Hike Mount Marcy and Table Top Mountain Adirondack Park, NY

Directions

Route Map

Download GPX

Mount Marcy and Table Top Mountain GPX Track

I need to offset my substantial website costs somehow! You can download a hike/drive GPX to assist you here. Before sharing my GPX tracks with others, please remember my site is otherwise a free resource.

Add to Cart

View Cart

Mount Marcy, the highest point in New York, had some of the best summit views of any peak I've been to in the northeast, and the whole route was really pretty as well. I sort of expected a green tunnel, but there were plenty of distractions to keep the hike interesting.

I started from the Adirondak Loj parking area and took the very popular Van Hoevenberg Trail for a few miles to Marcy Dam. The dam redirects you to the north to a constructed bridge, though few seem to follow the trail and instead just cross the low water. The trail follows Phelps Brook, which provides wonderful naturey noises, before ascending steeply to the junction with Table Top Mountain, which I would be ascending on my return. Just after this junction is another junction with Indian Falls. I recommend taking the short detour for a really nice view above the falls. You could scramble down to the base of the falls, but I wanted to ensure I made it to Mount Marcy before fog rolled in.

A somewhat forgettable section of forest walking led to a small clearing with my first view toward Mount Marcy. Shortly after this, the trail became slightly more difficult with lots of rocks and short Class 2 scramble sections. Mount Marcy became visible for the last half mile or so as I ascended its eastern ridge on a the well-marked trail. Though slippery due to the ever-present mist of the day, I managed to only land on my butt once. I was fortunate to catch the late morning views before the clouds rolled in.

On my way back, I ascended Table Top Mountain, a particularly pretty trail that has been eroded to the point where the sides of the trail were sometimes waist-high. It was lush and green and the summit even had a decent view toward Mount Marcy.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)

Peaks on hike

Elevation

Prominence

Mount Marcy

5344 ft

4914 rise

Table Top Mountain

4413 ft

410 rise

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I'm not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!

Trailhead.

Lots of little boardwalks and bridges along the forested Van Hoevenberg Trail.

Pretty and green, though uneventful until Marcy Dam.

Marcy Dam view.

Bridge just north of Marcy Dam.

A high water detour to cross Phelps Brook.

Normal route to cross Phelps Brook.

Following the north side of Phelps Brook.

Cross Phelps Brook again and begin ascending.

The trail gets more steep and rocky.

Junction with Table Top Mountain, which I'll do on my way back.

Indian Falls junction.

Top of Indian Falls.

Continuing to Mount Marcy.

Green and pretty, but not memorable.

Good signage, easy to get to Mount Marcy.

Mount Marcy view, about a thousand vertical from the summit.

Boardwalk over a marsh. Mount Marcy stays visible for the last half mile or so.

Some light Class 2.

Looking back as I ascend Mount Marcy.

Mount Marcy ahead.

A nice little slab on the ascent to Mount Marcy.

Looking back the way I came.

Near Mount Marcy summit, view back the way I came (northeast).

Mount Marcy summit view to the south toward Mount Skylight.

After coming back from Mount Marcy, I took a detour up Table Top Mountain.

Very eroded trail to Table Top Mountain.

Looking back as the trail gets steeper on the way up to Table Top Mountain.

Table Top Mountain summit.

View toward Mount Marcy from Table Top Mountain.

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!