TheAdirondack High Peaks are a set of 46mountain peaks in theAdirondack Mountains ofNew York state. They have been popular hiking destinations since the late 1920s, when the list of peaks was published in Russell Carson's bookPeaks and Peoples of the Adirondacks.^[1] Those who have climbed all 46 High Peaks are eligible to join theAdirondack Forty-Sixers club.^[2]

The list of peaks was originally compiled by the mountaineers Herbert Clark,Bob Marshall, andGeorge Marshall, with input from Russell Carson. The Marshall brothers wished to climb every notable peak in the Adirondacks, which they accomplished with Clark between 1918 and 1925. The criteria used were that all peaks should be at least 4,000 feet (1,200 m) in elevation and either have 300 feet (91 m) ofprominence or 0.75 miles (1.21 km) of distance from another peak.^[3] Several exceptions to these rules were made to include or exclude peaks based on their preferences;Gray Peak,Wright Peak,Armstrong Mountain,Upper Wolfjaw Mountain, andSouth Dix were included but did not meet either the prominence or distance rule, while Little Marcy,Yard Mountain, and two then-unnamed peaks were excluded. Later surveys revealed thatBlake Peak,Cliff Mountain,Couchsachraga Peak, andNye Mountain are under 4,000 feet in elevation.^[4] A survey in the mid-20th century measured the elevation ofMacNaughton Mountain as exactly 4,000 feet (1,219 m),^[5] but a more recent survey listed the mountain at 3,983 feet (1,214 m).^[6] No mountains have been removed or added to the list since the 1920s due to tradition.^[4]

All but three of the peaks are located in central and northernEssex County, primarily south ofLake Placid andKeene Valley. The others are just to the west inFranklin County. All of thesummits are on land owned by New York State as part of itsForest Preserve. 42 are in a vast tract of nearly 300,000 acres (1,200 km²) known as theHigh Peaks Wilderness Area, subdivided into central (26 peaks) and outer (16 peaks) zones.^{[citation needed]} Nine of the peaks in the outer zone are in an area formerly known as theDix Mountain Wilderness Area, which was added to the High Peaks Wilderness in 2018.^[7] Giant Mountain and Rocky Peak Ridge are in the adjacentGiant Mountain Wilderness Area.^[8]Whiteface Mountain andEsther Mountain are north of Lake Placid in the Wilmington Wild Forest.^[9]

There are manymountain ranges within the High Peaks. TheDix Range includes five out of the forty-six High Peaks:Macomb,Grace Peak, South Dix,Hough, andDix Mountain.^[10] TheGreat Range includes seven out of the forty-six High Peaks:Lower Wolfjaw, Upper Wolfjaw,Armstrong,Gothics,Saddleback,Basin, andHaystack.^[11] The Seward Range includes four out of the forty-six High Peaks:Seward,Donaldson,Emmons, andSeymour Mountain.^[12] TheMacIntyre Range includes four out of the forty-six High Peaks:Mount Marshall, Wright,Algonquin andIroquois.^[13] The Santanoni Range includes three out of the forty-six High Peaks:Santanoni,Panther, and Couchsachraga.^[14]

The region contains many alpine lakes and meadows, wetlands, streams, and forests. Atop the highest peaks, above thetree line, lies a smallalpine ecosystem, a remnant of a larger lowland tundra that retreated uphill following themost recent period of glaciation. The amount of this ecosystem is constantly changing due to variation in the climate from year to year, and has been estimated by different methods to only cover between 65–85 acres (26–34 ha). The alpine ecosystem is considered extremely fragile to damage from hikers, and theAdirondack Mountain Club launched an education campaign to avoid further damage in the 1970s, since which some peaks have seen documented recovery.^[15]

The Eastern High Peaks Wilderness area is the most regulated area. Fires are not permitted; dogs must be leashed; overnight groups are limited to eight people and day groups to 15; and bear-resistant food canisters are required from April through November. Camping is prohibited above any elevation greater than 4,000 feet on any of the Adirondack High Peaks.^[16]

Of the two highest peaks,Algonquin Peak is regarded as a more challenging hike thanMount Marcy. Twenty of the peaks have no official trail to the top, although rough informal routes, commonly referred to as "herd paths,"^{[citation needed]} have developed over the years. No true bushwhacking is required on any of the peaks, although some trails are still quite primitive.^[17]

The summit of Whiteface Mountain can alternatively be reached by motor vehicle on theWhiteface Mountain Veterans' Memorial Highway.^[18]

• Adirondack Park
• Catskill High Peaks
• Munro
• 4000 footers
• Northeast 111
• Quebec 1000 meter peaks

• Goodwin, Tony (2021).High Peaks Trails (15th ed.). Lake Placid: Adirondack Mountain Club.ISBN 9780998637181.
• Sasso, John Jr. (2018)."Rise of the Adirondack High Peaks: The Story of the Inception of the Adirondack Forty-Six by Robert Marshall, George Marshall, and Russell M.L. Carson".Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies.22 (1):89–103.

• Carson, Russell M. L. (1927).Peaks and People of the Adirondacks. Garden City: Doubleday.ISBN 9781404751200.{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
• Marshall, Robert (1922).The High Peaks of the Adirondacks. Albany: The Adirondack Mountain Club.LCCN 22021955.
• Waterman, Laura (2003).Forest and crag : a history of hiking, trail blazing, and adventure in the Northeast mountains (First ed.). Boston: Appalachian Mountain Club Books.ISBN 0910146756.

Wikimedia Commons has media related toAdirondack peaks.

• Adirondack 46ers
• TrailsNH.com — Current trail conditions and more for the Adirondack High Peaks
• Interactive map of the Adirondack 46 Peaks
• Summit Stewardship Program, a conservation program on the High Peaks

• Adirondack High Peaks
• Adirondacks
• Mountains of New York (state)
• Mountains of Essex County, New York
• Mountains of Franklin County, New York
• Tourist attractions in Essex County, New York
• Tourist attractions in Franklin County, New York
• Adirondack Park

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