Mount Marcy

Mount Marcy
Mount Marcy (photo taken from Mount Haystack, looking across Panther Gorge)
Mount Marcy
Elevation	5,343 feet (1,629 m) NAVD 88 [1]
Location	Essex County, New York, USA
Range	Adirondack Mountains
Prominence	4,914 feet (1,498 m) [2]
Coordinates	44°06′45.84″N 73°55′25.41″W / 44.1127333°N 73.923725°W / 44.1127333; -73.923725Coordinates: 44°06′45.84″N 73°55′25.41″W / 44.1127333°N 73.923725°W / 44.1127333; -73.923725 [1]
Topo map	USGS Mount Marcy 44073-A7
First ascent	1837 by Ebenezer Emmons and party
Easiest route	Hike
Listing	Adirondack High Peaks U.S. state high point

Mount Marcy is the highest point in New York State,^[3] with an elevation of 5,343 feet (1,629 m).^[1] It is a popular destination for hikers due to its stature and great views, and the peak can get very crowded in the summer months. Located in Essex County, the mountain is in the heart of the Adirondack High Peaks Region in the High Peaks Wilderness Area.

History

The mountain is named after former governor William L. Marcy, who authorized the environmental survey that explored the area. The first recorded ascent of Mount Marcy was in 1837 by a large party led by Ebenezer Emmons. Today the ascent is easier due to existing trails that require no technical skills, allowing ascent and descent to be made in a day.

Routes

Mount Marcy is one of the High Peaks of the Adirondack Mountains. The majority of the mountain is forested, although the final few hundred feet is above tree line. The peak is dominated by rocky outcrops, lichens, and alpine shrubs. There are two plaques at the top commemorating the centennial of the climb as well as the mountain summit itself.

The shortest and most frequently used route up the mountain is from the northwest, the Van Hoevenberg Trail, which starts at the Adirondak Loj near Heart Lake. From there it is 7.4 miles (11.2 km) to the summit, a lengthy roundtrip which can nevertheless be done in a day. A large section of the trail is suitable for alpine skiing and snowboard on the way down, although there are a few locations where snowboarders will have to take off their snowboard and walk up a little.

Hikers starting up the Johns Brook Trail from the Garden parking north of the mountain in Keene Valley have a 9-mile (14.4 km) journey to the summit, and sometimes spend a night at Johns Brook Lodge in the process.

A lengthier southern approach can be made from either of the two major trailheads for the southern High Peaks, Upper Works or Elk Lake.

Mount Marcy is in the Town of Keene in Essex County.

Mount Marcy Summit Panorama

Lake Tear of the Clouds

At the col between Mount Marcy and Skylight is the highest source of the Hudson River, Lake Tear of the Clouds. Theodore Roosevelt was camped there on September 14, 1901 after summiting Marcy when he got word that President William McKinley, who had been shot a week earlier, had taken a serious turn for the worse.

Roosevelt and his party hiked ten miles (16 km) down the southwest face of the mountain to Long Lake, New York where he hired a stage coach to the closest train station at North Creek, New York. The route from Long Lake to North Creek has been designated the Roosevelt-Marcy Trail.

Gallery

Summit of Mount Marcy seen from near Little Marcy

Mount Marcy summit

See also

• Adirondack Park
• High Peaks Wilderness Area
• Mountain peaks of North America
• Mountain peaks of the United States

References