Hannah the hiker

I recently went on a hike in Lake George Wild Forest! This was my first time hiking in Lake George and I was pleasantly surprised. This area of hiking is still part of the Adirondack Park too. My boyfriend and I camped the night before near the trailhead and met a forest ranger who told us about some of the hikes available in the area. So, we headed over to the Dacy Clearing Road Parking lot/ trailhead. This is a seasonal road and I imagine it is closed in the winter. The drive to the parking lot was nice, just felt like we were driving through a tunnel in the woods. There were quite a few parking spots open at the trailhead which surprised me. It was such a nice day out I thought more people would be hiking. We signed into the trail register around 12 pm and started on the hike. According to my watch, we gained about 300 feet over the course of 1.7 miles. I’m not sure how accurate that measurement was. The uphill really wasn’t that bad. At any point where there is a turn in the trail there are plenty of signs to direct you on the right path. The trail is wide and pretty muddy in spots. We got to the top around 1 and took some pictures and enjoyed the view. We had a nice view of Lake George and just sat and ate some snacks before heading back down. The summit has quite a few spots to enjoy the views and relax. There is plenty of bare rock to spread out on which was a nice change from the crowded summits in the High Peaks.

The walk back down followed the same trail and we didn’t run into any trouble. We were done around 2.

Overall thoughts on the trail

This was a pretty easy hike and perfect for beginners. Everything was clearly marked, path was wide, rewarding views at the top. It clocks in at about 3.4 miles too, so you can really take your time on this one.

There were some signs posted about rattlesnakes in the Lake George Wild Forest. I’d just suggest being careful where you’re walking and resting. Using trekking poles might be helpful too since they can scout out an area of trail before your feet do.

Like any other hike bring comfortable and appropriate clothing and shoes. Your feet can get pretty muddy/wet on this trail.

What I brought

• Small daypack
• 1 L water bottle
• Garmin InReach Mini 2
• Baseball cap
• Sunglasses
• Running shorts
• Tank top
• Hiking socks
• Oboz hiking boots
• Pocket knife
  • Food!
  • Apples
  • Granola Bar
  • Peanut Butter
  • Trail mix
  • Chips