Best lake trails in Lake George Wild Forest, New York

The first mile of the hike is on a primarily wide trail with a slight grade. There is an intersection that leads to several other summits not too far in - be sure to maintain your trail markers. The descent through mile 2 becomes steeper and has rocky sections with a few easy stream crossings. The views slowly start to come during the last mile or so of the hike as the canopy recedes and the rocky scrambles begin. Some of the scrambles may require a hands on approach so care should be taken with the younger hikers. The view from the summit is well worth the hike. Tons of blueberries near the summit in early summer. Tend to go fast due to heavy foot traffic that same time of year.Show more

Relatively easy hike with only a few challenging spots - rewarded with great views and a fire tower. Follow the trail to a road through the woods. Follow this road half a mile to a trail junction just before a private residence. Follow the small red DEC trail markers as the trail skirts right around the home and heads off into the woods. Make sure to follow the small red markers as snowmobile trails are also in the area. You will see a trail heading off to the left towards Lapland Pond. Ignore this and continue on towards the summit. At 2,646 feet you are at the summit of Black Mountain where you will find a fire observers cabin and a firetower. If you wander around the summit a bit you will find excellent views up through the Narrows of northern Lake George. Continue on and take the trail that leads down off the southern edge of the summit towards Black Mountain Point. This will then intersect with another base trail where you will head west (left) towards Lapland Pond Junction. At the Lapland Ponds junction head north (left), follow the blue markers and this will bring you back to the original trail you came in on and after about 2.2 miles you should reach your car.Show more

The trail up to Sleeping Beauty Mountain has many switchbacks with moderate steepness. Along the way, there are stunning views of Lake George and the southeastern Adirondacks. The trail from Dacy Clearing to the cutoff to Sleeping Beauty is a broad tote road. The trail beyond that point is a delight with a series of switchbacks around cliffs. The views are expansive and include Crane Mountain to the west and Pico and Killington to the east. You are also able to view Lake George in the distance. The cliffs face east, south, and west, so you can enjoy a sunny hike. The trail continues to loop around the pond near the summit. The trail descends again, passing several lookouts before you complete the loop and return back to the parking lot. Show more

The parking area is very easy to miss as the signage is not very noticeable. Off line map is recommended to get oriented as several users have reported that this trail is not well marked and it's easy to get lost. The trail initially heads along a carriage road around Edgecomb Pond. About a quarter-mile in, make a left and follow the red trail into the forest. Initially this trail is fairly flat and easy, but at about the one-mile mark it starts to become steeper and turns into a moderate uphill trek. At about 1.5 miles the trail becomes steeper still for the final push but the views just before the summit are beautiful and offer a taste of whats to come. The views from the summit are stunning. From the summit, you can choose to return along the same route (makes for GREAT butt-sliding in the winter). Alternatively you could turn it into a loop by following the blue trail back to the carriage road. Look out for the Geocache along the trail close to the summit.Show more

A great loop hike that brings you along the shore of Lake George then over 3 small peaks on the Tongue Mountain Range. You will park at the southern trailhead for the Tongue Range, Clay Meadows next to a quarry. From there you will follow a nice trail around the shore of the lake to Montcalm Point where you'll have great views of the Narrrows. Then you'll gradually ascend the southern end of the Tongue Range over 3 nice peaks with great views over the lake below.Show more

Follow the blue discs from the trail register; the trail is very well marked and easy to follow. The first mile or so is a fairly easy grade on a wide track, this eventually narrows down to a single track through the woods. At about 1.2 miles you start to ascend towards the first peak, this is a mostly moderate steady climb, but there are a couple of spots where it gets a little more strenuous. There are tree-obstructed views of Lake George from this peak, but nothing spectacular. Continue along the trail, heading down from the first peak, then (about 3 miles) up a grade to the second peak. This peak has a flat open area with great south-looking views of Lake George. From here is a steady descent down through the woods towards Pole Hill Pond. At about 6 miles the trail makes a sharp left into the woods to avoid private land, pay attention to the Posted signs and respect the landowners wishes. For the final leg of the hike take a right and follow the Yellow discs back out towards the trail register.Show more

This is a great hike over a small mountain range called the Tongue Mountain Range on Lake George, NY. This hike will take you over Brown Mountain which has a lean-to and up to the top of Five Mile Mountain. You'll also be rewarded with a great dip in Lake George at Deer Leap if you have the energy to run downhill to the lake and back. From the intersection you will then follow the trail out to the Southern Clay Meadows parking lot.Show more