Adirondacks…where to start?

[Keith Mackenzie]

I live in Western CT and would like to plan a trip in the Adirondacks but dont know where to start. I normally go with a friend but can go solo and due to work/family I only have time for a one nighter (two if lucky). I'm looking for short drive times, safe parking and loop trails. This would be more for 3 season hiking and I usually like to do 10-15 miles a day. Any help in getting me started would be great

[James Marco]

Well, there are no close places in the ADK's from CT. Everything will be about a 3-4 hour drive. There is the NPT, of course. But this is a week-ten days. Several short loops you can take around Peseco, and, up to Long Lake. Good paddling and quick overnighters on Forked Lake, and Long Lake, too. There are some connecting trals for the Long Trail, probably enough for a night or two. Keen and Keen Valley are both good places for entrance into the High Peaks, area. Lots of pull-offs/parking just off the Northway.

The Catskills will be a bit closer, around 2 hours. Woodlands and the surounding area has some good hikes and camping.

I would get some good maps of the area and check out the various road crossings. Almost all will have a parking spot and trail heads leading both east and west.

[Vincent Lauricella]

The ADKs have a lot of hiking options and it's really a beautiful wild and rugged place. I'd suggest visiting the High Peaks region. Two potential trailheads would be the "Garden" in Keene Valley and the ADK Loj by Heart Lake closer to Lake Placid. Both have many loop options and are quite popular. A less frequented but great starting point would be the trailhead at Elk Lake. From here you can summit the five 46ers of the Dix range and there's a fun climb straight up the slide on Macomb.

The trails in the High Peaks region are very rugged, and wet and muddy (deep mud!) in many places. There's also very little that's flat so you'll have a lot of elevation change to deal with. I don't log as many daily miles there as I would on the AT in the Mid-Atlantic or Southern New England.

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