Hiking Up Mount Adams
What up Road Trip Warriors!? Another new mountain down and it was through two/three feet of snow! Mount Adams is a relatively short hike in the Adirondacks, but it makes up for the short trek in elevation gain. The hike is steep, and when it is covered in snow, it is exhausting! It was also only a few degrees above zero when we hiked this, and well below zero degrees when we were in the cabin in the fire-tower. Icicles hung from my eyelashes and my brother’s gloves froze (he bought new mittens because of this)…it was quite the little adventure!! Anyway, see below for everything you should need to know when climbing up Mount Adams!
Summary of Mount Adams Hike
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Length: Most websites say that the hike is 5 miles round trip. My Apple Watch clocked about 6.5 miles.
- Elevation: 3,520′
- Hiking Time: Took us 5 hours round trip, but we did it in deep snow and spent some time in the cabin of the fire-tower taking photos. You could get this hike done much quicker than 5 hours.
- Elevation Gain: Roughly 1,700′
- Photo Opportunities: The best spot to capture really great scenic photos of the Adirondack mountains on this hike is from the cabin of the fire-tower on the summit. Mount Adams has a wooded peak which means there are no views from the summit until you get up in the lookout box of the fire-tower. It is worth going up, just watch your hands on the railing (some frayed metal wire can cut you if you are not careful).
Trailhead
To get to the trailhead to Mount Adams take I-87 and get off exit 29 towards Newcomb. If you were heading north, after you get off the exit you will take a left on to Blue Ridge Road and stay on the road for about 18 miles. Eventually you will come across a sign for Tahawus in which you will turn right. You will follow this road along and pass a large stone structure which was a furnace for the abandoned mining town. Shortly after the furnace, you will have a large dirt parking lot on the right which you will park in for the Mount Adams trailhead. Other hikes start here as well. You can hike to Allen Mountain (an Adirondack High Peak), to the Adirondack Loj, and other places from this trailhead.
Beginning the Trek
So, after signing into the trailhead register, you will begin your hike to Mount Adams. You cross the Hudson River over a suspension bridge and hike around Lake Jimmy after that. There used to be a log bridge to cross the lake, but that has been wrecked for some time now. We were able to cross the lake as it was frozen enough to walk on. The lake is a beautiful spot to take in the surrounding scenery of spruce trees and mountains. The picture below is me walking back to the trailhead, but I wanted to include a photo for reference of the lake.
You will continue the hike along the trail past some old caretaker cabins. Shortly after the caretaker cabins the trail will split with a sign pointing you in the direction of Mount Adams (see below).
The Climb & Summit of Mount Adams
The hike starts to climb gradually and then gets quite steep. If you plan on doing this in the snow be prepared for a tough and tiring climb. The snow was about three feet deep when my brother and I tackled this mountain and the trail had not been re-blazed in awhile.
The summit of Mount Adams itself is wooded, but the views from the top of the fire-tower are phenomenal. The climb up the fire-tower is surreal as you emerge from the top of the surrounding trees and find yourself in the middle of the Adirondack Mountains surrounded by High Peaks and spruce trees. It was so cold when we were up there that a few of the windows in the fire-tower were froze over with snow (see below). We had to duck down behind the walls of the tower since the windchill was below zero degrees, but the photos that were captured were beautiful.
Getting Back to the Trailhead
This hike is an out-and-back trail so you will hike out the same exact way that you hiked to the summit of the mountain. Follow the trail markers down and watch your footing. Doing this in the snow proved to be a challenge and numerous wipeouts in the cold powder occurred…it would not feel nearly as pleasant without the snow to break your fall.
Dog-Friendly
The Mount Adams hike is dog-friendly. There are no restrictions for this area like there are for the Adirondack Mountain Reserve just before Keene (Ausable Club). Just make sure your dog is capable of the mileage and the steep ascent. There are no technical spots. I do not suggest bringing your dog up the fire-tower. The railing has frayed wire which can scratch your dog.
Fam-Friendly
I would say that the Mount Adams hike is family-friendly as long as you are not undertaking the hike in the winter. The distance is manageable and there was no rock scrambling involved. Just be aware that the hike is steep and it will be a good workout. Be careful going up and down the fire-tower. As mentioned above, it has a metal wire on the railing that has frayed and you can get cuts from it.
Clothes/Gear Worn
- Vasque winter hiking boots
- EMS winter hiking socks
- Long johns
- Athletic shorts
- Hiking pants or athletic pants
- Wind/Snow pants
- Underarmour long-sleeve
- Athletic t-shirt
- Reebok quarter zip
- LL Bean outer shell jacket
- Outdoor research glove liners
- Marmot Expedition Mittens
- Seirus balaclava
- Winter beanie
- Snowshoes
Equipment/Food Brought
- 2L of water
- Peanut butter granola bars and trail mix
- Extra EMS heavy wool hiking socks
- Bandana
- Emergency tent and blankets (very lightweight)
- Knife
- Paracord and carabiners (non-climbing carabiners)
- Water-proof matches
- Life-Straw (water filtration straw, costs $20)
- Trekking Poles
- First Aid Kit
- Kahtoola microspikes
- Garmin InReach (satellite device that has GPS, can send texts, send SOS, and has many other useful features)
RTW Note
Thanks for checking out this post on the Mount Adams hike in the Adirondacks! The views from the fire-tower on this mountain are surreal, especially in the winter. It is a steep and rewarding climb, and it is one of the less crowded hikes in the area. If you found this post helpful or enjoyed the pictures, SMASH the follow button or subscribe to the blog. Also give the post some love by hitting the LIKE button or leaving a comment for me to respond to. As always, I look forward to sharing more! Stay safe out there!
-Ant
