How to Hike the Santanoni Range in the Adirondacks, NY

The Santanoni Range is one of the most remote hikes within the whole Adirondacks and the 46er Challenge. Located in Newcomb, New York, in the Adirondack Mountains, this hike is something else, really, this climb will take you up bridges, herd paths, MANY rivers, bogs, and A LOT of rocks, to finally make it to all three peaks. The Santanoni or “Santa” Range has three peaks that make up this range, Santanoni, Couchsachraga, and Panther.

When I hiked these three peaks, I was very glad when they were done and also would have appreciated if someone had wrote a clear way of how to navigate this range. Which is why I wrote this article, to help people who want to hike the Santanoni mountains. Thus, in this article, you will learn how to hike the Santanoni Range, Santanoni Peak, Couchsachraga Peak, and Panther Peak, Santanoni Range parking, Santanoni Range trip report, and more.

This article is all about the Santanoni Range.

Santanoni Range:

Santanoni Range Parking : How to Get There

To drive to this range, you will start on Interstate 87 North or South (depending where you are driving from), and stay on here until Exit 26. You will take Exit 26 and take a left at the stop sign (or right if you are coming southbound), towards Pottersville and Minerva. In about .4 of a mile take a left onto, Valley Farm Road. Then in about .2 of a mile, take a right onto, US 9 North. In 5 miles you will take a slight left onto, Olmstedville Road. For a mile, continue onto, County Road 29.

In 2.9 miles take a right onto, A P Morse Highway. Then, in 13.8 miles, take a right onto NY-28 North West (NY-28NW). In 1.2 miles take a right onto Blue Ridge Road. Stay on here for 6.3 miles, then take a left onto, Tahawus Road. In 2 miles turn left onto Upper Works Road. Then finally, you will turn onto Santanoni Road, and the parking lot will be on your left. You can also find directions from AllTrails, here under, directions.

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Santanoni Range Hike

You will park in the Bradley Pond parking area or the new Santanoni Range parking lot (there will be signs). And once you park, you will walk over to the hiker registration area. Once you sign in, you will walk straight pass the registration area, onto the road. You will come to a gated area on the road, but it is fine, you can just walk around it or over the gate.

This is simply to stop cars from accessing this road, not hikers or hunters (this is also a place for hunters to go). You will follow this road for about 1.7 miles (a little less) and then come to blue trail markers and an arrow on your right. You will take this path for about 2 miles, until you come to another intersection for the Times Square Herd Path, or the Duck Hole Lean-tos.

Now, once you are on this path, you will follow the blue trail markers, like I said, for about 2 miles. However, if you want to hike to Santanoni Peak first, there will be a cairn (mound) of rocks in about a mile, on your left, indicating the Santanoni Express trail to Santanoni Peak. I didn’t take this Express way because other people’s trip reports that I watched, claimed this way was longer, and more difficult to climb. Thus, I continued to follow the blue trail markers until I came to the signs for the Times Square Herd Path.

Getting to Santanoni Peak

However, I HIGHLY recommend following the Santanoni Express way straight to Santanoni Peak, it is SO much easier, the way I went up, is how you are suppose to go down, so please follow the Santanoni Express Way. It is the most straight forward way and you will get to Santanoni Peak in about one and a half miles. You can also follow the AllTrails map and the footpath. Once on the Express Way, this is where you will stop seeing trail markers.

Okay, once you get to Santanoni Peak, I recommend taking a picture with the Santanoni Peak sign, then heading right (not the way you came from, there will be footpath to follow) towards the famous, Couchsachraga Peak. In about a mile, you will come to a big rock boulder on your right and a small rock cairn on your left, which is your indicator to turn onto this footpath and your Couchsachraga start.

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Getting to Couchschraga Bog

The first part of the climb is all downhill, but then once you reach the famous, Couchsachraga Bog, it is mostly uphill. At this bog, you will get muddy. Although, this trail is VERY muddy throughout the entire hike, thus, I’m sure you will already be covered in mud by this point. But, at this bog, be prepared because at times, you can sink waist deep in mud. Thus, I would bring a couple extra pairs of socks.

I was lucky when I hiked Couchsachraga, because it was in November and it had already froze a couple times, so the bog was pretty frozen when I hiked it, and I did not sink through any mud. But my friends have told me horror stories about sinking knee to waist deep in mud. And there’s really no way around it, the bog is huge.

Getting to Couchsachraga Peak

Now, once you conquer the bog, you will still have to hike about a mile to Couchsachraga Peak. My phone said it was 2 miles ONE WAY to Couch however, on AllTrails it says it’s only 1.5 miles. However, I stand by it being 2 miles, Couch is NEVER ENDING. So, you will be VERY happy when you see the Couchsachraga plaque. I wish I could say it was downhill one way and up the other, but Couch is all over the place.

Going to Couch, it is downhill mostly, until you get to the bog, then it’s mostly uphill from there. Then once you get a picture with the Couchsachraga Plague and head down, it is mostly downhill to the bog, and then back uphill mostly to that intersection with the big boulder and small rock cairn. One way it took me about an hour and ten minutes, and the same amount of time going back. I was going at a really good/fast pace as well, so keep this in mind, if you are running short on time/daylight.

Hiking to Herald & Time Square Intersections & to Panther Peak

Okay, once you get to the big boulder and small rock cairn, you will take a left past the boulder and rock cairn. And in about .2 of a mile maybe (very quickly), you will come upon the Herald and Time Square intersections. There will be rock cairns and engraved on the tree, HS, for Herald Square. Then, a C and an arrow pointing left for Couchsachraga, and then on the rock below that tree, you will see an arrow pointing left and a TS, for Times Square. And an arrow pointing right, with a P, for Panther. Now, the markings on this rock are VERY faded, so again, I would rely on the cairn of rocks, to let you know you’re at, Herald & Time Square.

Here you will find a great map of Herald and Times Square, plus what landmarks to lookout for. The map is about halfway down the page, and it’s the one with the path from Herald Square and Times Square drawn out, with the rock boulders and rock cairns. This, is also the map I used to help me with this hike, and I found it extremely useful.

Getting to Panther Peak

Okay, to get to Panther Peak, you will follow the arrow on the rock pointing straight, or forward to Panther Peak. You will get to Panther Peak in about .4 of a mile. So, yes, it is a NICE mountain to end on. It’s by far the BEST view in this range and the QUICKEST summit. I was SO HAPPY to see Panther. It was some of my FAVORITE views from all the Adk 46ers, I think it’s really something special, and why I’ve re-hiked this range.

Now, like I said before, the first time I hiked this range, it was early November, and I got to the summit of Panther around 3ish, thus the sun was still high in the sky, but also starting to set. So, pictures I got of Panther on this day, were SO pretty. Also, there is a summit plaque, but you have to walk beyond the summit a little bit to find it, again, there is a footpath that you can follow to the plaque. And it only took me 10 minutes one way to get to Panther (another reason why this was my favorite peak out of the range).

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Getting Back to Time & Herald Square

After you spend some time at Panther, you will hike back down the way you came up, to Herald Square. From here, you will take a left onto the Panther Brook trail. You will follow the Panther Brook down for about 2 miles. Then you will come across another bog, and you will reach an intersection with signs for, Bradley Pond Trail blue and Duck Hole Lean-to. You want to go right, towards the blue trail markers, NOT towards the Duck Hole Lean-to. This is where you will start to follow trail markers again.

However, if you want to experience the Santanoni Range camping, you can camp at the Duck Hole lean-to, which is first come, first serve camping at the lean-to. Once you are following the blue trail markers, you will walk about another 2 miles to the road, that you first started on to get to the Bradley Pond Trail. Then, you will walk on this road for about 1.7 miles, then walk around the gate, and sign out of the hiking registration book. Then FINALLY get back to your car!

Santanoni Range Trip Report

This is the map I used from AllTrails, which I recommend following when you hike (download the offline version). Santanoni Peak is 4,607ft in elevation and is New York’s 14th highest High Peak. Panther Peak is 4,442ft in elevation and is New York’s 18th highest High Peak. And finally, Couchsachraga is 3,820ft in elevation and is New York’s 46th highest High Peak. You can find out more information for all the peaks, here and here.

The first way I hiked this (without taking the Santanoni Express Way) it was about a total of 20.1 miles with an elevation gain of 4,612ft and a total of 10.5-11 hours (without breaks). However, with taking the Santanoni Range, this hike was about 16.8 miles and took about 8-9 hours. And that wraps up our directions and information about the Santanoni’s. I hope this was helpful for you when you try and hike this range, thank you so much for reading, take care, and get hiking!

This article was about how to hike the Santanoni Range, Santanoni Peak, Couchsachraga Peak, and Panther Peak, Santanoni Range parking, Santanoni Range trip report, and more.

P.S. Below is a link to my video I made of my experience with the Santanoni Range, I hope this helps as well, thank you again!

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