Each high peak in the Adirondacks has it's own unique charm. From the soaring heights of Marcy, to the quiet wilderness of Esther, there is scenery, vistas and terrain to suit just about every hiker. Enjoy your very own journey through the beauty of the Adirondack 46 High Peaks.

The Adirondack Forty-Sixers are hikers who have climbed the forty-six traditionally recognized High Peaks in the Adirondack Mountains.  Today, more than 6200 hikers have completed the ADK 46.

The first 46ers were brothers Robert and George Marshall, and their guide and family friend Herbert Clark. The Marshalls thought up the idea after spending much of their childhood in the region. They devised criteria for the high peaks they would climb, choosing any summit that was more than 4,000 feet above sea level in elevation with at least 300 feet of vertical rise on all sides and separated from the next closest summit by 0.75 mile. They climbed only the summits above 4,000 feet and completed this between 1918 and 1924.

At the time that they undertook this goal, there were no trails up many of the peaks, making this a particularly formidable accomplishment. One of the peaks, Mount Marshall in the MacIntyre Range, has since been named in honor of the brothers, and the brook that is the most popular approach has been named after their guide.

Although the tradition is to climb the original 46 peaks, more recent surveys have shown that four of these peaks are actually lower than 4,000 feet in elevation and another, MacNaughton Mountain, is actually just at 4,000 feet despite earlier surveys that showed it at a lower elevation. Yard Mountain is also over 4000 feet, however is not part of the "46ers".  All peaks have at least one maintained trail or thoroughly broken-in herd path.

Below is a list of the 46ers (47) with links for each mountain (under construction), elevation, hike ascent to summit and whether there is a trail (yes) to the summit or a herd path (no).

For more information on the Adirondack 46ers, get the book Exploring the 46 Adirondack High Peaks and for more info on hiking in the High Peaks Wilderness get the book Adirondack Trails High Peaks Region.

 

The 46 (47) Adirondack High Peaks

contact CNY HIKING by email at contact@cnyhiking.com

(c) 2006-today CNY Hiking - All rights reserved.  Any use of information from this site without permission is strictly forbidden.