A Guide to Hiking in the Adirondacks

Aside from the natural beauty of the surroundings and the incredible views offered by the many peaks and valleys of the Adirondacks, the region offers quite a bit of history. In fact, some of the trails themselves were important for travel, especially for Native Americans -- the Iroquois and Algonquin nations, for instance, often fought over the Lake George-Lake Champlain water route, which provided the easiest passage through the Adirondack Mountains. And for those interested in military history and architecture, there are several routes leading to important battlefronts and forts, including Fort William Henry, Crown Point and Fort Ticonderoga.

Today, there are dozens of hiking trails with varying levels of difficulty for the outdoor enthusiast. It's easier than ever to plan a trip to one of the many falls or mountains, as Adirondack.net has plenty of information regarding trails, difficulty levels and attractions.

Of course, there's nothing quite like holding the map in your hand and plotting your route with a simple compass (especially since cell phone reception is unreliable throughout the region). There are several maps and trail guides available in the local New York region, and they're usually free or affordable. If you're looking for topographical information on the mountains and trails, seek out "The Adirondacks: The Lake George Region." Other helpful sources and organizations include the Adirondack Mountain Club Headquarters and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

With 6 million acres, dozens of hiking trails and several daunting mountains, there's a lot of ground to cover, and a lot of possibilities -- particularly if you or your family is new to hiking. Fortunately, a number of tour and hiking coordination companies are around for just this sort of thing. Generally divided by region, a guided hike with a private, seasoned hiker who knows the area can make the idea of hiking these majestic mountains seem a lot less complicated. Some will even provide a package deal that includes another area of recreation expertise, such as fly fishing, camping, hunting, wildlife spotting or canoeing.

These guides (who must be licensed with the state of New York) operate during all four seasons, and they can accommodate beginners, families or seasoned experts looking for a new challenge. They'll even provide equipment for hiking and additional activities.

There are few activities as wholesome and healthy as a group hike. The Adirondacks has a number of family friendly trails and areas. Gurney Lane Nature Trail offers a 1.3-mile (2.1-kilometer) educational nature walk through a wilderness park, complete with info kiosks and viewpoints. The end reward: a trout-stocked pond for fishing.

Sawyer Mountain is a good hike for beginners or families with children. A little over a mile (1.6 kilometers), it leads to a real summit of a moderate elevation of 630 feet (192 meters). Go past the forested summit a bit to find a rock ledge with great views of the area. With Panther Mountain, the ascent is fast and the peak less than a mile away, making it an ideal, morning-long hike for any family. Round trip, it's a little over a mile and a half (2.4 kilometers).

Roaring Brook Falls has family activities as well as family-appropriate hiking. In addition to shorter trails, there's a waterfall, which older family members can hike up via a steep rock face. The trail that leads to the falls is wide, flat and easy for children.

There are 46 Adirondack High Peaks, the name for the particular region of the highest, most treacherous summits that provide the most challenging hiking experiences available in the otherwise easy-to-moderate Adirondack hiking scene.

These are not family hikes, nor are they solo hikes. These are hikes for a seasoned hiking pro. They tend to be more than 10 miles (16.1 kilomters) and might take the typical hiker at least a full day to complete. But who has the stamina to hike uphill for 12 hours a day? That means that you're going to want to bring camping gear with you, as well as a hiking companion to keep things safe. (And make sure to bring lots of water, and to tell someone back home or at headquarters the exact peak you were attempting, so if anything happens, someone can locate you.)

Ranked on a scale of 1 to 7, in which 1 is the easiest and 7 is the most difficult, 35 of the 46 peaks rank at least a 5. That's because the ascent of the climb for most of these peaks is at least half of the total elevation, meaning you've got a steep climb almost the whole way up.

A few of the truly killer peaks have a ranking of 7. Mt. Haystack is 4,960 feet (1,511.8 meters) high with a 17.8-mile (28.6-kilometer), 12-hour hike. Mt. Redfield is 4,606 feet (1,403.9 meters) high for a 17.5-mile (28.2-kilometer), 14-hour hike. The toughest is probably Mt. Emmons, 4,040 feet (1,231.4 meters) high for an 18-mile (29-kilometer), 18-hour hike.

An easy hike is a great way to spend a vacation day. Most of the trails in the Adirondack range lend themselves to daylong, family excursions, allowing you to bring a picnic, enjoy the views and make it back by dark. Here are some recommended courses to check out.

Mostly a leisurely, easy for most hike with only a few tough spots is Black Mountain. You'll get a variety of lovely views of the northern end of Lake George, as well as the rocky peaks of Tongue Mountain and the Sugarloaf Mountains. The reward at the peak is an abandoned fire tower, an outpost up until the 1970s for fire wardens on forest-fire watch. After or during the hike, there's more recreation at one of three ponds via trails within a mile of the summit.

The Buck Mountain trail provides great views of the High Peaks of the Adirondacks, as well as Lake George and Bolton Landing off in the distance. This is a great place to start if you've never hiked the Adirondacks, but only if you've got some hiking experience, since it's of moderate difficulty level.

Cat Mountain is a 6-mile (9.7-kilometer) hike, and it has many different terrains and sights, including wetlands and even a beaver pond. Taking the side trail up Thomas Mountain leads to scenic lake-views, while other side trails are available in a variety of difficulty levels, allowing you to design your own hike day.