Avid hikers and families on the quest for their next great adventure should make Mount Marcy their destination for a hiking trail in the Northeast. Mount Marcy boasts of the highest peak in New York State. It is part of the High Peaks Wilderness Area in the Adirondack State Park. Views from the peak include Mont Royal in Montreal, the Green Mountains of Vermont, and the White Mountains of New Hampshire, depending on the clarity of the day and time of year. There are actually several trails that take visitors up the mountain. The Van Hoevenberg Trail, starting at the Adirondack Log near Heart Lake, takes a northwestern approach and is a little over seven miles to the summit. The Johns Brook Trail starts in Keene Valley at the Garden parking area and is roughly nine miles; hikers generally spend the night with the Johns Brook Lodge as an option. There are also trailheads at Upper Works and Elks Lake that involve longer hikes which will require planning for a camp out to complete the journey.

Tahawus, now a ghost town, is in the Mount Marcy area as well. People can journey to the historic site where Theodore Roosevelt stayed. Once a prosperous mining and iron smelting location, Tahawus is also known as Adirondac or McIntyre. It’s claim to fame remains being known as a stopping point for Theodore Roosevelt on a hunting trip. Then vice-president, he received word that President McKinley had been shot in Buffalo. He left and soon after became the president. Bordering the road to the original trailhead for Mount Marcy, hikers can incorporate a visit to Tahawus as part of their experience. It is possible to see the remains of the town, enhancing one’s visit before continuing on to the trailhead. Mount Marcy offers variety.