SURROUNDED BY PINE FORESTS AND ROCKY OUTCROPS, MOUNT MARCY NOT ONLY OFFERS STUNNING VIEWS BUT ALSO IS THE HIGHEST POINT IN NEW YORK.

Name: Mount Marcy
Height: 1,629 m (5,344 ft)
Location: in Keene, New York, USA
First Climbed: 1837 by Ebenezer Emmons
Climb Time: 1 day
Best Time to Climb: Summer (it is climbed all year round)

Mount Marcy is located in the Town of Keene, Essex County, New York. The mountain is in the middle of the Adirondack High Peaks Region of the High Peaks Wilderness Area.

Not only Mount Marcy is the highest mountain in an entire New York state is also very popular among outdoor enthusiasts as the mountain attracts over 20,000 people annually.

The mountain is named after Governor William L. Marcy, the 19th-century Governor of New York, who authorized the environmental survey that explored the area. That led to its first recorded ascent on August 5, 1837 done by a large party that was led by Ebenezer Emmons.

CLIMBING MOUNT MARCY.

Climbing up to the summit of Mount Marcy is a fairly hard 1 day trip that requires an early start and late finish.

There are quite a few routes that lead to the summit, but the shortest and the most popular one is the Van Hoevenberg Trail – 22,4 km (14 mi) roundtrip, which starts at the Adirondak Loj, near Heart Lake.

The main part of the mountain is forested, although, the final few hundred feet are above the tree line. Each trail is wet, rocky and occasionally quite steep.

Despite that the trail can be quite unpleasant, once you reach the summit you are welcomed with extensive views of 43 major peaks located in eastern North America. Visibility on the summit occasionally affords very distant views of most of the Montregian Hills volcano chain in Quebec's St Lawrence Valley as far north as Mont St Hillaire. Views of Burlington and Lake Champlain adorn the surrounding Green Mountains with visibility extending far beyond the Southern Adirondacks as well.

TREKKING AROUND MOUNT MARCY.

Once you are in the area you can enjoy many great treks. For example, the Avalanche Pass and Avalanche Lake Trail should be highly attractive for the experienced hikers. It is 16 km (10,1 mi) long hike that features a lake and of magnificent views of surrounding mountains. On the other hand, it is quite challenging and there is definitely a good reason why it is rated hard.

If you are looking something less challenging, the Algonquin Peak should be considered as an option. It is the highest peak in the MacIntyre Range and totally dominates its lower siblings. It sits across from Mount Colden and gives one a great view of the slides on this peak. The hike is still a more difficult than Mount Marcy, but views from the top are rewarding.