Hannah the hiker

St. Regis Mountain is a nice fire tower hike in Santa Clara. This hike is one of the Saranac Lake 6ers! I did this hike with a couple of friends on May 29th, 2022. We did it as more of a sunset hike and the weather was perfect. I think this is another great trail for someone just getting into hiking. At 6.2 ish miles and 1,500 feet of elevation gain its relatively easy, and pays off with great views at the summit and fire tower.

We started around 5:30 pm. There is a good sized parking lot so we didn’t have any troubles finding parking. I imagine that this trail can fill up relatively quickly on sunny weekends though so I’d suggest arriving early. The trail is easy to follow and well marked and maintained. It’s mostly a dirt path meandering through the woods with manageable elevation gain. The friends I went with were not concerned with making a personal best time so we took a couple water breaks along the way.

Once you get closer to the top there are more small streams crossing the trail and rocky sections that involve using your upper body to pull yourself up. It’s really not anything too difficult though, the three of us made it over fine and we saw families with young kids managing it.

We got to the top around 7:40pm, just in time to watch the sun set. We ate some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and cliff bars while we took some pictures of the sunset. It was a warm night so the light wind on the peak was welcomed!

We also went up to the fire tower. It was a bit scary walking up the ladder with three people but to my surprise it didn’t come crumbling down. The view from the fire tower was spectacular and there was even a poster along the inside of the ceiling that showed you what mountains you were looking at. I thought that was pretty neat. Even though I hike in the Adirondacks frequently I still struggle naming the different mountains I can see at the top of summits.

We left the top around 8:00 pm to head back to the car. Luckily none of us forgot our head lamps, so, going down the trail was pretty easy. The only tough part was the fact that my friends kept pretending there was a sasquatch following us in the woods. I can get spooked pretty easily.

We made it to the car around 10 pm (without a sasquatch sighting) and saw a nice and clear night sky full of stars.

Overall thoughts on the trail

This trail is pretty straightforward. It’s well marked, gradual elevation gain, and a sturdy fire tower. It’s really good if you’re just getting into hiking, or are even an experienced hiker looking for a quick sunset or sunrise hike. I haven’t gone up in the winter but I’m sure it is just as beautiful then with 360 views of the Adirondacks.

What I brought

• headlamp
• 20L hiking pack
• 32 oz water bottle
• water filter
• first aid kit
• trekking poles
• running shorts
• tank top
• Altra lone peak 6s
• wool hiking socks
• baseball cap
• light fleece
• sunglasses
  • food!
  • Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
  • granola bar
  • apple