| Mount Colden | |
|---|---|
 Mount Colden as seen fromWright Peak | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 4,714 ft (1,437 m) NGVD 29[1] |
| Listing | Adirondack High Peaks 11th[2] |
| Coordinates | 44°07′37″N73°57′36″W / 44.1269976°N 73.9598674°W /44.1269976; -73.9598674[3] |
| Geography | |
  Mount Colden Location of Mount Colden in New York | |
| Location | Keene, New York,U.S. |
| Parent range | Adirondacks |
| Topo map | USGS North Elba |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | July 1849, by Robert Clark and Alexander Ralph[4] |
| Easiest route | Hike from theAdirondak Loj |
Mount Colden is amountain in theAdirondacks in theU.S. state ofNew York. It is the eleventh-highest peak in New York, with an elevation of 4,714 feet (1,437 m), and one of the 46High Peaks inAdirondack Park. It is located in the town ofKeene inEssex County. The peak is named after David C. Colden, an investor in the McIntyre Iron Works atTahawus. The mountain is known for the Trap Dike, a large crevice that runs from a point near the summit on its west face to nearbyAvalanche Lake. The summit of Mount Colden can be reached by two hiking trails, which are frequently combined to form a circuit through Avalanche Pass, or by climbing the Trap Dike. The summit is in analpine tundra zone above the treeline, and offers views of surrounding mountains and lakes.
Mount Colden is primarily composed ofanorthosite granite. The western face of the mountain forms a sheer fault-lineescarpment overAvalanche Lake, matching Avalanche Mountain to the northwest.[5] Adike located on the west face, known as the Trap Dike,[6][7] Avalanche Dike,[5] and Colden Dike,[8] is composed ofmetamorphic rock formed throughhydrothermal metamorphism, which contains large concentrations ofgarnet.[5] The dike has been partially eroded, leaving a prominent gorge up to 80 feet (24 m) wide 100 feet (30 m) deep that extends from near the summit down to Avalanche Lake.Landslides in the mountain's past have scarred the western slopes with large slides and were responsible for separating Avalanche Lake from nearbyLake Colden.[8] Recent landslides were observed in 1869, 1942, 1990, 1999, 2011, and 2025.[9][10]
TheMohawk nameOu-no-war-lah, meaning "scalp mountain", was recorded as used for the mountain byAlfred B. Street in the 19th century.[11]
The peak was named after David C. Colden, an investor in the McIntyre Iron Works atTahawus, byWilliam Charles Redfield in 1836. The proprietors of the Iron Works were displeased with Redfield for his decision to name a peak without their permission, and the peak was briefly renamed Mount McMartin the next year by Redfield andEbenezer Emmons. However, the older name persisted.[12][13] The first recorded ascent of the mountain was made by Robert Clark and Alexander Ralph, two employees of the Iron Works, who climbed up the dike in July 1849.[4]
There are two maintained trails up Mount Colden. The first, which approaches from the northeast, passes by Lake Arnold before ascending the summit after crossing over a false summit.[14] The second trail, which is steeper and features ladders and stairs, approaches from the southwest, starting fromLake Colden. Both approaches can be combined by returning or approaching through Avalanche Pass.[13] Starting from theAdirondak Loj to the north, hiking over Mount Colden and through Avalanche Pass is a 13.8 miles (22.2 km) loop.[15]Lake Colden and the southwest approach can also be reached from the Upper Works trailhead on the Calamity Brook Trail.[16] Finally, the summit of Mount Colden can be reached by climbing the Trap Dike from Avalanche Lake, which leads to a long slide and a short bushwhack to the summit. This last approach does not follow a maintained trail and is rated a Class 4 climb on theYosemite Decimal System. Deaths and injuries have occurred on the dike,[17] and between 2011 and 2021, an increasing number of rescues were made due to climbing attempts by inexperienced climbers.[7]
The summit of Mount Colden is in analpine tundra zone above the treeline. From the bare summit, views are available of Avalanche Lake, Lake Colden, and the Flowed Lands below, as well as the neighboring summits ofMount Marcy andAlgonquin Peak.[13]
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