On the Fourth of July I tied on my American flag bandana, put lunch and a whole lot of water into a backpack, tied up my boots, and made my way to Black Mountain [Pike Brook Road off of Hulett’s Landing Road, Clemons NY]. Follow the red blazes up 2.5 always pointing to the Black Mountain summit, pretty straightforward.
The trail is gradual at first on a gravel road – spy wildflowers and frogs.
It picks up speed soon enough to get you to the summit of the tallest mountain in the Lake George region. When you reach the windmill, you’re just about there!
Views of the northern part of the lake and rolling hills are striking.
For your way down you have a choice. You can return from where you came rounding out a 5 mile hike OR you can create a loop which will make a 6.6 mile hike. I’m always game for a loop, so at the junction choose to go right towards Black Mountain point and ponds trail and continue to follow red markers down the mountain.
In contrast to the path up, down is full of interesting sights. Another section of Lake George appears, this one speckled with islands.
After a mile heading downhill you will reach a junction with the blue trail pointing you back towards the trailhead. Take it and now follow signs towards Pike Brook Rd.
Pass by a series of lakes colorfully filled with frogs and flowers.
After a while on the trail I gasped! All the sudden I noticed that a marker was yellow. I retraced my steps to find out that I had accidentally gone the right way. I missed spotting the trail junction, but you shouldn’t! Make sure you look for the yellow trail pointing towards, you guessed it, Pike Brook Rd.
A beaver lake transformed into a meadow. Relics of an old dam remain, and new lush land is filled with vibrant mushrooms.
Soon you’ll rejoin the old friendly red trail junction, from so many miles before.
Follow the gravel road back out to the parking lot and you have just hiked the tallest mountain around Lake George!