Cascade Mountain is in Essex County of New York.  At 4098 feet it is one of the Adirondack Forty-Sixers.  Its name comes from a series of waterfalls on a brook near the mountain's base. The lake it flows into and the pass between Cascade and Pitchoff mountains are also named Cascade.

Of the "46 Adirondack High Peaks", Cascade is the most accessible and the most frequently climbed. The main trailhead is on NY 73, six miles east of Lake Placid, at Cascade Pass, overlooking Cascade Lake. The summit is visible from the trailhead, a rare occurrence in the High Peaks.

The well-used trail follows red plastic markers and takes hikers up 2.4 miles and almost 2,000 vertical feet to the mountain's bare-rock summit, which, while it resembles the alpine summits found on many higher peaks, is instead the result of a 1903 fire.

There are 360 degree views on the summit and on a clear day with good weather one often finds many hikers on the summit.  Porter Mountain (4059 feet) is an easy side trip and is one of the Adirondack Forty-Sixers.

As you hike the trail be sure to check out the careful design and thoughtful use of natural materials to enhance the hiking experience . This trail was built in 1974, replacing a pre-existing steeper heavily eroded trail to the summit. While hiking, notice how well preserved the trail is despite it being one of the most heavily used summit trails in the Adirondack Park. There are deliberately placed stone staircases and water bars. The stone staircases allow the hiker to climb on stone instead of digging his/her hiking boots into the soil. Without the stone stairs, footsteps would continually erode and destroy the trail. The water bars direct rainwater and snowmelt away from the trail proper, keeping the trail drier. In so doing, hikers need not bushwack around wet mucky stretches , which cause degradation of off-trail areas.

The trail itself is very easy to follow and very well marked. The grades are moderate throughout and the woods and surroundings make the trail an enjoyable woods walk. The climb is steady but not uncomfortable.  After climbing steadily for 1.8 miles you achieve your first view at an open ledge and it is an eye opener.  Algonquin, Colden and Marcy appear in front of you in their majesty.  This is a great spot to catch a breather, get a snack and get ready for the push to the summit.  The trail then ducks into the woods and although one is walking in the woods, there is a sense of seeing clear sky above, which means that the summit is rather close. The intersection with the Porter Mountain trail appears with a sign saying the Cascade Mountain summit is .3 miles away. Just past this intersection, the trail opens up and the bald, rocky summit dome of Cascade appears.  From here on in the climb becomes very exciting, as it is on bare rock, very exposed and has 360 degree views.

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