Great hike. Loved the views from the summit. Challenging but so worth the views. We used hiking…read morepoles and it make the trip down a little easier on the knees. It was about 6 miles round trip and the trail was very well laid out. Highly recommend!

A wonderful hiking experience that is suitable for families, dogs, and even the hikers who may not…read morehave the same strength and stamina they once did. The view at the top is totally worth it - and there's plenty of space to spread out on the summit to sit, eat a snack and soak up the fresh ADK air. Typical of many ADK trails, the trail to Ampersand is filled with rocks that could be a stream (or could become one in rainy weather). But it is a well maintained trail. The first mile or so is flat and cushiony with a few places where you're crossing some boggy areas. Then you reach a section of larger rocks that function like stairs, and finally you get to more large smooth rock surfaces and boulders that you'll need to maneuver up to get to the last stretch before the basically bald summit. I am not in my prime as a hiker, but this was a manageable hike for me. Trekking poles are highly recommended to provide balance and stability if you need it - though kids and fit people can do well without. We saw many children on this trail as well as a lot of dogs (on leash of course) - even one with three legs! We met a local gentleman who was running up to the summit and impressed us all! The best part of this trail though really is the summit. Sweeping views 360 degrees around make for an absolute prize when you reach the top. And if the weather is warm, it makes total sense to reach the summit, come back down and make the extra half mile trek to the beach from the parking lot. A nice sandy beach and shallow bay area of the lake make for a perfect spot to cool off and rejuvenate after your hike. 10 our of 10 would recommend. And I'll be back next month to lead a group of Cross Country runners on this same trail!

If you enjoy nature, are physically strong and love challenges, this trail is for you…read more Free parking at the trail head. The trail is not well maintained. Restroom is only available at the trail head. There are signs at the beginning but signs are missing at the latter part of the trail. So we rely on the ribbons marked by other hikers to find our way. It takes us 3.5 hours to hike up to the Whiteface Mountain parking lot given we are pretty active. The last section of hike requires walking on a very narrow path on the edge of a cliff without any barrier. It is a challenge to me because I have acrophobia. However, the scenes near the top of the mountain area beautiful and totally worth of all the effort. Be prepared the hike going down will take another 2.5 hours according to other hikers. We decided to run along the highway which is 12KM which took us 1.5 hours.

One of the Saranac Six, this mountain is a challenge. There is a trail hike to a split where you go…read moreto Haystack or McKenzie. In total it is about three miles up, then you gotta come back down. This mountain is a bit of a challenge. There are a lot of steep areas. When I was hiking it was raining and got very slippery. My dog and I fell several times. Definitely going to try it again when it isn't wet outside. The trail is gorgeous and is great for pictures. Love the water that cuts through the trails.

This is one of those things you shouldn't review because you don't want it overloaded with others,…read morewhere the selfish gene blooms. But, this is also one of those things you must-must-must review because it's the best damn thing God & Mother Nature ever could have birthed. And, sure, reviewing a trail seems strange, but this is the Adirondacks -- and there's a fine chance someone is looking for the hike of their life; this is it. I've hiked a bit, yes, but I've never climbed a mountain, let alone two -- and that's what this trail offers. All told you'll be ascending just about 8,700 feet of elevation (yeah, I know, in one hike). You can "bag 2" of the 46 peaks over 4,000 ft. elev are on this trail. If you hike in on the West end (like us) you'll climb Giant Mtn. 11 miles later you'll end up on the East end if you hike through (the key to this is to have a loving partner / family member / neighbor move your vehicle from where you hike in over to where you hike out so you can hike through rather than back track -- there's also the drop off, pick up option too). I'll leave the dirty details for when you dive in to this (and, really, you can just dive in as I did: I hadn't hiked in 4 years, and not exercised in nearly a year and I pulled it off, so you can, too.) Beyond human will, what's the driving force? Companionship on the trail, the fact you get to the peak of a mountain twice, and then the endless payoffs of 360º views for just about 50% of the trail. (Really: the photo set I added is a panorama of the trail from Bald Mountain, a little over halfway through the trail). It's called Ridge Trail for a reason. You spend a majority of the time on rocky ridges overlooking the 6 million acres of the ADK, Lake Champlaign and Vermont. If you time your hike right (late July to mid-August) you'll come across Blueberry Cobble where wild mountain blueberries blossom. There's also a 3000+ ft. alpine lake -- Lake Mary Louise to "water up." Bring a water filter. Overnight camping areas are super limited, and considering the difficulty of the trail you'll want to leave packing in gear for the well-versed and fit (cobble is an option for an overnight). If you hike in at 730am, plan to hike out around 530pm (however if you're the amazing guy in red that trekked this trail in just about 6 hours total, I think, that we came across, I'm super impressed and I should've high-fived you). You'll traverse 11 miles of some of the best nature views of your life. Consider the steep, narrow 4 hour rocky, rooty descent before you take this on. Going down a mountain can be easily overlooked, and this is a painstaking descent that takes a massive amount of mental focus. If you do take it on, the mental, emotional, phyiscal and spiritual clarity that happens will carry through the rest of your life. And, believe it or not, you'll be ready to do it all over again. This was my first ever hike in the Adirondacks, and it's far beyond novice or intermediate, and I like that. There's no better introduction to this mountain range to inspire someone -- like me -- to become a 46'er by the time I'm 46. Two down!

This is the perfect example of a place where burgers and done right. No idea who the chef is behind…read morethis place, but honestly the crispiest buns I have ever seen! The pickles, burger patties, even the soda were all just incredibly deep fried to PERFECTION! Lots of room for improvement... it's pretty alright. The hostess kept giving me strange looks and telling me that I needed to leave, and that I looked "unwell" and "sick" but it's a free country and she did not receive much of a tip. 10/10 would recommend highly

There are certain accomplishments in life that sound considerably more impressive when you leave…read moreout a few details. "I summited Whiteface Mountain." This is true. "How?" I drove. If you have ever wanted to stand atop a legitimate Adirondack High Peak but have no particular interest in hiking several miles uphill to get there, the Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway is the place for you. We paid $75 for our van of five to make the trip up, and I thought it was money well spent. The highway climbs roughly 2,300 feet over five miles toward the summit of 4,867 foot Whiteface Mountain. Built as a memorial to World War I veterans and opened in the 1930s, it remains one of the highest paved roads in the Northeast. The drive up is beautiful and surprisingly easy. The views improve as you climb until you reach the parking area near the summit and the wonderfully peculiar Whiteface Castle. Built from native stone, the castle contains a cafe, gift shop, and restrooms. From there, you can walk the final few hundred feet up what they generously call a staircase to the summit. The other option is to walk a few hundred feet across the parking area to a tunnel which leads to the elevator. The ride takes about 90 seconds, but the elevator is quite small, perhaps half a dozen passengers plus the operator, so I imagine the wait could get lengthy when the mountain is busy. The views from the summit are incredible. On a clear day, the Adirondacks seem to stretch forever in every direction. It is a spectacular reward for a relatively modest amount of physical exertion. The cafe and gift shop are predictably expensive, because apparently altitude causes inflation, but the pizza was actually not bad. One piece of advice for the drive back down: save the scenic pull offs for the descent. The road is steep, and even when using low gear, your brakes are going to be doing some serious work. Stop at the pull offs, enjoy the views, and give them a chance to cool down before continuing. There is no prize for reaching the bottom with the hottest brakes in the Adirondacks. Five stars. This is an absolute must do if you are anywhere near Lake Placid. You get a beautiful historic drive, a castle on a mountain, an elevator through the mountain, and spectacular summit views. You may not have hiked to the top of Whiteface Mountain, but you were there. And your legs will never tell anyone otherwise.

Wanna see the high peaks but don't like hiking? This gorgeous, scenic drive up to Whiteface…read moremountain's summit is the perfect solution. There is a fee (I believe $10 a car or $10 per passenger) but it is worth it to see unforgettable views of the high peaks region. Before you even reach the top, you will find yourself pulling over to capture all the sights along the way. There is a gift shop at the top for souvenirs and multiple sections to view from. There is a long tunnel through the mountain you walk through from the parking lot. I could spent hours here soaking up the views and never tire of it! An absolute must on any Lake Placid trip itinerary!

This was our first of the Saranac six and this mountain is by no means easy. It's quite steep…read moretoward the top but it was a fun challenge checking it off our list of hikes to complete. The views are often obsreidtwd by trees but the fieww of Saranac Lake and the mountains beyond are beautiful as Ever! You definitely need to have good shoes and hiking poles for this hike as the grade gets pretty steep towards the top. We enjoyed the hike, took about an hour and a half with stops for rest and pictures and about half an hour back down.

Tried to hike but it was so icy, we turned around. We weren't prepared with right footwear. Only…read moreenough parking for about 3 cars.

Mountain Bikers out there, you're so gonna love these babies!!…read more First, full disclosure, we're not mountain bikers, we're more the hiking type. However, after walking some of these trails today, we're pretty sure Mountain bikers in particular will love them! Currently there are 7 trails to choose from with 3 levels of difficulty. The trails are a multi-purpose landmark for the New York State DEC and are open to mountain biking, hiking, trail running, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and pretty much whatever else you can do without the use of a motor vehicle. The trail we hiked had many cool twists and turns that flowed through a beautiful open forest habitat. Very different from any of the other areas we've hiked in the last week, so if you're in the area give Beaver Brook trails a try. We think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Special Note: The tract network was built, and is maintained, almost entirely by volunteers. So, please be respectful of their work and other users as you enjoy these trails. List of the current trails and level of effort: Trail 1 - Double Time is 0.6 mile long and is Ranked Easy Trail 2 - Make Believe is 0.8 mile long and is Ranked Easy Trail 3 - Twisted Pine is 0.3 mile long and is Ranked Hard Trail 4 - Safe Bet is 0.4 mile long and is Ranked Moderate Trail 5 - Good Luck is 0.9 mile long and is Ranked Hard Trail 6 - Coniferous is 0.6 mile long and is Ranked Easy Trail 7 - All-In is 3.0 miles long and ranked Hard

Wright was the second high peak we climbed. It is challenging if you are an inexperienced hiker or…read moreare out of shape, but so worth the views you see at the top. The last section of the climb is extremely steep. Like another reviewer mentioned, there are remnants of an old plane near the summit which is a unique but sad landmark.

Mount Wright is a fantastic high peak and #16 by height out of the 46 high peaks in the region. The…read moretrail for Mount Wright is challenging, but fun and passes through a waterfall and is wonderfully picturesque. The trail starts at the Adirondack Loj and some ambitious folks hit two peaks in one day with Wright and Algonquin which are quite close to each other, although Algonquin is the 2nd tallest peak in the region. Mount Wright is also unique in that it has aircraft remains near the summit from an unfortunate military aviation accident back in the 40s. There's a memorial and plaque commemorating the pilots and you can hike a bit to see remains of the plane. Difficulty-wise, I'd say the summit is a 3-5 hour round trip for experienced hikers and 5-8 if you're struggle bussing. I love this peak and trail and have completed it a number of times now. Definitely recommend it!