Provided photo — Spencer Morrissey A hiker approaches the summit to Floodwood Mountain at a time when the leaves were still green.

Floodwood Mountain is an excellent hike for all makes and models of hikers. The terrain is moderate with only a couple of short, steep sections. The views are amazing, and a southern summit, which is a bit farther, offers even better views. The trail does continue to the southern summit but is much harder to follow, so pay attention.

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How to get there

From the intersection of state Routes 86 and 3 in Saranac Lake, follow Route 86 toward Paul Smiths. Continue for about 5 miles to Route 186 on the left. Follow Route 186 to its end where it turns into Route 30 (about 4 miles). Follow Route 30 west for about 5.75 miles to Floodwood Road on the right — this is easy to drive by as it is on a sharp corner. Follow Floodwood Road for about 6.25 miles, and watch for signs for Floodwood Mountain. There will be a turnoff on the left near the end. Parking is not ideal during busy times.

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Provided photo — Spencer Morrissey The south summit of Floodwood Mountain has a good view.

The trail

This is a 2.1-mile hike, one way, over easy to moderate terrain. As a moderate hike for most new hikers, this trek only gains about 675 feet from trailhead to summit. From the gate, you will be hiking along an access road toward a Boy Scout camp, which has a hiker easement allowing you to pass through. Don’t follow the left fork in the road; it leads to the camp. Follow the signs for Floodwood Mountain, which is a right turn.

The trail leaves the road soon after the fork and begins a moderate climb over slightly rocky and quite often muddy terrain. There will be a couple short steeper pitches along the way, and these can be a bit tricky in the footing aspect of things. The main trail brings you to the highest summit on Floodwood Mountain; there is a great view from here.

A sign on a tree clues you in the right direction to the southern summit. This section is lightly marked and is only about 0.25 miles in length. There is a short steep descent over slab rock, which again can be slippery, and then to a small rock scramble that gets you to the top with an even better view. Open views reward you with a relaxing space with vistas of the areas mountainous layout.

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Winter climbing

Winter isn’t that far around the corner, so why not mention it? Heck, you might want to scrapbook this trail. This hike is a great snowshoe trip but not recommended for skiing due to its steep terrain near the top. Parking is generally not an issue, but the road could be narrower and icy. A nice snow coverage will bury the rocks and mud and make for a wonderfully fast descent.

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Spencer Morrissey is a licensed outdoor guide and author of a few Adirondack adventure books.