The Complete Guide for Mount Marshall in the Adirondacks
If you aren’t familiar, Mount Marshall is apart of the Adirondack 46er Challenge, in upstate New York. There are a couple different ways to hike Mount Marshall, either from the loj or Adk Lodge or from Newcomb/Upper Works trailhead. In this article I will be explaining how to hike both routes.
When I hiked Mount Marshall, I hiked it in addition to Mount Colden. I don’t recommend doing this because it is a LONG day, it was one of my longest hiking days ever. My phone recorded my friend and I walking a total of 23 miles that day. So, yes, I would advise to do both of these on their OWN. However, if you want a challenge, then go for it, because I will also be explaining how to hike Mount Marshall and Colden together.
Finally, after reading this article, you will learn how to hike Mount Marshall from loj (Adk Lodge) via Avalanche Pass, from Upper Works via Calamity Brook Trail, how to add on Mount Colden, the Mount Marshall plan crash, and much more.
This post is all about Mount Marshall.
Mount Marshall:
Mount Marshall Via Avalanche Pass
To hike Mount Marshall from the Adk Lodge, you will start by getting onto Interstate 87 North or South, depending on where you are coming from. You will stay on here until Exit 30, then take the exit and take a left (or a right if you’re coming southbound) onto to Route 73. In about 2.3 miles you will come to a funky intersection, that you want to stay left towards Whiteface and Keene Valley. For 13 miles continue straight. You will come to an intersection at the end of Keene, where you want to continue left, towards the High Peaks. There will be a small sign for this, so just be on the lookout for it.
Again, you will continue straight for 11 miles, then take a left onto Adirondack Loj Road. You will stay on this road for 2.5 miles. Then come upon the Adirondack Lodge. There will be an attendant window, where you will have to pay $15 for parking. Sometimes there is no attendant at the window, so make sure you have exact change. There are lots of places to camp throughout the Adk Lodge, as well as lodging, if you want to save time in the morning and hike immediately when you wake up.
{Related Post : Mount Marcy Loop}
Okay, hiking Mount Marshall, via Avalanche Pass, is a bit more strenuous of hike than via the Calamity Brook trail (or Newcomb/Upper Works). When you arrive at the Adirondack Lodge, you want to go to your left towards Mount Marcy, Wright, and Algonquin peaks. You will follow the trail for about a mile, don’t go on any trails that say old ski trail, continue straight. In about a mile you will come to an intersection, where you want to follow the signs towards Marcy Dam.
In about 2 miles, you will come to the Marcy Dam. Once you’re here, you will start to follow signs for Avalanche Camps and Lake. Note, that this portion of your hike contains LOTS of rocks and BOULDERS that you will have to navigate through, but they are manageable. After this, you will come upon Avalanche Lake in about 2 miles or so. Once here, you will continue to follow signs to Cold Brook Pass and Upper Works. This will be the start of your ascent, going up about 2,000ft in elevation gain. In about a mile and a half you will find a cairn of rocks, indicating your turn off to the unmarked herd path for Mount Marshall and Mount Marshall Trail. The climb to Mount Marshall is about a mile, and you will go up a little less than 1,000ft in elevation gain.
So, right before the cairn or rocks, indicating your start of the herd path to Marshall, there is a plan crash. People like to call this the Mount Marshall plane crash. It is a little off the beaten path, but if you follow this map (and download the offline version of AllTrails), it will show you your location in relation to the crash, and you’ll be able to get to it. It’s really not that far off, maybe .2 of a mile off the Mount Marshall Trail.
Once you are back on the trail, you will see a beautiful false summit, that I recommend stopping and taking pictures at, right before the Mount Marshall plaque. I will say, this plaque is quite hard to see, because it’s placed so far up on one of the trees, you really have to look HIGH for it. There is also, another lookout passed the actual summit of Marshall, if you climb up the rock and farther down, you will see it. You can also follow the AllTrails Map to get to Mount Marshall via Avalanche Pass.
Now, coming down, my friend and I took, the Herbert Brook path. About .3 of a mile before the actual summit of Marshall, you will see another path that you can take, this is the Herbert Brook path. If you’re coming down, you will continue straight instead of taking a left to the trail you just hiked up.
Now, if you wish to hike Mount Colden too, which is what my friend and I did, you will want to follow the Herbert Brook Trail down. You will follow this path down for about 1.6 miles, then come to a couple different intersections. You want to stay to your left towards Lake Colden. When you come to Lake Colden, there will be a ladder that you can climb down, then follow the bridge to the other side of the lake.
Then, there will be a sign telling you where to go for Mount Colden. When my friend and I hiked this, they were doing trail construction on this part of the hike, so we had to hike all the way around Lake Colden then back to the following signs pointing us to Mount Colden. This really didn’t add much to our hike though, maybe a half to a mile if that, that it added on.
After this, the work really begins. Hiking Colden via Avalanche Pass, like I mentioned, is a TOUGH climb, especially after climbing Mount Marshall. When we got to Colden, it was already around 2pm, so I booked it up Mount Colden, so we could still get back to our cars at a decent time. I was TIRED by the end of this climb up to Colden, but I got to the summit around 3:30pm, which I was really happy with. Again, this climb from the 1.6 is STRAIGHT up, there is no rest. Also, there are a couple rock scrambles at the top of Colden, as it is a rock face summit. You will also gain 1,900ft in elevation in that 1.6 miles, it is NO joke.
Like I previously stated, this is a rock summit, so, if this freaks you out, I recommend hiking Mount Colden via Lake Arnold. You will take a similar route to this as you would if you’re hiking Redfield and Cliff. The difference is, when you see signs for Lake Arnold, you will follow them, and then see signs for Mount Colden, and then follow that. Here are directions explaining how to get to Lake Arnold.
After summiting Mount Colden, to come back down, you will follow the same way down as up, then back towards the Avalanche Camps and Marcy Dam. From the Marcy Dam, you will follow the signs back towards the parking lot. Here is the Alltrails map for hiking Mount Marshall via Avalanche Pass.
Overall, I really enjoyed hiking Mount Marshall and Mount Colden together, even though it was a tough and rough day, I’m glad I did it.
Mount Marshall Via Calamity Brook
Mount Marshall, from Newcomb/Upper Works (or via Calamity Brook) is more straight forward than from the Adk Lodge. To get here, you will again, get on Interstate 87 North or South, depending on where you are coming from. You will take Exit 26 towards Potterville, and take a left onto US-9 from the exit (if coming northbound). In .4 of a mile take a right onto US-9.
In .2 of a mile, you will take a slight left onto Olmstedville Road, and stay straight for 4.9 miles. In 1.1. miles, you will stay left onto CR-29, then in .4 of a mile, take a right onto Morse Memorial Highway. In .3 miles, keep left onto A P Morse Memorial Highway, in 2.6 miles, you will take a slight right onto NY-28N, then in 14 miles, take a right onto Blue Ridge Road.
In 1.2 miles take a left onto CR-25, then in .4 of a mile, keep left onto CR-25. Then in 5.9 miles take a left onto CR-25, then in 3.5 miles, your destination will be on your right.
You will start your hike at the Upper Works parking lot. Then sign into the hiker registration book. From here you will follow the signs to the Flowed Lands. You can camp at the Flowed Lands if you wish to rest, and hike Marshall the next day. This way, you could also hike Redfield and Cliff, and get 3 high peaks in, instead of one. Anyways, once you’ve made it to the Flowed Lands trail registration area, you will hike around the lands, to your left, onto the Herbert Brook path. This will take about .6 of a mile. Also, there will be a cairn of rocks to your left, indicating Mount Marshall’s herd path.
Once you’re on the herd path, there are no trail markers and the trail becomes much more narrow. However, because there are enough people that hike in the area, you will be able to make out the trail. This is where the trail becomes much steeper and you will start your ascent for about 1.6 miles. The official summit of Marshall is wooded, but right beyond the summit (or before, depends what side you hike up), there is a gorgeous view of the MacIntyre Range. Again, there is a plaque indicating the summit of Marshall, but it’s very HIGH on one of the trees. Here is the AllTrails for Mount Marshall via Calamity Brook trail.
Adding Redfield & Cliff (More 46ers)
If you wish to hike Redfield and Cliff in addition (which I suggest if you are from out of town and want to get your 46ers completed), you will continue walking past the rock cairn for Marshall on your left. You will continue walking for about a mile or so, then come across another sign for Lake Colden. Here, you will continue to your right, for about another mile, until you come to another intersection. This intersection is very easy to miss.
You will pass the Uphill Brook Lean-To, RIGHT after, there will be a cairn of rocks on your right, and a Dig It sign. Also, lightly engraved on the Dig It sign will be the word, Red with an arrow pointing right towards the rock cairns and another arrow with an M for Marcy pointing the other way. Like the arrow and cairn of rocks indicate, you want to take a RIGHT here.
Then in about a tenth of mile you will come upon more rock cairns. One will be to your right marking the start of the herd path for Cliff Mountain, and then straight, will be the start of the herd path for Mount Redfield. Mount Redfield is about 1.5 miles away while Cliff is about .9 miles away.
I suggest hiking Redfield first, because it is the higher ascent, thus it’s better to get the more difficult peak out of the way first, while you still have the energy. Both Mountains will have plaques on them indicating their summits. Both of these summits are wooded, however, right past the summit of Mount Redfield, there is a good view of some of the Adirondacks. Then, to get back down, you will just retrace your steps.
I suggest following and downloading the AllTrails Offline Downloadable Map to follow while you hike. You do have to be a pro member to download the offline trail maps, which does cost money, however, I feel it’s very reasonable. It cost $60 for 3 years (at least when I signed up, it might have changed), but it allows you to download as many hikes as you wish for offline use.
{Related Post : Hiking Redfield & Cliff}
And that wraps up our post all about hiking Mount Marshall and the various ways to hike it, as well as, the various other peaks you can climb in addition. Which ever way you decide to hike Mount Marshall, I hope you have an awesome time and continue to get outside. Thank you so much for reading and take care!
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