ADIRONDACKREGION.COM
AdirondackRegion.com

Mount Marcy Trail

A principal route to the summit of New York's highest peak, this trail extends approximately 6.6 kilometers through the High Peaks Wilderness under the stewardship of the NYSDEC. The path employs a two-color marking system: red disks guide hikers to Uphill Brook Lean-to, where the blazes shift to yellow for the final ascent to Marcy's summit. Though heavily traveled during the summer months, the route demands careful attention to conditions and navigation, particularly above treeline where weather is known to change rapidly.

§ Overview

Mount Marcy Trail runs 4.1 miles (6.6 km) with about 2,625 feet of elevation gain — a demanding hike, with a sustained climb, about 3 h 15 min on the trail. NYSDEC maintains the route.

Add photos & videoDownload GPX → Strava
Length
4.1 mi
Elevation gain
2,625 ft
Difficulty · est.
Demanding
Book time
3 h 22 m
§ Before you go
  • NYSDECOperator
  • lwnNetwork
From OpenStreetMap. Surface + access tags vary by trail.
Loading map…
Elevation profile
Max 5,289 ftMin 2,782 ftNet gain 2,625 ft
5,289 ft2,782 ft0 mi1.0 mi2.1 mi3.1 mi4.1 mi
§ Nearby parking

34 parking areas

Closest parking lots within range, ranked by walking distance. Accessibility flags come from Google verified-data; surface and capacity from OpenStreetMap. Confirm hours and seasonal closures before you go.

+26 more on the map above

§ On this trail

What you’ll find along the route

Lake
Lake Tear of the Clouds
on route
Stream
Feldspar Brook
305 ft off
§ Closest essentials

Nearest, each within 25 miles

Coffee
Old Mountain Coffee Company
9.8 mi away
Restaurant
Noon Mark Diner
9.8 mi away
General store
The Adirondack Popcorn Company
12.2 mi away
Shelter
Feldspar Lean-To
0.2 mi away
§ Nearby Points of Interest
Peaks (12)
Lakes & ponds (40)
Trails (24)
Shelters (1)
  • Johns Brook Lodge5.5 mi
Lean-tos (99)
  • Feldspar Lean-To0.2 mi
  • Feldspar Lean-to0.2 mi
  • Uphill Lean-To0.5 mi
  • Uphill Lean-to0.5 mi
  • Cedar Point Lean-to1.4 mi
  • Beaver Point #21.5 mi
  • Beaver Point #11.6 mi
  • Opalescent Lean-to1.6 mi
Primitive campsites (184)
  • Unnamed campsite0.1 mi
  • Unnamed campsite0.2 mi
  • Unnamed campsite0.5 mi
  • Unnamed campsite0.5 mi
  • Unnamed campsite1.4 mi
  • Unnamed campsite1.4 mi
  • Lake Colden East Shore Campsite1.4 mi
  • Cedar Point1.4 mi
§ The Field Notes

Add to the record.

§ Reader account
Start your Logbook.

Free, takes thirty seconds. Yours forever.

Every page on this site gets better when readers contribute. Mark a peak you’ve climbed, drop a photo, file a field note, or flag a correction — every addition makes the next visitor’s page better.

Field notes and corrections are reviewed before they appear publicly. Photos and Logbook entries post immediately.§ Maintain or steward this trail? Get in touch →
§ Stay near this trail
Van Hoevenberg Cabins — hero image
8.3 miLake Placid

Van Hoevenberg Cabins

River Road Loj - Lake Placid log cabin rental — hero image
11 miLake Placid

River Road Loj - Lake Placid log cabin rental

Keene Valley Lodge — hero image
11 miKeene

Keene Valley Lodge

§ From the field guides
All field guides →
§ Frequently asked