Lookout mountain Trail.
This half-mile path climbs to an overlook, making it one of the shorter summit approaches in the region. The steep grade gains elevation quickly over less than a kilometer of trail. It's a straightforward option for a quick view without the time commitment of longer routes.
Seasonal pattern for this trail · tops out ~2,618 ft · live closures appear above
- GroundSurface
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What the trailhead is doing today.
Where the hike begins.
Guides, outfitters & shuttles.
If you’re already out here.
Saranac Lake.
The corner of the Park this trail calls home — its hamlets, waters, lodging, and the rest of its field record.
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Make a weekend of it.
Closest editorial picks for a meal, a scoop, a pint, a bed, and a sight worth your time.
Eat.
4- Hohmeyer's Adirondack Alps Restaurant17.0 mi
A family-owned restaurant in the Adirondacks offering seasonal, 100-mile-focused fusion cuisine, a 1920s Speakeasy, and a hidden Beer and Wine Cellar.
- Our Plates17.4 mi
Our Plates offers Caribbean and Southern-inspired cuisine for pickup at 7 Broadway. Enjoy dishes like Empanadas Locas, Dominican Chimi Burgers, Bistec Encebollado, and Tres Leches cake.
- China Jade17.5 mi
A long-running Chinese restaurant on Saranac Lake's Main Street, doing classic American-Chinese standards for dine-in and takeout, Tuesday through Saturday.
- Owl's Nest Pizza Parlor17.5 mi
Owl's Nest Pizzeria is a local favorite in Saranac Lake, New York, offering New York Style pizza, wings, subs, and other munchies. Available for dine-in, take-out, and delivery, it's a convenient spot to grab a slice.
— 17.0 mi to the nearest table out here; plan the drive to dinner.
Sip.
4- Saranac Juice12.5 mi
Cold-pressed juices, cleanses, protein elixirs, and nut mylks from Saranac River Ranch in Bloomingdale, made from organic produce grown on the farm or sourced from local Adirondack growers.
- Nori's Village Market17.3 mi
Nori's Village Market and Riverside Cafe offers a market with organic and local produce, bulk foods, coffee, and teas, alongside a cafe serving natural, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and local meat options.
- Origin Coffee17.5 mi
Origin Coffee Co is a specialty coffee shop with locations in Lake Placid and Saranac Lake serving a chef-driven breakfast and lunch menu.
- Blue Moon17.5 mi
Blue Moon Café in Saranac Lake offers dine-in, pick-up, and curbside delivery services. Guests can enjoy weekly specials, restaurant menus, baked goods, coffee, grocery items, and adult beverages.
Sweet.
4- Whitebrook Dairy Bar16.8 mi
A classic roadside drive-in on Route 86 in Wilmington, five minutes from Whiteface — creamy soft serve (try the peanut-butter dip) plus footlongs and the Wilmington burger. Opening day is a local rite of spring.
- Mark Twain Maple Works18.2 mi
Mark Twain Maple Works produces New York State maple syrup on the shore of Saranac Lake in the Adirondack Park. They have been making syrup since 2013, expanding their operation and offering various grades.
- Mountain Mist Custard18.4 mi
A summer fixture on the shore of Lake Flower in Saranac Lake, with picnic tables and a dock you can tie a boat to. Frozen custard and soft serve with weekly-rotating flavors, shakes, and sundaes.
- Donnelly's Soft Ice Cream19.0 mi
A fourth-generation Saranac Lake institution on a former dairy farm, serving exactly one rotating soft-serve flavor each day — twisted with vanilla on the same 1953 machine. Cash only; check the daily flavor. Memorial Day to Labor Day.
— 16.8 mi to the nearest scoop; save it for the ride home.
Drink.
4- Hex and Hop Brewing11.5 mi
Hex and Hop Brewing is a craft brewery and meadery in Bloomingdale, New York, making full-flavored, locally sourced beer and mead. They prioritize community and craft, using fresh, local ingredients.
- The 1892 Bar & Grille16.7 mi
The 1892 Bar & Grille is a locally owned rustic bar and restaurant in Lake Clear, NY, offering homemade food. Recently under new ownership, it brings fresh energy and an updated menu to its patrons.
- RiverTrail Beerworks17.3 mi
RiverTrail Beerworks is Saranac Lake’s only riverfront brewpub, located on the Saranac Lake River Walk and Rail Trail. It features a heated patio, firepits, two golf simulators, and serves lunch and dinner daily with house-brewed beers and…
- Bitters & Bones17.3 mi
Saranac Lake's only downtown brewery, restaurant, and bar, Bitters & Bones offers craft beer brewed upstairs, fresh local cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and craft cocktails. It features rooftop decks and unique private event spa…
Stay.
4- The St. Regis Suites11.8 mi
Five well-appointed suites of various sizes, between Saranac Lake and Paul Smith's College in Gabriels, NY. Renovated by Cedar Circle LLC with green building techniques. Stays from three days to three months.
- Hohmeyer's Lake Clear Lodge & Resort17.0 mi
Wooded lakefront resort featuring homey rooms & cabins, local dining, a pub & outdoor recreation.
- Adirondack Spruce Lodge17.2 mi
Twenty-seven-room independent lodge in Wilmington village, minutes from Whiteface Mountain and walking distance from the Ausable River. Complimentary breakfast, fire pit, and Adirondack-character rooms.
- Wolfjaw Lodge17.2 mi
Welcome to the totally transformed Wolfjaw Lodge, located at the base of Whiteface Mountain, just a 2-minute drive from both Whiteface and Wilmington beach. Each of our 2 private houses and 11 lodge rooms and suites has been recently…
See.
4- White Pine Camp11.7 mi
The 1907 Great Camp on Osgood Pond that served as Calvin Coolidge's Summer White House in the summer of 1926. Seasonal guided tours, and several cottages rent by the week.
- THE GREAT ADIRONDACK CORN MAZE12.1 mi
The Great Adirondack Corn Maze at Tucker Farms in Gabriels offers a new maze design each year, providing a fun experience of getting lost in the cornfield.
- Topridge16.1 mi
The sprawling Gilded Age estate Marjorie Merriweather Post built on Upper St. Regis Lake — later New York State's, now privately held. Best seen from the St. Regis lakes.
- Summit Weather Observatory16.2 mi
The Summit Weather Observatory, part of the University at Albany's Atmospheric Sciences Research Center (ASRC), provides real-time weather conditions and data from its observatory at the summit of Whiteface Mountain and a field station at…
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Frequently asked.
- How long is the Lookout mountain Trail?The Lookout mountain Trail is approximately 0.47 miles (0.8 kilometers) — a short out-and-back suitable for most fitness levels.
- How long does it take to hike the Lookout mountain Trail?Most hikers complete the Lookout mountain Trail in about 35 minutes at a steady pace with roughly 676 feet of elevation gain. Allow extra time for rest stops, photos, weather, and trail conditions.
- How difficult is the Lookout mountain Trail?Based on its length and elevation gain, the Lookout mountain Trail is a demanding hike (676 ft of climbing over the route) — sustained climbing best suited to fit, experienced hikers. This is an estimate from route data, not an official trail rating — check current DEC advisories before heading out.