How long is the northville lake placid trail

Physical Difficulty: Moderate. Logistical Difficulty: Moderate. Season: Late Spring , Summer , Fall. While most people envision the Adirondacks as a mountainous region, the NPT mostly traverses lower elevations. While the trail briefly surpasses 3, feet at its high point, the NPT avoids summits and remains at lower elevations most of the route.

The Adirondacks see abundant moisture that evaporates slowly. The NPT frequently passes through extended wet sections. Beavers thrive in the region and occasionally flood short sections of the trail. Roots and the frequent bog bridges along the trail become a tricky obstacle when wet, which is most of the time. Despite its obstacles, there are plenty of reasons to hike the NPT. Compared to better-known trails, the NPT sees little traffic.

There is always an opportunity for a dip to cool off or splash some of the mud from your legs. With the frequent lakes comes another treat: loons. Most of the lakes have a resident loon pair that serenade you. The first half of summer, a chorus of frogs join in on the forest music. Most of the lakes and streams are secluded and not easily accessed by day hikers. You will often have the bodies of water to yourself.

The NPT travels through some of the most remote areas of the Adirondacks. The remote lakes of the West Canada Lakes Wilderness or loneliness of the Cold River will have you feeling far removed from the rest of the world. With the exception of brief road walks and short sections of private land, the trail mostly passes through public land.

Bus service travels to Lake Placid. The best option for either trailhead is to arrange a shuttle. The Northville-Placid Trail group on Facebook serves as the best source for finding shuttle options. My best recommendation is to ask for suggestions on the Facebook group page as your start date nears since availability can be sporadic on short notice. Most make the mile trek in between one and two weeks, but we picked out the best leantos to break it up with, coming in at 12 nights on-trail.

Like a lot of leantos within just a day of the road, expect company at Silver Lake. The spot is on a hill slightly up the trail from the water.

Hamilton Lake Stream feeds from its namesake lake, in the hills northeast of this spot, to the West Branch of the Sacandaga River, which you cross on a suspension bridge shortly before the lean-to. Cross another bridge over the stream, and the shelter is up to the right, on a bluff overlooking the meandering waterway as it cuts through a grassy, open area below. Just off the trail, this leanto sits on a peninsula between the Cedar Lakes and Beaver Pond, immediately before a bridge that crosses the stream between them.

From inside, you can look down the hill through a clearing toward the water, then further down the valley it follows to the Cedar River Flow. A newer section of the NPT, rerouted past private property, winds along a series of hillsides to the wooded Stephens Pond Lean-to.

Make sure you secure it properly. Besides the wildlife, the shelter here is another favorite, sitting near a sandy beach perfect for swimming on a hot day on the shore of the pond, looking toward cliffs on its opposite side. At 14 miles end-to-end, Long Lake is a fixture not only of the Adirondacks, but of a good portion of the route. The first two sit in quiet Catlin Bay. Choose the initial one, sitting higher in the trees, if the wind is blowing off the lake, but the second on sunnier days.

Several factors play into the difficulty of pinpointing an exact length for the trail. The most eminent is the ever-changing nature of the wilderness.

Huge storms cause blow-down that block the trail. Rushing rivers wash out man-made bridges and require fording or rock-hopping. Adirondack wildlife residents, primarily the beaver, alter the landscape to their liking and flood out massive sections of trail 8. For all of these reasons and more, the NPT is a different hike for every individual who hikes it, fluctuating from year to year and season to season.

To this effect, it is also very important for anyone embarking on this journey to have an excellent knowledge of map-reading and navigation as well as the most up-to-date guides and maps. The Adirondack Mountain Club publishes both of these crucial items in addition to undertaking much of the trail work needed to maintain this trail 8.

Getting lost in a remote area is a serious factor to consider when recreating in the wilderness. Preparation for a long-distance hike involves extensive research, knowledge of Leave No Trace wilderness ethics 9 , and awareness of current weather and hiking conditions.

Additionally, familiarity with regulations as well as proper food storage and bear safety are key to a successful trip Another element that contributes to the impossibility of determining an exact mileage is the addition of side-trips, either to mountain summits or towns along the way. Some folks choose to add in a stay at a local hotel mid-way through their journey, or mail a resupply box to a local post office. A newly-added spur trail makes a stop for Stewarts ice cream in Long Lake even easier This is attempt 2.

Please send all the good mojo my way!!!! That was a most excellent adventure and another epic failure on the books. I did miles in about 42 hours and it was glorious. The trail was wild and beautiful. At 2 am I got caught on trail in a fantastically close lightning storm and torrential downpour. I took cover on low ground tucked into a boulder, got into my emergency bivy and my sleeping bag inside of that.

But it was raining rivers and soon everything was soaked. I started to become hypothermic so once the rain and lightning let up I headed back to the nearest road for a pick up. That was attempt number 2. Third try, you know what they say! New York, US. Vertical Gain. GPS Track. Unsupported Henry Horvath , Tim Horvath 7d 9h 0m 0s Unsupported Sara Niccoli 2d 8h 39m 23s Unsupported Katie Ghidiu , Nathan Huckle 2d 14h 44m 0s Unsupported Drew Haas 2d 12h 30m 0s Erik Schlimmer 3d 8h 0m 0s Supported Sheryl Wheeler 1d 11h 13m 0s This route on the old FKT site.

Thank you, Mike. Why are all the FKT attempts n-s when the trail is a s-n trail? Daven W. Oskvig, Amherst, NY.