Chimney Mountain

Trail Distance: 2.8 miles
Elevation Gain: ~800′
Terrain Rating: Moderate but steep
Trailhead: The parking lot is located on Big Brook Road off Route 30 in the Adirondacks, near Indian Lake. It costs $2 to park at the Cabins at Chimney Mountain, here.

Chimney Mountain is a great short hike in the Adirondacks. The entire hike will only take you about an hour, but most people explore the summit area in search for Eagle’s Cave. This search will extend the hike to anywhere from 2-3 hours. It’s perfect for a post-breakfast or pre-dinner outing. When we went, we had breakfast at the lovely Red Pines Inn at Lake Pleasant, and then headed to Cafe Sarah for lunch after our hike. Unfortunately we weren’t able to find Eagle’s Cave (after an hour of searching!!), but you can watch this YouTube video here which might help you locate it. We met a woman at the summit who said her first time finding Eagle’s Cave took her THREE hours.

After reaching the parking lot, deposit $2 in the bin. From there, you want to find the information center at the trailhead. The trail to Chimney Mountain follows blue blazes left (although you won’t see many blue blazes on the the trail). Luckily, there is only 1 trail and it is relatively straightforward. There is one main water crossing, which as of mid-June 2015 was passable. The trail shoots straight up until you reach the summit. You can climb up the chimney, but it is safer to do so with proper climbing gear. 

Check out the photos below for more information about parking and finding Eagle’s Cave!