How to Hike all of the Adirondack 46ers, New York’s High Peaks

My Journey to Becoming a 46er

The Adirondack 46er High Peak Challenge, pushed me in ways I never anticipated. When I first started this challenge I had no intention of finishing it. It wasn’t until I hiked Gothics (my 8th high peak) that I knew I was going to finish this. I had always been an avid hiker for years before I decided to hike the 46ers. However, I thought the 46ers were reserved for all the extreme hikers only. But after completing all the 46ers, I’ve realized it’s not that impossible, but is a huge feat to accomplish.

Adirondack 46ers

The Adirondack 46er Challenge, consists of the 46 different high peaks throughout the entire Adirondack Park in New York State, hence the name, Adirondack 46ers. Most of the peaks are about 4.5-6 hours north of New York City and 2-3 hours north of Albany. Most of the mountains are located in Keene, Keene Valley, and Lake Placid, NY. There are some located in Newcomb and one range (Sewards) located near Tupper Lake, NY. All of the High Peaks are suppose to be above 4,000ft however, there are a few that are just under 4,000ft.

Below are all the mountains apart of this challenge. The links will bring you to my articles (or AllTrails) explaining how to hike the specific peak and any other information I learned while hiking that peak. These mountains are written in the order I hiked them, but after completing this challenge, I think I would have done it a little differently. Thus, I created a revised order in which best to hike all these peaks, located further down.

Adirondack 46ers List

1. Cascade: This is definitely one of the most popular and trafficked high peaks in the Adirondacks overall. A lot of people hike this just to hike it, and they will not pair it with Porter. However, if you are interested in completing the 46ers, I would definitely hike Porter with Cascade. Porter is about a mile from Cascade round trip. Cascade does have an awesome view and is the 36th tallest mountain.

2. Porter: Is the 38th tallest peak. Going to Porter, there is a really good view off one of the rock boulders but the actual summit does not have a great view. Again, I would hike this with Cascade. Together these peaks are about 6.5 miles total (round trip) with an elevation gain of about 2,286ft.

3. Giant: Like its name states, this mountain is GIANT. It has A LOT of elevation gain. It’s a shame because a lot of people hike this mountain, thinking it’s an easy 6 mile hike, but NO it is not. Please DO NOT hike this if you are a beginner hiker. I know 6 miles does not sound like a lot but since it’s ALL up hill and very STEEP, it seems MUCH longer than it seems.

It has about a 1,000ft elevation gain per mile, which is STEEP. Anything with an elevation gain of 1,000ft per mile, you are SWEATING! Thus, please don’t let this be one of your first hikes, because you will quickly regret it. Most people pair this with Rocky Peak, which is smart to do, because they are pretty close to each other. Rocky Peak is about 1.5 miles away (one way), from Giant with lots of ups and downs. But the view on Rocky Peak is SOO worth it. Giant is the 12th highest peak in New York.

4. Rocky Peak: has a BEAUTIFUL view but it is a pain to get to. I prefer this view over Giant. Rocky Peak on its own is about 9 miles and if you pair it with Giant it is about 10.5 miles with an elevation gain of about 4,500ft. Rocky Peak is the 20th highest mountain.

5. Big Slide: is a great mountain to hike after Cascade and Porter. The beginning part of this mountain is pretty strenuous and uphill but then it levels out for a mile or two, until you get near the summit. This trail is about 8 miles round trip with an elevation gain of just over 3,000ft. Big Slide is New York’s 27th highest peak.

6. Whiteface: Whiteface and Ester are two great peaks to hike together, and to start hiking more than one peak in a day with. I would recommend doing Street and Nye first, however, these two can be difficult to follow, that’s why I suggest Whiteface and Ester first. Whiteface on its own is about 8.5 miles with an elevation gain of about 3,000ft.

7. Ester: Again, I would pair Ester with Whiteface for a total of 9.5 miles with an elevation gain of 3,684ft. Ester is the 28th tallest peak. And Whiteface is New York’s 5th highest peak.

8. Gothics: Oh, I LOVE this high peak! This was my 8th high peak and once I got to the summit, I said to myself, yep, I’m going to finish this challenge. Seriously, this is a beautiful mountain, I highly recommend, even just hiking it on its own. A lot of people hike the Lower Great Range, to hike Gothics. The Lower Great Range includes Sawteeth, Gothics, Armstrong, Upper, and Lower Wolfjaw (in that order), from the AMR/Ausable Club. Keep in mind, since 2021 if you park at the AMR/Ausable Club, you need a hiking reservation, that you can find here. You will need a permit/reservation anytime from May 1st through Halloween or October 31st.

The Lower Great Range is an epic hike. It’s 17 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 5,475ft. When I hiked this, I did not know about the Lower Great Range loop, thus I hiked Gothics via Pyramid Peak and saw the cutoff for Sawteeth. So, after I summited Gothics, I came back down and hiked Sawteeth. However, after knowing more about the Adirondack 46 high peaks, I would advise hiking Sawteeth first then Gothics, and then possibly Lower & Upper Wolfjaws with Armstrong. Or just Sawteeth, Gothics, and Pyramid (not a high peak), then Lower & Upper Wolfjaw and Armstrong together.

9. Sawteeth: Again, I would pair this with Gothics and Pyramid or with the entire Lower Great Range. It is a nice hike to Sawteeth, but it does not have a real significant view. Gothics is New York’s 10th tallest peak and Sawteeth is the 35th tallest peak.

10. Dial: Oh boy, Dial and Nippletop, what special mountains. I only say that because I had to hike Dial twice, due to thunderstorms. Also, I took the Leech Trail from the AMR/Ausable Club to hike these peaks, and boy is it STEEP. Once you get on the Leech trail, the elevation literally does not stop until you get to Dial, and then Nippletop.

Some people pair Blake and Colvin, with Dial and Nippletop too. I only hiked Dial and Nippletop together, which is about a 15 mile loop with an elevation gain of 4,081ft. Dial is New York’s 41st highest peak and Nippletop is New York’s 13th highest peak. They both have great views but small summit areas.

11. Nippletop: Again, I would at least hike this with Dial, but you can add on Colvin and Blake for an extra challenge. Doing all four of these peaks is about a 18.5 mile hike with an elevation gain of 6,122ft.

12. Upper Wolfjaw: Upper and Lower Wolfjaw I hiked in the rain, so I really don’t remember much from these two peaks. Again, I hiked them before knowing about the Lower Great Range traverse, otherwise I would have paired them with Armstrong and Gothics. Another option that people do is to hike Upper & Lower Wolfjaw with Armstrong, which is about a 15.5 mile hike with an elevation gain of 5,242ft, again from the AMR. I recommend hiking these three peaks together if you want to enjoy your journey. But if you live out of town or want a challenge, then I recommend doing the whole lower great range.

13. Lower Wolfjaw: Again, I recommend at least hiking this peak with Upper Wolfjaw. Upper Wolfjaw is New York’s 29th highest peak and Lower Wolfjaw is New York’s 30th highest peak.

14. Colvin: This mountain never disappoints! Once again I have hiked this peak and Blake twice, once in the late summer and another in late winter. Both times Colvin was amazing, however, Blake is rough. There is no real summit and there is no view, you really only hike this because it’s apart of the challenge, not because it’s fun.

There is a SMALL wooded summit for Blake, after the sign for the Pinnacle (about 1.5 miles from Colvin). If you continue pass that sign, shortly you will see a little opening of trees, where if you turn to your left and go towards this opening of trees, you will see a B engraved LIGHTLY on one of the trees. I guess this is your indictor that you’ve reached the summit of Blake, but who really knows. As long as you hike to the Pinnacle sign, you’ve hiked Blake. Together Colvin and Blake are about 13.5 miles with an elevation gain of 4,035ft.

15. Blake: Again, hike this WITH Colvin or plus Dial and Nippletop for an added challenge. Blake is New York’s 43rd highest peak and Colvin is New York’s 39th tallest peak.

16. Wright: Unfortunately, when I hiked Wright, it was in the clouds, but I did pair it with Algonquin and Iroquois, and by the time I got to Algonquin, the clouds had cleared, and I had a gorgeous view on Algonquin and Iroquois. I have since re-hiked Wright, and it is undeniably gorgeous, please hike it to see it for yourself, if you can. Wright is New York’s 16th highest peak.

17. Algonquin: Again, I would hike this with Wright and Iroquois. Algonquin is New York’s 2nd tallest peak. When I hiked these three mountains I was surprised at how “easy” it was compared to the difficulty level I had read about. Now that being said, I would not go into this hike lightly, it is still difficult, but more doable than some of the other 46er ranges.

Also, I was in really GOOD HIKING shape when I did these 3 peaks. Thus, that is definitely why I thought it was easier than what people said. This is definitely more doable than Giant and Rocky Peak, Redfield and Cliff, HaBaSa (Haystack, Basin & Saddleback), etc.

18. Iroquois: Again, please do all three of these peaks together, they are very manageable and very close to one another. Also, Iroquois can be tricky to get to, one of the signs is labeled wrong, but the article I have linked will explain how to get to Iroquois the right way. Together these three peaks are about 12 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 4,370ft. Iroquois is New York’s 8th highest peak.

19. Saddleback: Oh man, what a hike! Again, I have hiked this peak twice, along with Basin and Haystack. I did not do enough research when I first attempted this hike and completely messed up the range. I originally wanted to pair Saddleback and Armstrong together (I had missed Armstrong the first go-around). But I ended up only hiking Saddleback on its own due to the Gothic Cables freaking me out.

So after hiking Saddleback on its own, I came back another day and hiked Haystack and Basin. I went to little Haystack by myself, then meet up with another group and we hiked to Basin and back down together, which was really fun.

20. Haystack: has an INCREDIBLE view! All three of these peaks have EPIC views and are some of my favorite of all the 46ers. Make sure when you hike Haystack, that you don’t confuse Little Haystack for actual Haystack. I did this, the first time I hiked this peak, and saw a group of people continuing on. Thus, I asked them where they were going and they said to Haystack, so I tagged along. There really wasn’t a view because it was in the clouds, but I have really good memories from Haystack because both times I hiked it with really cool people.

21. Basin: Okay, FINALLY over the summer, I completed this loop right. For my second time hiking all three of these peaks, I hiked it with my friends, arriving at the Garden Parking at 5am and hiked to Haystack, Basin, then Saddleback. Now, going to Basin from Saddleback, you will encounter the infamous Saddleback Cliffs, which for me, were very nerve racking. If you enjoy heights and rock climbing, this will be nothing for you. However, if you don’t like heights and you are a little on the shorter side, I HIGHLY suggest bringing a taller person to help you up on some of the obstacles.

There are about 5 places that are really tough for shorter people, and my friends and I all had to help one another to make it up. Even though climbing the cliffs are a little scary, they’re SUPER rewarding after finishing them. They are not very long, which is a blessing, but again, in my opinion they are a little scary when seeing what you have to do. This range altogether is about 18.5 miles long with an elevation gain of 5,144ft. Haystack is New York’s 3rd highest peak, Basin is the 9th highest, and Saddleback is the 17th highest. And ALL three of these peaks have OUTSTANDING views. Seriously, they were some of my FAVORITES, and by far one of my favorite loops!

22. Tabletop: Tabletop is a nice but wet hike. All of these hikes contain SO MUCH MUD. Truly, be prepared to encounter tons and tons of mud on ALL your hikes within the Adirondacks, especially the high peaks. This is one constant that will always be on your hikes in the Adirondacks. For Tabletop, you will follow an old stream bed up for its herd path. The top has a small but decent view with a summit plaque. I must say I enjoyed Phelps more. I hiked Tabletop first then Phelps, which I recommend because then you can relax on the bigger and nicer (in my opinion) summit on Phelps.

23. Phelps: Again, I HIGHLY recommend hiking Tabletop and Phelps together. I love the view on Phelps and I think it’s HIGHLY underrated. Together these peaks are about 13 miles with an elevation gain of 3,766ft. Phelps is New York’s 32nd highest peak and Tabletop is New York’s 19th highest peak.

Continued : Adirondack 46er hikes

24. Gray: Pairing this with Skylight and Marcy is a GREAT loop! This loop and HaBaSa were probably my favorites. They are difficult hikes, but so rewarding. Gray doesn’t have much of a view on the summit, but there is a nice lookout, when going back down. Gray is New York’s 7th highest peak.

25. Skylight: This is one of my FAVORITE high peaks! It DOES NOT have the CROWDS like Marcy and is JUST as beautiful in my opinion. When I hiked Skylight, I was the only one on the summit, then I hiked to Marcy and quickly saw where all the people were. Marcy is great, but it’s just always so crowded, that sometimes it can be hard to enjoy. Skylight is New York’s 4th highest peak.

26. Marcy: Well, congratulations, because you made it to the tallest point in the state of New York! I don’t mean to put Marcy down from what I previously said, because it is spectacular, but since it’s the highest peak, you get WAY too many people that hike it. And the only reason they hike it is for the clout, not because they should be hiking it. There are a lot of rescues that happen on Marcy because of this reason, many people come EXTREMELY unprepared. Thus, when you hike Marcy, please do it after you’ve done more than just one 5 mile hike. Marcy on it’s own is about 15 miles, but paired with Gray and Skylight (I highly recommend, if completing the 46ers) its about 20 miles with an elevation gain of over 5,000ft.

27. Nye: Oh man, Street and Nye. Street and Nye wouldn’t be hard mountains except for the fact that they’re unmarked. And you have to cross the Indian Pass Brook. I would NOT hike this in late winter to early spring, because you will NOT be able to cross the Brook. Also, make sure it hasn’t rained in a couple days because, again you won’t be able to cross the Brook.

Also, please bring a map or AllTrails with you because this herd path is extremely hard to follow, especially after crossing the brook, it’s very difficult to pick back up again. Also, you can hike these mountains on a cloudy day or rainy day because there aren’t any real views. Street has a little one, but nothing much.

28. Street: Again, I HIGHLY recommend hiking this with Nye Mountain, because they are right next to each other. Together, these peaks are a little over 9 miles round trip as an out and back, with an elevation gain of 2,634ft. Street is New York’s 31st highest peak and Nye is New York’s 45th highest peak.

29. Santanoni: Oh the Santanoni Range. I have a couple different stories for this range. The first time I hiked this range, I did in such a weird way. I did not take the Santanoni Express Way (which I HIGHLY recommend taking, if you’re going straight to Santanoni), I hiked to the intersection with the Duck Hole Lean-To and to the Panther Brook Herd Path (what you take coming down from Panther). Then, once I got to Times Square and Herald Square I hiked to Santanoni, then Couchsachraga, then finally, to Panther. This added about 4 extra miles, which I was not happy about.

30. Couchsachraga: The second time I attempted this range, I was not by myself and did take the Santanoni Express Way, and boy it was SOOO much quicker. Then we went to Couch (well my friends did, I went straight to Panther, because I did not want to relive the bog), and then went to Panther. Beware the Couchsachraga bog, is THICK and huge. I’ve only hiked it once and it was in early November, so a lot of the bog was frozen with SOME snow on it. Thus, I lucked out and I didn’t fall through much mud. However, I have seen people sink waist deep in MUD. There is no way around it either, so good luck because it is a free for all.

31. Panther: This peak is BEAUTIFUL, it is also one of my favorite peaks. Panther is the only reason why I re-hiked this range, it is really awesome. It’s also SUPER close from Times/Herald Square, so how can you not love this peak? That’s why I recommend ending on this peak, so you can end on a very high note. Then you’ll hike back down to Herald/Time Square and THEN follow the Panther Brook Trail down to the parking lot. In total this range is about 17 miles with an elevation gain of 4,612ft. Santanoni is New York’s 14th highest peak, Couch is New York’s 46th highest peak, and Panther is New York’s 18th highest peak.

32. Marshall: This is another mountain I have hiked twice. The first time I met a new friend to hike this peak with and the second time, my friend and I paired Marshall with Colden too. Marshall and Colden together, is a TOUGH hike but super cool. Also, you can look at a plane crash. Pay attention to your map or AllTrails if you want to see the plane crash, because it is off the trail. It’s not that far off the trail (about .2 of a mile).

Also, the summit plaque on Marshall is EASY to miss, it’s located very high on one of the trees. Both times I hiked Marshall from the Adk lodge but you can hike it from the Calamity Brook Trail. From the lodge Marshall is about 17 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 3,339ft. Paired with Colden, these two peaks are about 21 miles with an elevation gain of over 5,000ft. Marshall is New York’s 25th highest peak.

33. Allen: What a mountain! Allen is the only mountain where you will hike 10 miles in for ONE peak, and then 10 miles back out. Allen is fairly flat until the last 1.5 miles. The last mile and a half is pretty steep, with the Allen Mountain Slide. I would wait a couple days of no rain, to make sure the slide is dry enough to hike. Allen is about 20 miles long with an elevation gain of 3,497ft. Allen is the 26th tallest mountain.

34. Redfield: Oh boy, I’m so sorry but I never want to see Redfield or Cliff again. Honestly, I get ptsd every time I hear their names. I am only joking, but I really did not enjoy these two mountains. I did hike them from the Adk Lodge, which is a little longer with a little more of an elevation gain than the Calamity Brook Trail. Thus, maybe my reaction would be a little better if I had hiked them via the Calamity Brook instead of the lodge, but who knows.

35. Cliff: Yeah not much else to say here, except watch out for all the cliffs on Cliff. If you’re short BRING a taller person who can pull you up on the cliffs. If you are 5’4″ or under there is one section on Cliff that you will NOT be able to do without a taller person. Redfield is New York’s 15th highest peak and Cliff is New York’s 44th highest peak. From the lodge these two peaks are about 21 miles with an elevation gain of 4,603ft and from the Calamity Brook Trail, they are about 19 miles with an elevation gain of about 4,101ft.

36. Seward: The Seward Range, Redfield, Cliff, and Allen Mountains are probably the most remote peaks apart of this challenge. The Sewards are about 40 minutes northwest of Lake Placid, located near Tupper Lake, New York. The Seward Range is nice, but not anything outstanding, it’s a nice middle ground for this challenge, in my opinion. There is a summit plaque for this peak, but not a real view on the summit, but it does have some nice views on your way coming down. My friends and I hiked this range in two hikes.

37. Donaldson: We hiked Seward, Donaldson, and Emmons together, which is about a 17.5 miles round trip with an elevation gain of almost 4,000ft. Then I hiked Seymour separately on my own. You can hike this entire range in one day, but it’ll be about a 25 mile hike (little less). Thus, if you want to camp here and hike these mountains, that’s a good alternative, then hiking 25 miles in one day, unless you want that challenge.

38. Emmons: Donaldson was my favorite view in this range, Emmons was like Seward and didn’t really have a summit view, but it had some nice views hiking to its summit. Seward is New York’s 24th highest peak, Donaldson is the 33rd highest peak, and Emmons is the 40th highest peak.

39. Macomb: This is a great peak, it does have a smaller summit, but it’s really pretty. There is a summit plaque and if you hike it with South Dix and Grace peaks, it’s not too bad of a hike. Thus, I recommend doing this hike earlier on in your 46er journey. Or you could wait, and hike the whole Dix Range (Macomb, South Dix, Grace, Hough & Dix) for an extra challenge. Most people do this hike from the Elk Lake Lodge. However, this road is seasonal, and does close from November to April/May.

40. South (Carson) Dix: This has a SMALL summit and plaque. There is a lookout before the actual summit of this peak that has a good view. My friends and I passed the summit sign going to this peak and onto Grace, but we saw it coming back down. Macomb is New York’s 21st highest peak and South Dix is New York’s 37th highest peak and Grace is the 42nd highest.

41. Grace: This is also one of my favorite peaks, it is awesome. It’s nice and open, and has almost 360 views. In total, these three peaks together are about 12 miles with an elevation gain of just over 4,000ft. If you decide to hike the whole range it is about 17 miles with an elevation gain of over 5,000ft. Again, if you’re going to hike the entire range, DO IT from the Elk Lake Lodge.

Also, parking in the Elk Lake lot gets SUPER crowded on the weekends in the summer. My friends and I hiked this range from the Elk Lake lot in mid-September at 5am on a Friday and it was already half way full. So, again, I would keep this in mind (all Adk parking lots for the high peaks fill up SUPER early on weekends, from June to mid-October, I would get there no later than 6am, in the summer on weekends).

42. Dix: This has a great 360 summit. The last part of this hike I loved, because I got to walk on a ridge line, which is my favorite part of hikes. However, my friends and I hiked Dix and Hough together from the Round Pond parking lot off of Route 73. This way is a little out of the way, but still fun in my opinion. Hiking these two peaks together from Route 73 is about 17.5 miles with an elevation gain of over 4,000ft.

43. Hough: has another nice view, it is a smaller summit with a small summit plaque, but still has a nice view. The whole Dix Range has great views. Dix is the 6th highest peak, and Hough is New York’s 23rd highest peak.

44. Colden: is a beautiful peak! However, from Avalanche pass (what I hiked) it is a TOUGH hike. The last 1.6 miles you gain 1,920ft of elevation gain, which is STEEP. Anything with 1,000ft of elevation gain per mile, is A LOT. You are huffing and puffing. You can hike Colden via Lake Arnold, which has a more gentle incline. I hiked Colden with Mount Marshall as well, which was VERY trying. Colden on its own is about 12 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 3,061ft. Colden is New York’s 11th highest peak.

45. Seymour: I hiked Seymour on its own, which is about a 13.5 mile hike with an elevation gain of almost 3,000ft. The first couple miles are pretty flat, then the last 1.5 miles after the rock cairn are STEEP, it is no joke. Seymour is New York’s 34th highest peak. There is a nice lookout before the actual summit of Seymour, but the real summit does have a little view too. Again, the Seward Range is located on a seasonal road, that closes between November to April/May, so again keep this in mind when you plan this hike. You DO NOT want to hike the extra 3 miles (6 miles round trip) when the seasonal road is closed.

46. Armstrong: Oh Armstrong. Armstrong has a special place in my heart because this is the high peak I ended on. For most people this is an odd one to end on, but for me it makes total sense. It is for my grandma Armstrong who I never got to meet, but I know has always been with me in spirit. Well, also I messed up the two other loops that I could have hiked with Armstrong, so it became a purposefully accident.

I also got to hike it with my dad, who first introduced me to mountains, which was an even more memorable way to end this challenge. But either way, I really love this peak, for more than one reason. I hiked this peak via the AMR/Ausable Club from the Beaver Meadows trail, which is about 12 miles with an elevation gain of 3,343ft. It is New York’s 22nd highest peak.

*MacNaughton: This is a special mention, because currently it is NOT on the list of 46ers to complete for the 46er Challenge. However, it use to be on the list of 46ers in the early 1900s, but for some reason got taken off. People often call it the 47th high peak.

This is ironic because some of the other peaks on the list are under 4,000ft too. Thus, not all of the “high peaks” are above 4,000ft, which is what this challenge is suppose to be about. I have yet to hike this trail, but it is a complete bushwhack, so be prepared. I recommend hiking this AFTER completing all your 46ers for an added extra challenge. This hike is a little over 15 miles round trip with elevation gain of just under 3,000ft, and is like I said, a complete bushwhack (no trail) so good luck!

After hiking all these high peaks, I’ve put a lot of thought and research into how I should have approached this challenge. Thus, if you want recommendations on what trails to do in what order, below is a list of how I should have hiked this challenge.

Recommended 46er Journey : Adirondack 46er Guide

1. Cascade & Porter
2. Big Slide
3. Whiteface & Ester
4. Street & Nye (FOLLOW a map or AllTrails)
5. Wright, Algonquin & Iroquois
6. Macomb, South Dix, & Grace Peaks (via Elk Lake)
7. Phelps & Tabletop
8. Mount Colden via Lake Arnold or via Avalanche Pass for a more difficult climb
9. Gothics via Pyramid Peak & Sawteeth (or wait to do this later with the entire lower great range)
10. Giant & Rocky Peak
11. Colvin & Blake
12. Dial & Nippletop
13. Mount Marshall via the Calamity Brook Trail
14. Santanoni Range: Santanoni, Couchsachraga, Panther Loop (in that order, using Santanoni Express Way)
15. Seward, Donaldson & Emmons (you can hike Seymour too apart of this range, but VERY long add-on, I recommend camping here, if you wish to do the whole range in one trip)
16. Seymour to finish the Seward Range
17. Dix & Hough or the entire Dix Range
18. Armstrong, Upper & Lower Wolfjaws or entire lower great range
19. Allen Mountain
20. Redfield & Cliff via the Calamity Brook Trail or Adk Lodge (my least favorite hikes)
21. HaBaSa or Haystack, Basin & Saddleback Loop (in that order)
22. Gray, Skylight & Marcy (in that order, so you can end on the top of New York)

Trails to Get in Shape for the 46ers

Before you start your 46er journey, I do have some trails I recommend hiking to get you prepared for the challenge. These mountains have good elevation gain, with decent mileage. The mountains become more difficult as the list goes down with increased mileage.

1. Catamount
2. Blue Mountain Fire Tower
3. Camel’s Hump (Vermont)
4. Ampersand
5. Pitch Off & Balanced Rocks
6. Mount Adams Fire Tower
7. Killington Peak (Vermont)
8. Hurricane Mountain Fire Tower
9. Rooster Comb & Snow Mountains Loop
10. Snowy Mountain & Fire Tower
11. Noonmark
12. Mckenzie
13. Mckenzie & Haystack Loop
14. Noonmark & Round Mountain Loop

Recommended Hiking Gear

As you go on longer hikes apart of the 46er challenge, here is some gear I recommend purchasing to bring with you for your hikes.

1. water filter + CamelBak 3 liter bladder (or any water bladder)
2. micro spikes & leg gators, puffy jacket (for fall or early spring hikes)
3. Osprey backpack
4. Salomon hiking shoes/gear
5. Gu Packets & Cliff Bars (or any granola bars you like)
6. bear bell (if hiking solo) & pepper spray
7. mosquito net & rope
8. Darn Tough Socks & LOTS of layers
9. Spot & AllTrails Maps pro offline for phone
10. Portable charger
11. First aid kit + Advil & Chapstick
12. Lightweight rain jacket, hats + gloves (for fall and early spring much heavier ones for winter)
13. head lamp
14. reusable pee cloth
15. 46er high peak scratch off
16. GoPro/Camera

How to Obtain Your Adirondack 46er Patch

Okay, to get your Adirondack 46er patch, you HAVE to hike all the Adirondack 46ers. How to signup and keep track of your peaks you can find here. You will want to keep track of the date when you complete different peaks, as you will have to fill out on the official finisher sheet online. You will also have to pay and initial fee of $15 for a Adirondack 46er registration membership. Then about 4 weeks later (sometimes more) you will get an office letter in the mail with your official Adk 46er number and your patch. There is no other way to obtain the Adk 46er patch, they DO NOT sell these patches any other way. Thus, you become very official when you actually get the Adk 46er patch!

Least Favorite Adirondack 46ers

Okay, so before I end this post, I wanted to mention some of my favorite and least favorite peaks and hikes/ranges. Since, I want to leave on a good note, I’ll say my least favorites first. I DID NOT enjoy Cliff and Redfield. I don’t think I will ever hike those two again, I really did not like them. I did hike them via the Adk Lodge, which is a couple miles longer than via the Calamity Brook Trail.

So, maybe I would have enjoyed them more from the Calamity Brook Trail. But Cliff really took a lot out of me. There is one cliff on Cliff where I seriously thought I was going to fall and get badly injured. Thank God, my friend was there to pull me up and prevent me from sliding. Again, if you are on the shorter side in height, like myself (I am 5’4″), BRING a TALLER person with you, to help you on the cliffs.

Also, I thought these two peaks were WAY too long for the views you get. They were a lot of work for LITTLE payoff in my opinion. I would re-hike Allen 10 times before I re-hiked Redfield and Cliff again. I also wasn’t the biggest fan of Street or Nye, because again, they didn’t have the best views. I also wasn’t a fan of Couchsachraga, Blake or Ester, again there weren’t any real views, and the bog on Couchsachraga is insane.

Favorite Adirondack 46ers

Now, let’s move on to the peaks I really enjoyed. I loved Skylight (and Gray + Marcy loop with Skylight), Haystack (the whole HaBaSa loop), Whiteface, Panther, Gothics, Grace, Rocky Peak, Mount Colden, Phelps, Colvin, and Armstrong. I would say my favorite hiking traverses were HaBaSa, Gray, Skylight and Marcy loop, Wright, Algonquin & Iroquois loop, and the Dix Range.

Overall Thoughts of the Adirondack 46ers

There have been more incredible views than I can count from this challenge, which is a main reason why, I started hiking the Adirondack 46ers. Once I got to the summit of Gothics (my 8th High Peak) I was hooked, and I knew, I was going to finish this challenge. Hiking all the Adirondack 46ers really is a feat to accomplish because even though these mountains are not the tallest in the US, they are definitely some of the gnarliest. No where else in the US, will you be as remote and trail-less except for the Adirondacks (and Alaska).

However, the real lesson I learned from this challenge, is how strong and tenacious I really am. Previously, I had thought, these were two qualities I lacked, but after hiking all the Adirondack 46ers, I’ve realized that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Which is a lesson I hope this challenge teaches you as well, if you wish to hike this journey. I hope it truly shows you just how invincible and unstoppable we all are. Thank you so much for reading, and what ever it is out there that you want, I hope you go after it, and realize that you truly can be and have anything you wish. Take care and thank you for reading.