How to Hike the Infamous Haystack Mountain, Basin, and Saddleback Loop in the Adirondacks

New York’s Third Highest Peak

Haystack Mountain is QUITE the peak to climb! I ONLY recommend hiking this trail (plus Basin & Saddleback) if you are an EXPERIENCED hiker, and in GOOD shape. This trail is NOT for the faint of heart. It is a total of 18.5 miles, with lower and upper parts, in addition, it is apart of the 46er challenge.

Thus, if you are completing this challenge, you will have to hike this mountain, along with Basin & Saddleback, eventually. Lastly, there are 2 other peaks (actually 3 other peaks, I’ll explain later), you can tackle on this hike as well, making it either an 18.6-mile day or a 20-mile day. So, let’s get into the specifics of this EPIC hike!

In this article, you will learn all about Haystack Mountain, along with how to hike Basin and Saddleback with it, Haystack Mountain Adirondacks, and more about the Adirondacks in general, more about Haystack Mountain NY, and much more.

This post is all about Haystack Mountain.

Haystack Mountain:

How to Get There

Okay, so to get to this mountain, you will begin on Interstate 87 North or South (depending where you are coming from). Then stay on Interstate 87, until Exit 30. Once you take Exit 30, you will take a left (or right, if coming Southbound) onto Route 73. In about 2-3 miles, you will come upon an intersection, where you want to stay to your left, towards Whiteface, and Lake Placid. Then stay on this road for about 8.4 miles, then you will take a left before the Ausable Inn, onto, Adirondack Street. In .6 of a mile, you will take a left onto, Interbrook Road, which is a small bridge road. Then in .9 of a mile, you will arrive at your destination, the Garden Parking Lot.

You will drive on a dirt, one-way road, for about .3 of a mile, but it is a very manageable road, for all cars. Once you park, you will have to pay $10 to leave your car there for the day. You could also backpack for a weekend, if you want to break up the 18-20 mile route, instead of doing it all in one day (or you could stay at a nearby AirBnB, here is a link to some). I still need quite a bit of backpacking gear, which is why I did this route in one day. However, it’s much more manageable to break this hike up into two-three days, especially if you want to hike the other peaks around Haystack.

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Haystack Mountain Trail & Trailhead

Okay once you have come to the attendant window, if there is no attendant at the ticket window to pay for your parking, then you will open the white mail box type thing. This will be located on the outside of the ticket window, with writing saying, envelopes, here. You will open the mailbox and take an orange parking ticket and a white envelope to enclose your money in. Then the orange parking ticket you will also fill out, and place on the dashboard of your car. Then you can park your car in any open spot.

Okay, once you have parked your car, you will walk to the canopy area, and to the sign-in hiker registration book. Then, you can finally start your hike. When you first start, you want to follow the signs to the John Brook lodge, and you will remain on this path for about 3.1 miles. Then you will come upon an intersection, giving directions for Gothics, Saddleback, Mount Marcy, and the John Brook lodge. You want to go right, towards the John Brook lodge for another half a mile.

From the John Brook Lodge

Once you are at the lodge, again you can stay here, or camp at the campsites around the area. Here is a link, where you can find out more places to camp near the lodge, and the lodge. You will see signs for Haystack Mountain and various other trails, however, DO NOT follow the blue trail markers for Haystack. You want to follow the YELLOW markers to Mount Marcy. This is called the Phelps trail and it is a much more gradual trail, then the blue markers for Haystack. I was ready to follow the blue markers, but THANK GOD I ran into someone who told me MUCH better directions of how to get to Haystack.

Once you are following the yellow trail markers, you will come upon another intersection with the Hopkins Trail. Here you will start following the red trail markers towards Slant Rock, Marcy, and Haystack (so stay straight). Then in a little over 3 miles, you will come to another intersection, saying straight for Marcy, or left towards the Range Trail. You want to continue towards Marcy, on the red trail markers. Then in a little less than .9 of a mile, you will see another intersection.

If you stay to the right, you will come to little Haystack. Also, if you want to camp closer to Haystack Mountain, Slant Rock is about as close as you can get before you won’t be able to camp anymore. You cannot camp anywhere above 3,000ft. So you might want to keep the Slant Rock campground in mind to stay at, if hiking this route.

scenic view of mountains during dawn — Photo by Simon Matzinger on Pexels.com

Getting to Upper Haystack Mountain

If you go straight (slight right) onto the blue trail, you will go to Basin, but we’ll come to Basin later. Instead, you will stay left onto Little Haystack. Here you will start to do some rock climbing and you will continue to follow the yellow paint markings on the rock, towards Upper or actual Haystack. The view on Haystack is OUT OF THIS WORLD, it is truly INCREDIBLE. Now, if you want to continue to Marcy, you can, it’s only about a mile more, and it is New York’s highest peak, at 5,344ft in elevation.

However, if you want to go back down to Basin, and then Saddleback, you can do that as well, or all 4 if you want! If you choose to hike all four, I HIGHLY recommend backpacking or camping at Slant Rock or the John Brook lodge. Staying at either of these places, or around them, will cut down your hikes by at least 6 miles, making all peaks MUCH more doable.

Hiking to Basin & Saddleback

Alright, once you take in the SHOW STOPPING view at Haystack, you can hike back down to Basin, which is a little longer than half a mile. Once you come back to the blue trail marker intersection pointing straight towards Basin, you will go straight (slight right) towards Basin. Basin is about .7 of a mile away, with some good but manageable rock scrambles. The view on Basin is also, SPECTACULAR! I would take some time, like on Haystack, to take it all in.

Alright, if you want to continue to Saddleback, you will continue to follow the blue trail markers. There will be an obvious path to continue following from Basin. You will stay on this trail for about a mile. Also, I HIGHLY recommend climbing this with SOMEONE, as you will climb up the infamous, “Saddleback Cliffs.” If you are use to climbing, then you will be fine, but if not, I would hike with at least one other person, because they are manageable, but a little freaky. You might get that vertigo feeling. But once you are at the summit, it is GORGEOUS! All of these peaks, are truly gems, of New York state, really, all the high peaks are!

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Getting Back to the John Brook Lodge

Okay, once you’ve seen the view on Saddleback, you will follow the yellow paint markings on the rocks, back to another maintained, dirt path, where you will find the blue trail markers again. Be careful, because there are a couple of “fake,” trails you could accidentally follow, instead. Thus, keep track of your mileage and time, because if you follow the “right,” path, you should come upon another intersection, in about an hour. This intersection will have signs for Gothics, Armstrong, and Saddleback. Once you see signs for these trails, you know, you are hiking the right way.

At this intersection, you will also see signs for the John Brook Lodge, Keene Valley, and the Garden (Parking Lot). You will follow the blue trail markers again, to come back down to the lodge. In about 3.5 miles or so, you will then come to another intersection, informing you to go left towards the John Brook lodge. Then in about .3 of a mile, you will be back at the lodge.

Getting Back to the Parking Lot

Now if this was a day hike for you, from the lodge you will have 3.6 miles back to your car, making this about a 18.6 mile day. However, if you wanted to hike only Basin and Haystack, you simply hike back to Basin, and then go back the way you came up, making this a 19-20 mile day (my phone recorded 22.5 miles, but my phone is usually generous with the mileage). Also, if you are staying at the lodge, I would follow the loop just mentioned above, with Saddleback included. But if you are camping near Slant Rock, I again, would go back the same way you came up to Haystack Mountain(and whatever other peaks you hiked that day).

In Conclusion

And that is all about Mount Haystack, aka, New York’s third highest peak! I hope this was helpful, and you found some more peaks, that you can’t wait to hike. Thank you for reading, take care, and get out there. Also, below is some of the footage I got from my hike to Haystack, Basin & Saddleback.

This article was all about Haystack Mountain, along with how to hike Basin and Saddleback with it, Haystack Mountain Adirondacks, and more about the Adirondacks in general, more about Haystack Mountain NY, and much more.

P.S. If you want even more mountain inspiration, here is another video, of Saddleback, and Chimney Mountains, enjoy!