The Lake Placid 9er.

Nine peaks around Lake Placid, none on the 46 list. The recommended post-46 introduction to the lower peaks — short days, big views, and a finisher's patch from ROOST.

The Peaks→Register · ROOST→

The list9 peaksin the canonical order

All told29.4 miround-trip, every summit

HighestHurricane Mountain3,678 ft DEC alertsAll clearon the summit trails

LiveRoster + advisories read from the catalogue · DEC daily

The Lake Placid 9er is administered by ROOST — the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism. Nine peaks that ring the village, all hikable in a day, none above 4,000 feet. The list reads like a greatest-hits of the lower High Peaks region: Mount Jo above Heart Lake, Hurricane’s fire tower over the Jay Range, Catamount’s exposed open summit, and Pitchoff’s long ridge across the road from Cascade.

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§ The Peaks · In the Canonical Order

The roster, entered by hand.

29.4 mi round-trip, all told

No. 01Cobble HillCobble Hill rises to 2,336 feet in the eastern Adirondacks. A short bushwhack from nearby trails; the wooded summit offers no views, but the climb is quick and the peak sees few visitors.2,336 ft1.6 mi RT No. 02Mount JoMount Jo rises to 2,877 feet above the Adirondak Loj trailhead — a 2.3-mile round-trip climb that delivers summit views of Mount Marcy and Heart Lake in under two hours. Short trail, open rock ledges, and reliable footing make it the standard warm-up hike for newcomers testing their legs.2,877 ft2.2 mi RT No. 03Baxter MountainBaxter Mountain rises to 2,425 feet in the southeastern Adirondacks near Keene Valley. The 1.5-mile trail from Route 9N climbs steadily to open ledges with views across the Champlain Valley — a short hike rewarding hikers with minimal time investment.2,425 ft2.4 mi RT No. 04Mount Van HoevenbergMount Van Hoevenberg rises to 2,936 feet between Lake Placid and the High Peaks Wilderness. The summit trail is a moderate 4-mile round-trip from the Olympic Sports Complex parking area — steady climb, forested views, quiet compared to its famous neighbors.2,936 ft3.6 mi RT No. 05Big Crow MountainBig Crow Mountain rises to 2,812 feet in the northern Adirondacks with no maintained trail to its summit. Bushwhackers climb it for solitude and a modest view — most approach from the north via logging roads near Debar Mountain Road.2,812 ft1.2 mi RT No. 06Bear Den MountainA sub-peak of Whiteface near the Memorial Highway base lodge. Member of the Lake Placid 9er challenge.2,650 ft3.4 mi RT No. 07Pitchoff MountainPitchoff Mountain rises to 3,497 feet along Route 73 between Keene and Lake Placid, offering multiple open ledges with direct views of the High Peaks across the valley. The ridge traverse covers roughly 5 miles with several summit knobs — steep in sections, but the exposed rock slabs make it a reliable viewpoint hike.3,497 ft4.4 mi RT No. 08Catamount MountainCatamount Mountain rises to 3,173 feet in the southern Adirondacks, a trailless peak climbed by bushwhack from Wakely Dam or Mill Creek Road. The route demands navigation skills and tolerance for thick spruce — count on slow miles and no views until you summit.3,173 ft3.8 mi RT No. 09Hurricane MountainHurricane Mountain stands at 3,678 feet in the Champlain Valley region, topped by a fire tower that survived decommissioning in 1971. The standard route climbs 3.6 miles round-trip from Route 9N — steep in sections, but the summit tower delivers a 360-degree sweep of the High Peaks, Lake Champlain, and Vermont's Green Mountains.3,678 ft6.8 mi RT

§ Field Notes · What the Locals Know

Read this before the first trailhead.

ROOST publishes the 9er as a post-46 introduction to the lower peaks, but in practice it’s also become the go-to for visitors who want a single trip-checklist that scales from a long weekend to a full week. Big Crow at 1.2 miles RT and Hurricane at 6.8 are the reasonable bookends; the conventional shape is building a four-day itinerary out of pairs (a shorter peak and a longer peak per day).

Three of the nine share trailheads with 46er routes.Cobble Hill and Mount Jo both leave from Heart Lake / Adirondak Loj — same parking, same fee, same first quarter-mile as Marcy. Mount Van Hoevenberg leaves from the Olympic Cross Country Center. That means the 9er can double as reconnaissance: bag the lower peak as a half-day, then come back the next morning for the 46er from the same parking lot.

Bear Den Mountain is the asterisk on this list.ROOST counts it; USGS doesn’t recognize it as a named peak (it’s a shoulder of Whiteface). The trail leaves from the Whiteface Memorial Highway base lodge; ROOST’s 3.4-mile RT figure includes the parking loop. Don’t look for it on a USGS topo — look for the highway base lodge and walk uphill.

For this challengeregistration + base camp

Official 9er registration · ROOST↗The Lake Placid region — lodging + diningLake Placid as a base camp Adirondak Loj at Heart Lake↗Ready for the 46?The bigger list — these were the warmup

Across the Parkthe shared shelf

Live DEC trail alertsClosures + advisories across the Park, daily The 46 High Peaks — planning guideDifficulty, mileage, suggested order Atlas — every trail in the ParkThe full Adirondack trail network Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK)↗

§ Finishing · The Lake Placid 9er

How the patch is earned.

Register through ROOST, log each summit, and submit your completion form. ROOST sends a finisher’s patch and lists you on the official roster. Many hikers use the 9er as a warm-up for the 46 or as a parallel project for friends and family who don’t want to commit to the longer list.

Visit ROOST→