit, you'll need proper shoes for this hike and you will warm up due to the steep grade and moderate rock scrambling. We took the red trail all the way to the top and we took the blue trail on the way down (it merges with the red trail). I'm giving four stars because the trail marking are really good, except where they aren't and just disappear for a while or entirely. The red trail is mostly well marked, though there were still times when we just had to keep heading up the mountain because we couldn't find the next marker. On our way down, the blue trail was really, really well marked until it just stopped and we could not find another marker. I'm not a fan of going off trail because I know it can be dangerous and it can be damaging to local ecosystems, but without a clear trail to follow and nearly a mile into the woods, we did the best we could (kept heading downhill and to the right hoping to find the red trail, but eventually finding the road anyway). If you start at the trailhead, you will walk up metal stairs and onto a walkway over the highway. From there, you'll follow the trail about a mile up where you will find a road. Beware of traffic, cross the road, and you'll have another mile to go to reach the summit (you can take red or blue trail) where there is a parking lot and great viewing.

The views from the top make it all worth it in the end after the hike. The hike was 2.5 miles one…read moreway and it took us around 2hrs with stops. We had taken the short path for this hike via shelving rock road. Parking is extremely limited and the trail starts from the parking lot. We had taken water bottles and Gatorade but now looking back I guess water was enough. The hike is moderate and I'd suggest proper boots for this hike. It isn't slippery while climbing but the descend gets tougher if you don't have the proper gear. One slip and you may loose a few teeth. The trail is well marked and you would see plenty of people along the way to guide you. The summit is breathtaking and you could see lake George in all its beauty. Overall, I'd suggest anyone who loves to hike to give this a try. You won't be disappointed.

We loved this hike! We had limited time to make it up and back down so we were really hurrying. It…read moregets pretty steep in some spots but it's well worth the hike. I would have loved if we could have taken our time to slowly hike to the top. Going quickly was definitely a challenge. Once you get to the top, you don't want to come back down! The views are amazing and it's very peaceful up there. I could have relaxed for hours. Sadly, we had to come back down. Well worth the hike! Pictures don't do this beauty any justice.