Mount Marcy is the highest point in
New York State, with an elevation of .
It is a popular destination for hikers due to its stature and great views, and the peak can get very crowded in the summer months. Located in Essex County, the mountain is in the heart of the Adirondack
High Peaks Region in the
High Peaks Wilderness Area.
History
The mountain is named after former governor
William L. Marcy, who authorized the environmental survey that explored the area.
The first recorded ascent of Mount Marcy was in 1837 by a large party led by
Ebenezer Emmons. Today the ascent is easier due to existing trails that require no
technical skills, allowing ascent and descent to be made in a day.
Routes
Mount Marcy is one of the
High Peaks of the Adirondack Mountains. The majority of the mountain is forested, although the final few hundred feet is above tree line. The peak is dominated by rocky outcrops, lichens, and alpine shrubs. There are two plaques at the top commemorating the centennial of the climb as well as the mountain summit itself.
The shortest and most frequently used route up the mountain is from the northwest, the
Van Hoevenberg Trail, which starts at the
Adirondak Loj near
Heart Lake. From there it is 7.4 miles (11.2 km) to the summit, a lengthy roundtrip which can nevertheless be done in a day. A large section of the trail is suitable for alpine skiing and snowboard on the way down, although there are a few locations where snowboarders will have to take off their snowboard and walk up a little.
Hikers starting up the
Johns Brook Trail from the
Garden parking north of the mountain in Keene Valley have a 9-mile (14.4 km) journey to the summit, and sometimes spend a night at
Johns Brook Lodge in the process.
A lengthier southern approach can be made from either of the two major trailheads for the southern High Peaks,
Upper Works or
Elk Lake.
Mount Marcy is in the
Town of Keene in
Essex County.
Mount Marcy Summit Panorama
Lake Tear of the Clouds
At the
col between Mount Marcy and Skylight is the highest source of the
Hudson River,
Lake Tear of the Clouds.
Theodore Roosevelt was camped there on
September 14,
1901 after summiting Marcy when he got word that President
William McKinley, who had been shot a week earlier, had taken a serious turn for the worse.
Roosevelt and his party hiked ten miles (16 km) down the southwest face of the mountain to
Long Lake, New York where he hired a stage coach to the closest train station at
North Creek, New York. The route from Long Lake to North Creek has been designated the
Roosevelt-Marcy Trail.
Gallery
See also
