Giant Mountain

Giant Mountain sits apart from the rest of the High Peaks on the southeast side of Keene Valley. There are several routes to the top, but the most common climbs from NY-73 up to a small pond called the Washbowl and then follows a ridge to the summit at 4,627 feet.

From the road the trail climbs steeply for about 0.7 miles. When it flattens out, great views into the narrow valley can be found just a short way off trail to the left. A few minutes of rolling terrain bring you to the picturesque Washbowl and a trail intersection leading left toward Roaring Brook Falls. Stay right and straight to continue up 0.3 miles to the Nubble, a minor outcropping with fantastic views back to the Washbowl and the Adirondack High Peaks in the west.

A mile of steep and steady climbing along an open ridge will bring you past at least one false summit to the peak. At about the halfway point you can choose to go over a small rise of bedrock known as the Bump. Going around it is usually faster, but the views from the top of the Bump are great.

The final push to the summit is quite steep, sometimes requiring scrambling up broad bedrock faces. From the top you will see the Great Range to the west, the Brothers and Big Slide to the northwest, and Lake Champlain to the east. Giant Mountain is the 12th highest of the 46 Adirondack High Peaks.