High Peaks Wilderness
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
44,569 acres43.2 mi of trail
Hunters Pass TrailPinnacle Ridge TrailDix Range TrailBeckhorn Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Hayden Soloviev · CC BY 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in North Hudson
More than half of North Hudson’s land is conserved: 93%
93% of North Hudson’s land is conserved, about 108,360 acres. The biggest trail networks: High Peaks Wilderness (43.2 mi), Hammond Pond Wild Forest (19.9 mi), Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest (6.6 mi). 32,840 acres are parks and preserves, 157,886 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
93%
108,360 acres · of 181.5 sq mi of land
Trails
100 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
32,840 ac
157,886 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
86%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
4,833 ft
Dix Mountain
Lakes & rivers
39
2 beaches
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is High Peaks Wilderness, with 43.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Hammond Pond Wild Forest
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
20,450 acres19.9 mi of trail
Moose Mountain Pond trailBass Lake trailEast Mill flow trailPine Pond path+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
11,676 acres6.6 mi of trail
Wolf Pond Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Four Corners Parking AreaWebsite ↗
Hoffman Notch Wilderness
Nature preserve
14,020 acres4.4 mi of trail
Hoffman Notch Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Adirondack Mountain Reserve
Nature preserve
1,346 acres1.4 mi of trail
Elk Lake - Marcy TrailPinnacle Ridge Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Town of North Hudson
Managed by Town of North Hudson
187 acres1.3 mi of trail
Hammond Pond Wild Forest Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto All-Season Day Use Area Parking
All 8 parks & preserves
High Peaks Wilderness44,569 acres · 43.2 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsHammond Pond Wild Forest20,450 acres · 19.9 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsVanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest11,676 acres · 6.6 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsHoffman Notch Wilderness14,020 acres · 4.4 mi of trail
Adirondack Mountain Reserve1,346 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
Town of North Hudson187 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Town of North Hudson
DirectionsBoreas Ponds Primitive Area11 acres · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsState Admin Area2 acres · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsWho protects it
108,360 conserved acres
93% of North Hudson’s land. Who manages North Hudson’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation116,392 ac
Town or city245 ac
County68 ac
State Wilderness · 58,589 acState Conservation Area · 32,239 acForest Stewardship Easement · 16,905 acUnknown Easement · 7,064 acState Resource Management Area · 1,402 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 17,101 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 10 of 24 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Peaks Wilderness State Wilderness | State conservation | 44,565 | Open |
| Hammond Pond Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 20,476 | Open |
| Hoffman Notch Wilderness State Wilderness | State conservation | 14,024 | Open |
| Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 11,677 | Open |
| Adirondack Mountains State Resource Management Area | State conservation | 1,402 | Open |
| Town Of North Hudson Land Local Park | Town or city | 245 | Unknown |
| Sharp Bridge Campground State Recreation Area | State conservation | 193 | Open |
| Finch Pruyn State Conservation Area | State conservation | 76 | Restricted |
| Essex County Land Local Park | County | 68 | Unknown |
| Boreas Ponds Primitive Area State Conservation Area | State conservation | 11 | Open |
Things to do
96 places to go in North Hudson
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in North Hudson
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in North Hudson
2 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in North Hudson
Swimming hole and water fallIn High Peaks Wilderness
DirectionsThe FallsIn High Peaks Wilderness
DirectionsPlus 1 waterfall without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in North Hudson
72 StepsIn High Peaks Wilderness
DirectionsGreat Slide LookoutIn High Peaks Wilderness
DirectionsLookout RockIn High Peaks Wilderness
DirectionsLower Lookout
DirectionsSouth Dix LookoutIn High Peaks Wilderness
DirectionsUpper Lookout
DirectionsPlus 17 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in North Hudson
Dix Mountain4,833 ft elevation · In High Peaks Wilderness
DirectionsBeck-horn4,774 ft elevation · In High Peaks Wilderness
DirectionsHough Peak4,400 ft elevation · In High Peaks Wilderness
DirectionsMacomb Mountain4,383 ft elevation · In High Peaks Wilderness
DirectionsPough Peak4,101 ft elevation · In High Peaks Wilderness
DirectionsSouth Dix4,075 ft elevation · In High Peaks Wilderness
DirectionsGrace Peak4,026 ft elevation · In High Peaks Wilderness
DirectionsBlake Peak - South Peak3,954 ft elevation · In High Peaks Wilderness
Directions22 more peaks
Boreas Mountain3,780 ft elevation · In High Peaks Wilderness
DirectionsSunrise Mountain3,606 ft elevation · In High Peaks Wilderness
DirectionsSpotted Mountain3,465 ft elevation · In High Peaks Wilderness
DirectionsPinnacle North3,462 ft elevation · In High Peaks Wilderness
DirectionsBlue Ridge Mountain3,451 ft elevation · In Hoffman Notch Wilderness
DirectionsWolf Pond Mountain3,425 ft elevation
DirectionsPinnacle3,346 ft elevation · In High Peaks Wilderness
DirectionsWyman Mountain3,304 ft elevation · In High Peaks Wilderness
DirectionsBailey Hill3,054 ft elevation · In Hoffman Notch Wilderness
DirectionsNiagara Mountain2,995 ft elevation · In High Peaks Wilderness
DirectionsNippletop Mountain2,953 ft elevation · In High Peaks Wilderness
DirectionsSand Pond Mountain2,930 ft elevation · In Hoffman Notch Wilderness
DirectionsCamels Hump2,782 ft elevation · In High Peaks Wilderness
DirectionsLightning Hill2,776 ft elevation
DirectionsMoose Mountain2,700 ft elevation · In High Peaks Wilderness
DirectionsCamel Mountain2,690 ft elevation · In High Peaks Wilderness
DirectionsRagged Mountain2,677 ft elevation · In Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest
DirectionsClear Pond Mountain2,533 ft elevation
DirectionsOwl Pate2,448 ft elevation · In Hammond Pond Wild Forest
DirectionsHornet Cobbles2,385 ft elevation · In Hoffman Notch Wilderness
DirectionsGrandpa Pete mountain2,349 ft elevation
DirectionsOld Far Mountain2,339 ft elevation · In High Peaks Wilderness
Directions56 peaks are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Campgrounds in North Hudson
Camping siteIn High Peaks Wilderness
DirectionsFrontier Town Campground
DirectionsSharp Bridge Campground
DirectionsPlus 7 campgrounds without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 39 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Horses · 5.7 miUnpaved · 69.5 mi
Elk Lake - Marcy Trail6.6 mi
Hunters Pass Trail5.1 mi
Hoffman Notch Trail3.7 mi
Pinnacle Ridge Trail3.4 mi
Moose Mountain Pond trail3.1 mi
Bass Lake trail3.1 mi
East Mill flow trail2.9 mi
Dix Range Trail2.5 mi
West Mill Brook trail2.4 mi
Boreas Trail2.0 mi
15 more trails
Beckhorn Trail
2.0 miBoquet Forks Trail
1.9 miLillian Brook Trail
1.6 miThe Falls Trail
1.6 miSlide Brook Herd Path
1.6 miHammond Pond Wild Forest Trail
1.5 miWalker Brook path
1.4 miPine Pond path
1.4 miHoward and Munson Ponds path
1.1 miGrace Peak Trail
1.0 miShingletree Pond Trail
0.9 miWolf Pond Trail
0.9 miUnderwood Canyon path
0.9 miHammond Pond trail
0.8 miChalis Pond Trail
0.6 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Bass LakeBig Marsh PondBrother PondsBullpout PondChallis PondClear PondpondCourtney PondDeer PondDix PondElk LakelakeFirst PondlakeHammond PondHatch PondHoward PondJoe PondJohnson PondLedge PondLittle Howard PondLittle Marsh PondMakomis PondMoss PondsMunson PondPalmer PondPine PondProctor PondSand PondSecond PondlakeShingletree PondpondThird PondlakeTriangle PondTrout PondTwin PondsVanderwhacker PondWhite Lily PondWolf PondDuck HoleSchroon RiverSouth Fork Boquet RiverThe Branch
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
2Tennis
1Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in North Hudson: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 24 | 27 | 35 | 47 | 61 | 69 | 73 | 71 | 64 | 52 | 39 | 29 |
| Rain (in) | 4.0 | 3.3 | 4.0 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 5.1 | 4.3 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (3.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 73 °F). 5.1 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in North Hudson →
Next door
North Hudson and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Keene210 miNewcomb166 miNorth Hudson100 miSchroon79 miMinerva71 miElizabethtown53 miMoriah32 miCrown Point20 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Hudson | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Moriah | 40% | 0.5 | 1,471 | 27% | A− |
| Schroon | 74% | 0.6 | 8,817 | 55% | A |
| Keene | 78% | 1.3 | 2,499 | 36% | A |
| Crown Point | 42% | 0.3 | 2,273 | 46% | A− |
| Minerva | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Newcomb | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Elizabethtown | 57% | 0.7 | 5,112 | 71% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in North Hudson
Where can I hike in North Hudson?
The longest trail networks: High Peaks Wilderness, 43.2 miles; Hammond Pond Wild Forest, 19.9 miles; Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest, 6.6 miles; Hoffman Notch Wilderness, 4.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on North Hudson’s trails?
High Peaks Wilderness and Hammond Pond Wild Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near North Hudson?
419,827 acres of parks and open public land lie inside North Hudson or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 91,720 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from North Hudson neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →