Certain mountains should be on every hiker's checklist, and Peaked Mountain in the southern Adirondacks is certainly one of them. Located in the Siamese Ponds Wilderness Area, this 2919 foot peak offers spectacular views from the open rock and exposed ledges of the summit area. To access the mountain, I parked at the end of Beach Road where the Thirteenth Lake DEC parking area is located. From there it is a short walk down to the gorgeous lake shore.
A wet spring means that there is a lot of running water coming down off the slopes above the lake.
The trail is marked with red discs and skirts the west side of the lake, offering up plenty of opportunities to explore the shoreline.
Looking across the lake to the east.
After about half a mile, the trail leaves the lake shore and begins to climb. Soon,you will arrive at a trail junction and bridge crossing. Do not cross the bridge here. Follow Peaked Mountain Brook west from here.
Peaked Mountain Brook is a beautiful, fast flowing stream with many small cascades and pools.
The trail climbs about 300 feet in the next half mile or so, crossing over the brook on more than one occasion. In one area along the way, just off trail, I found a nice view northeast towards Slide Mountain across a a wetland.
Hiking along the wetland .
Nearly 2 miles into the hike, I passed by another large wetland, this time to the west.
Beaver have flooded the brook in the area just past the wetland at about 2 miles. This spot is hard to miss, with many dead or fallen trees all around.
Another brook crossing. The brook is much more tame upstream, meaning crossing was no issue.
At a small opening, a really nice view of Peaked Mountain comes into view across a vlei.
A zoomed look at the impressive rock face of Peaked Mountain.
After a quiet 2.9 miles, the trail arrives at the south shore of Peaked Mountain Pond. This makes a great spot to stop and relax and do some exploring along the shore if you choose. There are several nice campsites and canoes along the shore.
After enjoying the solitude of the pond, the hike commences by heading directly at Peaked Mountain. Once getting past the pond, the nature of the hike changes dramatically.
Spring wildflowers even at this elevation in the north.
The last half mile of the hike is steep going and a bit more rugged. This is also where I seemed to attract a ton of black flies for some reason.
On the ascent, I hit some areas of open rock and found some pleasant views beyond the tree tops.
Here's a look back to the southwest at the area I had just hiked. Looking carefully, a sliver of Thirteenth Lake can be seen in the center of the photo.
Peaked Mountain's 2919 foot summit.
Wandering around rock ledges atop Peaked Mountain provide some pretty incredible views. Here's a fantastic view south over Peaked Mountain Pond.
A look at some of the rock ledges just below the summit.
A zoomed look at Peaked Mountain Pond.
A view directly east towards Slide Mountain.
Skirting some of the rock ledges on the east side of the peak provide incredible open views to the north all the way towards the High Peaks.
I enjoyed the summit for quite a while, soaking in the great views, before finally heading back down. Stopped to check out some of the wildflowers in a while.
A small drainage below the summit.
The return hike was a breeze and I finally shook the black flies once off the summit. Recrossed the brook several more times on the way back.
Perfect trail conditions on a 70 degree day.
The trail follows Peaked Mountain Brook for a while.
I enjoyed the picturesque falls and cascades along the brook.
Arriving back at Thirteenth Lake's shoreline.
I really enjoyed the last stretch of trail along the lake, enjoying the beautiful spring weather. The trees are really greening up back at the lake.
Hiked about 7.2 miles round trip, with just under 1300 feet elevation gain. A great, underrated mountain in the Adirondacks.
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