Home ⎟ Hikes & Wanderings ⎟ New York ⎟ Adirondacks ⎟ Giant + Rocky Peak

Distance: 9 miles, out & back

Time: 7.5 hours

Difficulty: Moderate-Strenuous

Elevation Gain: 3,000+ feet

Dog Friendly: Yes.

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Trailhead Directions: Take the New York State Thruway to Exit 30 for US-9 toward NY-73 / Keene Valley / Keene. Turn left onto US-9 North, go 2.2 miles and veer left onto NY-73 West. Drive another 3.9 miles to the Chapel Pond Trailhead on your right.

Hike Directions: Enter the woods on the north side of Route 73, and take the blue blazes past the trail register, ascending through Adirondack forest for 0.5 miles to a beautiful viewpoint over Chapel Pond. This is a perfect yoga spot, giving you views into the interior of the northern high peaks of the Adirondack Park. Continue another 0.2 miles to Giant Washbowl, a large pond mid-mountain that doubles as a swim spot for local pooches during the warmer months. Even here you can see where Giant Mountain gets its name – from the trees to the boulders to the pond – everything is huge! It could never be confused with anyplace else, it has to be the Adirondacks. Continue 1.1 miles to where the Roaring Brook Trail comes in from the left. Continue straight here on the blue blazes of the Giant Mountain Trail, carefully ascending another 0.6 miles to the summit of Giant. After enjoying the summit, turn around and walk a few hundred feet downhill to the intersection with the trail heading over to Rocky Peak (on your left coming down the hill). The trail to the col between Giant and Rocky is steep, descending 800 feet in a matter of minutes. From here you immediately begin you 600 foot ascent to the summit of Rocky Peak Ridge. Enjoy the wide open peak of Rocky, and when finished turn back and retrace your steps to Giant. I recommend viewing Giant’s summit a second time, just because the look of the landscape changes so quickly in this area based on the sun and time of day, that the view you get in the morning could be quite different from a view later in the day.

Scenery: 10/10