A Lovely Day Hike in the Adirondacks
What up Road Trip Warriors!? We have a new hike for you located in Keene Valley, New York. The hike is to the summit of Hopkins Mountain, a lower trafficked hike in the area with phenomenal views of the High Peaks, particularly the Great Range. There are plenty of trail markers and signs for this hike, making it easy to follow! Check out everything you need to know about this hike in the Adirondacks below!
Summary of Hopkins Mountain Hike
- Difficulty: Easy – Moderate
- Length: According to websites, the hike is 5.4 miles round trip. Apple Watch was closer to 6ish miles.
- Elevation: 3,156′
- Hiking Time: Started the hike around 8:30 AM. Reached summit around 11:50 AM. Then we got back to the trailhead around 2:30 PM. This can all be done faster. We spent quite some time stopping to take photos and enjoy the scenery.
- Elevation Gain: Roughly 2,200′
- Photo Opportunities: Just before the summit, and the summit itself of Hopkins Mountain provides gorgeous panoramas of the Great Range and other High Peaks in the region.
Trailhead for hopkins mountain hike
The trailhead for this hike can be found by first parking in the Rooster Comb trailhead. From this parking lot you will walk to road (Route 73) and take a right. Walk down Route 73 towards Ranney Road and take a left once you hit it. It is hard to miss considering that you immediately cross an old metal bridge. You will follow this private road until it ends and you will see a sign for Hopkins and Giant Mountains with blue trail markers.
Following the Trail along the hopkins mountain hike
You are going to follow the trail along Hopkins Brook, which you will end up crisscrossing more than one time. The trail is pretty as most trails are in the Adirondacks High Peaks region. The trail has a gradual incline and after hiking around 1.8 miles, you reach an intersection with the Mossy Creek Trail. There is a wooden post with signs displaying the trails, see below for reference.
From this sign, and for less than a mile, you will stay on the combined trail until another intersection. This intersection will be the split where you either take a left and head for the summit of Hopkins Mountain, or you continue straight heading towards Giant Mountain. See the sign below for reference. It is only 0.2 of a mile to the summit of Hopkins Mountain from here, but it is a steeper part of the trail.
Hopkins Mountain Summit
The summit of Hopkins Mountains has commanding views of the Adirondack wilderness around you. You will have a stunning horizon line with the Great Range cutting across it. The summit has plenty of space to spread out and walk around to gain various vantage points. See below for some of the views you will be rewarded with upon summiting this mountain.
Getting Back to the Trailhead
The Hopkins Mountain hike from the Rooster Comb/Ranney Road trailhead can be done as an out-and-back hike. So, in this scenario, you can just follow the same trail out that you hiked in on. Just be aware of the trail markers and signs to ensure you do not miss a turn.
Dog-Friendly
The hike for Hopkins Mountain is dog-friendly. It is not located on the Adirondack Mountain Reserve so you do not need to worry about bringing your pup on the trail. Make sure to bring enough water and food in your bag for both of you!
Fam-Friendly
This hike is family friendly. With a round trip distance of roughly six miles, and no technically challenging sections of the hike, I recommend this mountain to anybody looking to spend some time outdoors. I do not see a reason why anyone would struggle with this hike.
Clothes/Gear Worn
- Vasque Winter Hiking Boots
- EMS Winter Hiking Socks
- Long Johns
- Athletic Shorts
- Hiking Pants
- Wind/Snow Pants
- Underarmour long-sleeve
- Athletic t-shirt
- Reebok Quarter Zip
- LL Bean Outer Shell Jacket (worn when needed)
- Outdoor Research Glove Liners
- Marmot Expedition Mittens
- Winter Beanie
- Snowshoes
Equipment/Food Brought
- 2L of water, but you may want to bring 3L
- Peanut Butter Granola Bars and Trail Mix
- Extra Pair of EMS Winter Hiking Socks
- Bandana
- Emergency Tent and Blankets (lightweight options are available)
- Knife
- Paracord and Non-Climbing Carabiners
- Waterproof Matches
- Life-Straw (water filtration straw, costs about $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)
Additional Hikes in the adirondacks
RTW Note
Thanks for checking out this run-through of Hopkins Mountain! This is an all-around fun hike and I hope these insights can help you on your journey to the summit of the mountain! If you found this post helpful, or enjoyed the pictures provided, SMASH the subscribe button, leave a comment, or share this post with your friends! All love is appreciated and remember to carry out what you carry in! Happy hiking!
-Ant
