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Approachable Picks

Family Friendly

Browse Adirondack hikes with more approachable mileage, terrain, and planning demands for families and newer hikers.

Approachable Picks

Explore Family Friendly

Browse Adirondack hikes with more approachable mileage, terrain, and planning demands for families and newer hikers.

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Mount Jo image
#1

High Peaks2.5 miEasy Moderate

Mount Jo

Mount Jo is a short Heart Lake hike with a surprisingly open summit view over the High Peaks and two short route options.

Gain 710 ft

Cobble Lookout image
#2

High Peaks2.4 miEasy Moderate

Cobble Lookout

Cobble Lookout is an easy Wilmington Wild Forest out-and-back to a ledge with broad views toward Whiteface, Jay, Hurricane, and the Ausable drainage.

Gain 469 ft

Cobble Hill image
#3

Northern2 miEasy Moderate

Cobble Hill

Cobble Hill is a short Lake Placid 9er hike above Mirror Lake with quick summit views over Lake Placid and the High Peaks.

Gain 480 ft

Baxter Mountain image
#4

Eastern2.8 miEasy Moderate

Baxter Mountain

Baxter Mountain is a popular short hike near Keene with a steady climb, open ledges, and broad views for modest mileage.

Gain 700 ft

Big Crow Mountain image
#5

Northern1.6 miEasy Moderate

Big Crow Mountain

Big Crow Mountain is a short, steep Lake Placid 9er hike from Crow Clearing with rock-slab footing and unusually expansive High Peaks views.

Gain 990 ft

Mount Van Hoevenberg image
#6

High Peaks3.6 miModerate

Mount Van Hoevenberg

Mount Van Hoevenberg is a moderate Lake Placid hike with Olympic venue access, sustainable trail design, and broad High Peaks views.

Gain 1,000 ft

Moxham Mountain image
#7

Eastern5.5 miModerate Hard

Moxham Mountain

Moxham Mountain is a moderate Minerva area summit hike with steady climbing, repeated overlooks, and open views across the central Adirondacks.

Gain 1,300 ft

Kane Mountain Fire Tower image
#8

Southern3.6 miModerate

Kane Mountain Fire Tower

Kane Mountain Fire Tower is a short southern Adirondack loop with a restored tower, manageable climbing, and broad lake-and-forest views.

Gain 600 ft

Severance Mountain image
#9

Eastern2.1 miEasy Moderate

Severance Mountain

Severance Mountain is a short but steep Schroon Lake-area climb with a Northway underpass approach and rewarding eastern Adirondack views.

Gain 725 ft

Rattlesnake Mountain image
#10

Eastern4 miModerate

Rattlesnake Mountain

Rattlesnake Mountain is a short Lake Champlain viewpoint hike with a steep middle section and broad views east to Vermont.

Gain 1,100 ft

Watch Hill image
#11

Central3.2 miEasy Moderate

Watch Hill

Watch Hill is a short Indian Lake-area hike with rocky ledges, shoreline options, and open views toward Snowy Mountain and Indian Lake.

Gain 500 ft

Shelving Rock Mountain image
#12

Southern3.4 miEasy Moderate

Shelving Rock Mountain

A broad old-carriage-road summit walk in the Shelving Rock area with a short side path to a Lake George view.

Gain 600 ft

Mount Arab Fire Tower image
#13

Western2.2 miEasy Moderate

Mount Arab Fire Tower

Mount Arab Fire Tower is a short Tupper Lake-area climb with a restored tower, summit cabin, and broad northern Adirondack views.

Gain 700 ft

Coney Mountain image
#14

Northern2.2 miEasy Moderate

Coney Mountain

Coney Mountain is a short Tupper Lake Triad climb with an exposed rocky summit and excellent 360-degree Adirondack views.

Gain 550 ft

Goodman Mountain image
#15

Northern3.2 miModerate

Goodman Mountain

Goodman Mountain combines a family-friendly Tupper Lake Triad hike, forest walking, summit views, and meaningful civil rights history.

Gain 930 ft

Castle Rock image
#16

Central1.6 miEasy

Castle Rock

Castle Rock is a Blue Mountain Lake hike to cliffs, small caves, and open views over the lake and surrounding mountains.

Gain 440 ft

Auger Falls image
#17

Central1.6 miEasy

Auger Falls

Auger Falls is a short Sacandaga River waterfall-and-gorge hike with easy access, dramatic water, and rugged riverside scenery.

Gain 50 ft

Ausable Marsh image
#18

Eastern2.9 miEasy Moderate

Ausable Marsh

Ausable Marsh is a flat Lake Champlain wildlife-management hike focused on wetland habitat, birding, fishing access, and easy designated-trail walking.

Gain 9 ft

Austin Falls image
#19

Southern0.8 miEasy

Austin Falls

Austin Falls is a brief southern Adirondack gorge-and-waterfall stop with easy access, dramatic water scenery, and minimal hiking commitment.

Gain 75 ft

Belfry Mountain Fire Tower image
#20

Northern0.8 miEasy

Belfry Mountain Fire Tower

Belfry Mountain is one of the Adirondacks’ easiest fire tower hikes, using a short access road to wide Champlain Valley views.

Gain 120 ft

Goodnow Mountain Fire Tower image
#21

Central3.8 miModerate

Goodnow Mountain Fire Tower

Goodnow Fire Tower is a moderate Newcomb fire-tower hike with a restored summit tower and broad views over High Peaks country.

Gain 1,100 ft

Coon Mountain image
#22

Eastern1.5 miEasy Moderate

Coon Mountain

Coon Mountain is a Lake Champlain preserve hike with moderate climbing, family friendly options, and sweeping views into Vermont.

Gain 550 ft

Baker Mountain image
#23

Northern1.6 miEasy Moderate

Baker Mountain

Baker Mountain is a short, steep Saranac Lake 6er hike with fast access, rocky lookouts, and views over town and nearby peaks.

Gain 884 ft

Silver Lake Mountain image
#24

Northern1.8 miEasy Moderate

Silver Lake Mountain

Silver Lake Mountain is a short, steep Taylor Pond Wild Forest climb with open views over lakes and northern Adirondack peaks.

Gain 900 ft

Rocky Mountain image
#25

Western1 miEasy

Rocky Mountain

Rocky Mountain is a short but steep Inlet area climb to open summit ledges and Fulton Chain views.

Gain 450 ft

Rondaxe Fire Tower image
#26

Western2 miEasy Moderate

Rondaxe Fire Tower

Rondaxe Fire Tower, commonly called Bald Mountain, is a short rocky fire tower hike with sustained views over the Fulton Chain.

Gain 502 ft

Swede Mountain Fire Tower image
#27

Eastern1.8 miEasy Moderate

Swede Mountain Fire Tower

Swede Mountain Fire Tower is a short Lake George Wild Forest climb to a restored tower with broad views for limited mileage.

Gain 592 ft

Hadley Mountain Fire Tower image
#28

Southern3.6 miModerate

Hadley Mountain Fire Tower

Hadley Mountain Fire Tower is a popular southern Adirondack climb with sustained elevation gain and wide summit views from an open fire-tower summit.

Gain 1,525 ft

Owl's Head Mountain Fire Tower image
#29

Central6.2 miModerate

Owl's Head Mountain Fire Tower

A Long Lake fire-tower hike with hardwood forest, wetland boardwalks, summit cliffs, and wide Central Adirondack views.

Gain 1,114 ft

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