North Haystack Trail.
This unmarked ground trail covers 0.4 miles with no elevation gain, making it one of the flattest approaches on Haystack Mountain. You'll walk 13 minutes on dirt without a single blaze to follow. The lack of markers means you're navigating by instinct or GPS, which keeps most casual hikers away. If you want solitude and can handle routefinding, this is your access.
- Leg-stretcherShort and nearly flat — an hour or less
- Family-friendlyShort, easy, and gentle enough for young legs
- Good for snowshoeingNon-technical grade that carries a snowshoe track
Seasonal pattern for this trail · tops out ~2,854 ft · live closures appear above
- GroundSurface
- intermediateTrail visibility
Read the line before you walk it.
What the trailhead is doing today.
Where the hike begins.
Curated trailheads & parking near this route.
Editorial trailhead listings within roughly 3 miles — permit info, parking capacity, and access-road conditions.
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.
Read the Region→
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- ADK Street Eats1.8 mi
Food trailer at 1179 NY-86 in Ray Brook, between Lake Placid and Saranac Lake. Chef-driven menu of tacos (Carne Asada, Al Pastor), lobster rolls, ADK Spiedies, and Rochester Hot Meats. Tuesday–Sunday.
- Tail O' the Pup1.9 mi
A roadside stop offering barbecue, seafood, and casual fare, with a history stretching back over a century.
- Artisans at the Lake Placid Lodge2.7 mi
The restaurant at the Lake Placid Lodge, a Relais and Chateaux property, serving a seasonal farm-to-fork menu in a fire-lit dining room with a three-season terrace over the lake. Breakfast and dinner daily.
- West Shore BBQ2.8 mi
West Shore BBQ offers 100% wood-fired barbecue in the Adirondacks, distinguishing itself by using no pellets, soaked chips, or liquid smoke. They exclusively use wood sustainably harvested from within the Blue Line.
Sip.
4- Simply Gourmet3.3 mi
Simply Gourmet in Lake Placid offers daily breakfast and lunch with a focus on clean food, using fresh, local, and sustainable ingredients free of additives or preservatives. They also provide comprehensive catering services for various ev…
- Nori's Village Market3.8 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 Coffee3.9 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 Moon3.9 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- Donnelly's Soft Ice Cream2.3 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.
- Mountain Mist Custard3.8 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.
- Emma's Lake Placid Creamery4.5 mi
A 1950s-themed creamery in the heart of walkable Lake Placid, famous for its Maple Creme soft serve alongside 16 hard flavors, gelato, sorbet, and old-fashioned malts. The reliable apres-hike treat.
- Ben & Jerry's4.6 mi
The Ben & Jerry's scoop shop on Lake Placid's Main Street above Mirror Lake — the Vermont brand's pints and cones in the heart of the village.
Drink.
4- Ray Brook Brewhouse1.8 mi
Ray Brook Brewhouse is a unique brewery in Ray Brook, NY, offering wild and traditional brews paired with adventurous dishes made from local and exotic ingredients.
- RiverTrail Beerworks3.8 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 & Bones3.9 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…
- Top of the Park4.0 mi
A Lake Placid bar on Main Street offering a curated selection of wine, scotch, bourbon, craft beer, and top-shelf liquors, complemented by small plates and signature cocktails. Enjoy 'Spirits with a View' from its large deck overlooking Mi…
Stay.
4- Meadowbrook Campground1.9 mi
Meadowbrook is the best bargain in town for those visiting the Lake Placid Olympic Training venues and the Village of Lake Placid. Located only 4 miles from the center of town, campers have no shortage of activities available to them.
- Morenos Cottages2.1 mi
Moreno's Adirondack Cabins offers camp-style cabins, cottages, and a vacation home rental in Ray Brook, NY, near Saranac Lake and Lake Placid. They provide one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and pet-friendly options, with some available year-round.
- Moose Mountain Lodge2.5 mi
Moose Mountain Lodge is a five-bedroom, five-bathroom Adirondack-style home in Lake Placid. Overlooking the Whiteface Club and Resort golf course, it features a rec-room with a pool table, sauna, and hot tub, and includes access to the res…
- Whiteface Club2.6 mi
A historic resort on Whiteface Inn Lane in Lake Placid since 1882, with 18-hole Van Kleek championship golf, tennis and pickleball, a private marina on Lake Placid, and a Nordic Center.
See.
4- Boots & Birdies2.9 mi
Boots & Birdies is a family-owned, Western-themed fun center in Lake Placid, NY. It offers an 18-hole miniature golf course, a baseball batting cage, and a custom mining sluice for gemstone and fossil mining, providing hours of outdoor act…
- Ice Palace at the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival3.5 mi
The Ice Palace is a prominent feature of the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival, a historic annual celebration in New York State established in 1897.
- Robert Louis Stevenson Cottage3.5 mi
The Robert Louis Stevenson Cottage Museum in Saranac Lake, New York, was the residence of the famous author of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Treasure Island. It preserves his personal belongings and is the world's first site dedicated to Ste…
- Captain Marney's Boat Rental3.8 mi
Captain Marney's Boat Rental offers boat and water sports rentals in the Lake Placid, NY area. They provide reasonably priced options for various water enthusiasts, including discounts for multi-day, multi-boat, and group rentals.
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Frequently asked.
- How long is the North Haystack Trail?The North Haystack Trail is approximately 0.42 miles (0.7 kilometers) — a short out-and-back suitable for most fitness levels.
- How long does it take to hike the North Haystack Trail?Most hikers complete the North Haystack Trail in about 15 minutes at a steady pace. Allow extra time for rest stops, photos, weather, and trail conditions.
- How difficult is the North Haystack Trail?The North Haystack Trail is rated easy hiking (SAC T1) — broad, well-marked path suitable for most fitness levels in sturdy shoes. Check current DEC advisories for closures, washouts, or seasonal restrictions before heading out.