
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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High Peaks • 2.5 mi • Easy 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

High Peaks • 2.4 mi • Easy 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

Northern • 2 mi • Easy 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

Eastern • 2.8 mi • Easy 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

Northern • 1.6 mi • Easy 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

High Peaks • 3.6 mi • Moderate
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

Eastern • 5.5 mi • Moderate 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

Southern • 3.6 mi • Moderate
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

Eastern • 2.1 mi • Easy 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

Eastern • 4 mi • Moderate
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

Central • 3.2 mi • Easy 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

Southern • 3.4 mi • Easy 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

Western • 2.2 mi • Easy 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

Northern • 2.2 mi • Easy 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

Northern • 3.2 mi • Moderate
Goodman Mountain
Goodman Mountain combines a family-friendly Tupper Lake Triad hike, forest walking, summit views, and meaningful civil rights history.
Gain 930 ft

Central • 1.6 mi • Easy
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

Central • 1.6 mi • Easy
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

Eastern • 2.9 mi • Easy 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

Southern • 0.8 mi • Easy
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

Northern • 0.8 mi • Easy
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

Central • 3.8 mi • Moderate
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

Eastern • 1.5 mi • Easy 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

Northern • 1.6 mi • Easy 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

Northern • 1.8 mi • Easy 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

Western • 1 mi • Easy
Rocky Mountain
Rocky Mountain is a short but steep Inlet area climb to open summit ledges and Fulton Chain views.
Gain 450 ft

Western • 2 mi • Easy 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

Eastern • 1.8 mi • Easy 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

Southern • 3.6 mi • Moderate
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

Central • 6.2 mi • Moderate
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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Beginner Friendly
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Waterfalls
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Lakes and Ponds
Find hikes that lead to Adirondack lakes, ponds, shorelines, dams, and quiet water-focused destinations.
