A Complete Look at Indian Lake, New York
Indian Lake, New York, not to be confused with Indian Lake (water reservoir in Ohio), OH, is a small outdoorsy town in upstate New York. It is near the famous ski resort, Gore Mountain (about a 20 minute drive away). Indian Lake is a great town for hiking, camping, swimming, rafting, and kayaking, particularly in the summer. And it does NOT get the crowds that Lake Placid and Keene Valley, NY get. Indian Lake still gets crowded on the weekends but NOT like the high peaks in Lake Placid and Keene Valley do. Indian Lake also has some nice restaurants, places to stay, and amazing hikes. In this article I will list my favorite hikes in this area from beginner to most advanced hikes.
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This article is all about Indian Lake.
Indian Lake :
Indian Lake Hotels
Okay, if you want to spend sometime in Indian Lake, then you probably need a place to stay. I will say there aren’t too many options to stay right in Indian Lake. There are a couple AirBnBs to stay at and the Granite Hill Lodge. However, these are pretty expensive options. There are a couple places on HipCamp. HipCamp, if you’re unfamiliar with, is a site to find campgrounds and cabins to stay in, it’s basically the cheaper version of AirBnB for now. The hotels here are also, pretty expensive to stay at.
An alternative place to stay at would be Lake George, NY. Lake George is about a 50 minute drive away from Indian Lake. However, Lake George is a much bigger area and offers a LOT more places to stay at. On the other hand, because Lake George is much bigger and more popular than Indian Lake, it does attract and have MANY more tourists. So, it’s up to you where you prefer to stay.
There are again, smaller towns you could stay at too that are near Indian Lake, however, you will run into the same problem with lodging. There isn’t a lot of lodging and it’s a little more expensive than other places. But, these towns are North Creek, Warrensburg, Long Lake, Blue Mountain Lake, Tupper Lake, and North Hudson.
Indian Lake Campground
Another alternative instead of staying at a hotel or cabin, would be camping. Camping is always a cheaper option unless you want to go camping instead, which Indian Lake does offer. Here is a great option for camping (islands) and more that you can find here. If all else fails you could invest in some Indian Lake NY real estate. As of now, you can still get a decent cabin or house for a decent price (under $300,000).
Things to Do in the Area
Other than camping and hiking, this area does offer a lot of other fun things to do. Some fun places to visit are Indian Lake Restaurant, Indian Lake Theater, and the Indian Lake library. The weather in Indian Lake is very typical to that of Lake Placid, sometimes it can be unpredictable because it is in the mountains, but for the most part if you follow the weather forecast you will be okay.
The best outdoor activities to do are hiking, rafting, camping, kayaking, paddle-boarding, skiing, snow-shoeing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling. My favorite thing to do in this region is hiking and winter hiking, below are 10 of my favorite hikes within the area if you are interested in checking some of them out.
1. Chimney Mountain
Okay, first on our list of Indian Lake hikes, and the least challenging (compared to the other hikes on this list) is Chimney mountain. It is a GREAT and fun little peak. This hike is a total of 2.5 miles round trip, with a great view of the surrounding mountains. It does have quite the elevation gain for such little mileage. In 1.25 miles you will gain about 1,000ft in elevation. It is located near North River, New York (15 minutes from Indian Lake), and you will have to drive on a dirt road to reach the parking lot/trailhead (manageable dirt road, very flat).
I really liked the view on this mountain, however, to get to the view that I liked, I had to bushwhack and go off trail a little. In my opinion, the actual summit doesn’t have the best view, which is why I ventured off the path a little to get a better view (the picture below is the view I bushwhacked to). Anyways, here is a link where you can access full directions to this mountain and a more in depth description.
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2. Castle Rock
Second on our list of Indian Lake hiking trails, is one of my favorites, Castle Rock. It’s a little more tricky than Chimney and harder to follow at times, so I would definitely download the AllTrails map. Especially, near the top because that’s when the trail really becomes harder to follow. However, it has an AMAZING view of Blue Mountain Lake, and its surrounding mountains and peaks. While hiking this trail, you will also find mini caves and ponds.
Castle Rock, it is located in Blue Mountain Lake, New York, and has no dirt roads to the parking lot/trailhead. However, there are some narrow roads that you will have to drive through. In addition, you will pass through a summer camp, then a conference center, small bridge, and finally find the parking lot/trailhead. It will feel like you’re driving on private property, but you can park and drive through where the GPS tells you to go. Here is a link, to where you can find full directions and more details about the trail.
3. Watch Hill
Watch Hill, is third on our list. It is also located near North River, New York, and is a total of 3.5 miles roundtrip. Also, you will not have to access any dirt roads, the Indian Lake trailhead and parking lot is right off a main road, it is very easy to get to. The summit of this trail is one large rock, that has a steep drop-off close to it. Thus, I would not recommend this trail, if rock summits freak you out, because you will feel extremely uncomfortable on it.
Anyways, I really love this view, and would recommend to people who love rock summits, and moderate hiking trails. Full directions and mountain description can be found via this link.
4. Pillsbury Mountain Fire Tower
Fourth on our list is, Pillsbury Mountain. This trail is located near Speculator, New York, has a fire tower, and does encounter unpaved roads to get to. This is apart of the Fire Tower Challenge, thus, you can knock it off your list, if you wish. I have heard that the road to get to the trailhead, is very hard to drive along if you do not have four wheel drive and a high under clearance. Also, I have yet to hike this mountain but the pictures look really pretty. Here you can find full directions and mountain descriptions.
5. Moxham Mountain (Personal Favorite)
Next is, Moxham mountain, this is a great trail for you intermediate hikers. This is one of my favorite Indian lake hikes in the Adirondacks. The views are EVERYWHERE on this hike. Seriously, almost all the inclines you walk, have a gorgeous view from them. However, the actual summit is on a pretty big rock ledge, thus again, I wouldn’t recommend this trail if rock ledges freak you out. However, to the side of the actual summit, there is a nice, open area where you can sit, eat, and enjoy the amazing views around you.
You can actually see the summit/rock ledges that you climb up from your drive to the trail. It has a great view, of the surrounding endless mountains around you, and you can even see Gore mountain. During this hike, you will encounter many up and down portions, it is not just a straight incline to the summit. It is a total of 5.5 miles, with about a 1,400ft elevation gain. It is located near Minerva, New York, and has no dirt roads (except for the last .2 of a mile on a rough, almost unpaved road).
Beware of some of the no parking signs, you can park at the trailhead, that is actual how you’ll know you’re at the trailhead. However, you cannot park before the trailhead, but there will be signs telling you this. Full directions can be found via this, link.
6. Vanderwhacker Fire Tower
Vanderwhacker trail is next on our list, and is near Minerva, New York, and is rated as a moderate trail. It is a total of 6.1 miles, roundtrip and also has a fire tower (also apart of the Fire Tower Challenge) at the summit. To get to this hike, you will have to cross some dirt and unpaved roads, that I’ve read are pretty sketchy. Again, I have yet to hike this trail, that being said, I have heard mixed reviews of this hike. Some people really like this peak and others have just flat out hate it, so it will be up to you to see if you truly like or dislike it. Here is a link to the exact directions.
7. Owl’s Head Fire Tower
The next hike on our list is, Owl’s Head Fire Tower. This hike is located near Long Lake, New York and is a total of 6.3 miles roundtrip. This trail also, encounters a fire tower at the top, and doesn’t include any dirt roads to access the trail. I really liked this hike, especially because, you don’t have to climb up the fire tower to see a view, there’s already a view up top. But, you can always climb the fire tower for an even better 360 degree view. As always, here is a link to the full directions.
8. Blue Mountain Fire Tower
Eighth on our list is, Blue Mountain. Blue Mountain, what a hike. It may be shorter than the last three trails listed, but boy, does it not fail in steepness. This hike is a total of 5.5 miles roundtrip, but the first half, is ALL uphill, there are no breaks from the steepness of this trail. But the view is completely worth it.
However, to see the view, you must go up the fire tower, otherwise, the trees block most of the view. There is plenty of room up top to have a picnic, but again, no real view, unless you travel up the fire tower. Also, it is fairly easy to access this trail, as there are no dirt or unpaved roads to drive on to get here, and the parking area is right off the main road. Here is the link to full directions.
9. Mount Adams Fire Tower
This is a STEEP hike. It has nearly 2,000ft of elevation gain in 2.45 miles to the top (round trip about 4.9 miles). The last mile is an UPHILL battle. I have hiked this fire tower in the winter and summer and it definitely lived up to it’s stats. However, the view on the fire tower is really beautiful. You can see many different high peaks and their entire ranges and many different lakes surrounding you.
You do have to climb up the fire tower to see a view, thus if you don’t like fire towers, I wouldn’t suggest this hike. But I really think it’s worth it. Mount Adams is located in the same parking area as Allen Mountain (yes, the fateful Allen Mountain of the adk 46ers). And you will walk the same hike as Allen for about a mile then come to an intersection, where you will turn left for Mount Adams (there should be a sign). Here is a link for the directions to Mount Adams and more mountain info.
10. Snowy Mountain Fire Tower
Second to last on our list is, Snowy mountain. Snowy mountain is a great trail, with two main views. This is rated as a hard trail, however, the first 1.5 miles, it is fairly flat, it’s only the last 1.5 miles, that are very steep. Also, there are two to three fairly big rock scrambles, that are pretty long and steep.
But once you reach the top, there is a gorgeous overpass you can look at to see the amazing view, as well as a fire tower, that you can climb up to see the surrounding views. It is a total of 7.1 miles, and again is easy to find, the parking area is right off the main road. However, the trail is on the opposite said of the road that you park at, thus look for the trail on the other side of the road, or you will be very lost. Also, if you hike this trail in the summertime beware, the bugs are UNREAL on this trail. Seriously, I’m warning you, the bugs are RELENTLESS. But if bugs don’t scare you, then you can find directions to Snowy, here.
11. Santanoni Peak (Bonus Peak)
A bonus peak is Santanoni. It is a total of 9.8 miles, and is located in Newcomb, New York, and is easy to drive to (no dirt or unpaved roads to encounter). This is also apart of the 46er challenge, but not the fire tower challenge. You can add Panther and Couch (Couchsachraga), which makes up the entire Santanoni Range, for an added challenge or if you’re trying to complete your 46ers. If you are not trying to get your 46ers I would NOT attempt Couch, it is NOT worth it. It’s just a bunch of up, down aggravation with a HUGE bog, and it has no view. However, Panther Peak is TOTALLY worth it, it’s beautiful. Here are the exact directions for these peaks.
Indian Lake Ski Trails and Hiking Trails
Okay, quickly switching seasons, as far as skiing/snowboarding goes, Gore Mountain is not too far. It is only about 20 minutes away and it is the biggest ski resort in New York. Now, if you are looking for Nordic or cross-country ski trails, here you will find some great ones. In addition, if you like to snowmobile, here are some great trails also.
Now, if you want additional Indian Lake hiking trails, there are a couple hiking challenges within this region, such as the 4321 Challenge and the Fire Tower Challenge (as mentioned in above trails). The 4321 Challenge spans across many of the lakes within this region. This is a great introduction to hiking, as it starts with 4 easy hikes, 3 intermediate hikes, 2 advanced hikes, and finishes with one expert hike. Here you will find each mountain and what list it is apart of. As far as the Fire Tower Challenge goes, most of the hikes apart of this challenge vary in difficulty level.
Last Thoughts
Overall, I really like this region of the Adirondacks. It’s much more peaceful and quiet compared to the High Peak Region of the Adirondacks, like Lake Placid and the Adirondack Lodge. I enjoy the Indian Lake hikes NY, however, the High Peak Region without question does have the better and more breath-taking views. Thus, when you get into better hiking shape, the High Peaks Region are a must.
Lastly, please don’t get confused with Indian Head Lake hike, Indian Head, is a hike in Keene Valley apart of the High Peaks Region (on your way to Lake Placid). Indian Head is where you will find the famous Adirondack picture NOT Indian Head Lake hike, it’s just called Indian Head trail at the Ausable Club.
And that wraps up our list of incredible hikes in the Indian Lake region, of upstate New York. For these longer trails, it is really important to have good, hiking shoes. I recommend having ones with good traction, ankle support, and to be WATERPROOF or water resistance. All these elements have really saved and improved my hiking experience. Thank you so much for reading, enjoy, and take care!
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