• Distance: 1.2 miles one way

• Trail rating: Easy to moderate

• Elevation gain: 770 feet

You won't gain a ton of elevation hiking Baxter Mountain, but the views will sure make you think you did!

This easy/moderate short Adirondack hike follows a well maintained path along a series of gentle switchbacks through old pine forest. About 30 minutes of hiking leads to expansive views of Keene Valley, the Great Range, and Mount Marcy.

When you think you've reached the summit, keep going! There's a false summit just before the last scramble to the top, and a lot of people choose to stop here. While the views at the false summit are nice, the real views are waiting for you a bit further up the ridge (continue to follow the trail up, but if you start to descend down the back side of the mountain, you've gone too far).

The summit of Baxter is wooded, so you'll have to navigate your way to the edge of the cliffs to get a good view. Carefully follow the herd paths down to the rocks along the ledges, where you'll find breathtaking, unobstructed, mountain views.