Blue Mountain is a beautiful mountain in the Adirondack Mountains that has a fire tower on top and sweeping views of the surrounding area. It is located in a less visited part of the Adirondack Mountains of New York. It is beside Blue Mountain Lake and not too far from Indian Lake, NY. The hike to the top of Blue Mountain was one of our first big winter hikes after we moved to the northeast. We hiked to the top of Blue Mountain in the winter, but it would make a great hike at any time of year.
About Blue Mountain
Blue Mountain is located in the Adirondack Mountains in New York. It is around 260 miles or 5 hours from New York City. The best way to get to Blue Mountain is by driving.
Where to Stay Near Blue Mountain
The town of Blue Mountain Lake is very close to the trailhead for Blue Mountain. When we hiked Blue Mountain in the winter, we stayed at Blue Mountain Rest which is a cute Airbnb only 3 minutes from the trailhead. The room was cozy and had a small kitchen which was great for making a warm meal after the hike. The owner Lenny is super nice and was helpful in making our stay the best it could be.
There are a variety of other Airbnb’s and rentals in the area too.
If you’re staying in the summer, there are also various camping options in the area. Some of the closest camping areas include Lake Durant State Campground, Lake Eaton Campground, and Forked Lake Campground.
The Hike to the Top of Blue Mountain
The Blue Mountain Fire Tower hike is a 4.8 miles out-and-back trail. The Blue Mountain Fire Tower Trail Map can be found on AllTrails. The parking lot for the hiking trail is quite large, but can fill up quickly, especially in the summer, so it is best to arrive to the trailhead early. There is around 1500 feet of elevation gain on the trail.
The hike starts relatively flat and slowly inclines. When we hiked in the winter, the trail was pretty packed down and we only needed micro-spikes despite heavy snowfall in the previous week. Some people note that in the early spring and late fall that the trail can be very icy, so it’s not a bad idea to have your spikes with you just in case. The forest at the start of the trail is deciduous, but eventually turns to a conifer forest about halfway up, as most summit trails in the Adirondacks. The entire trail is under the cover of trees until the very top.
At the top you will find a flat opening of cleared trees and a tall fire tower. The summit was much flatter than I thought it would be. The flat area at the top would be a great place for a picnic in the summer. Climb up the fire tower to get an astounding view of the area. On a clear day you can see Blue Lake and other lakes in the area. Unfortunately when we visited it was mostly cloudy, but we got glimpses of the view beneath the clouds. It was also very very cold at the top of the fire tower in the middle of winter, so we didn’t stay up there too long.
After climbing the tower, enjoying all the pine trees, and soaking in the views, head back down the mountain in the same way you ascended. I liked the way down as you have views of the surrounding area along the way down.
Things to Do Near Blue Mountain
Buttermilk Falls
We stumbled upon Buttermilk Falls and were so impressed! It is much bigger in person than it seems by pictures on Google. Buttermilk Falls is a rushing waterfall between Forked Lake and Long Lake. From the parking area on the side of the road, there is a short walk to access the falls where you can see both the upper part of the falls and also walk down to the bottom of the falls. We visited in the winter and it was absolutely gorgeous with frozen ice covering all the surrounding trees.
Blue Mountain Lake
As the name suggests, Blue Mountain Lake is very close to Blue Mountain. From the lake, you can see nice views of Blue Mountain. In the winter, the lake freezes over and can be walked on (be sure to check with local signage and announcements to make sure that it is safe to walk on at the time of your visit!). While standing on the frozen lake, there is a beautiful, unobstructed view of Blue Mountain.
If visiting in the summer, there are all types of water sports to do at Blue Mountain Lake. There are even boat rentals available right in the town of Blue Mountain Lake. Regardless of season, Blue Mountain Lake is pretty and a great place to stop.
Rock Lake
Rock Lake is 7 miles from the Blue Mountain Trailhead. There is a roadside parking area for the Rock Lake Trailhead. It is around 0.5 miles to get to Rock Lake from the parking area. Rock Lake is a little pond with nice views of the surrounding mountains. You can walk to the shore of Rock Lake and there are some surrounding trails in the area. In the winter, people ice fish on the lake.
Overall, we love Blue Mountain and think that this area of the Adirondacks is definitely underrated. Whether you’re new to the Adirondacks or have visited a thousand times, Blue Mountain is definitely worth a visit.
Thanks for Reading!
Leave a Reply