Buck Mountain Trailhead — Attraction in Town of Fort Ann

There are many great hikes in the Lake George region and Buck Mountain is definitely one of them! Set on the southeast side of Lake George there are a few different ways up the mountain. The most commonly used trailhead on Rt 32 and is about a 7 mile roundtrip hike. This hike starts pretty easy and then gets tougher as the hike progresses. Path is fairly wide and easy to follow. When you get close to the summit you will get some nice views of Lake George. A second way up is from Shelving Rock Road. The Shelving Rock Trailhead is about a five-mile hike. The path has good footing and is moderate to strenuous. There are some fairly steep spots, but nothing to hard. You will see fewer people on this trail. Finally, you can also catch a trail that starts near Inman Pond and joins the trail from Rt 32. This path is not very well used and is considerably longer. This trail can be found on Sly Pond Road. At the top the view is awesome. You can not only see Lake George, the Sagamore Resort and the nearby Tongue Mountain Range, but on a clear day you can see the Adirondack High Peaks many miles north. Overall, the views show why this is one of the most popular hikes in Lake George! If in the Lake George area give it a try! Try to go early as the parking lots...

This hike is part of the Lake George 12ster. Of the two main approaches to Buck (shelving rock or pilot knob), this one, pilot knob, is the better one in winter if you don't have an all-terrain vehicle with high clearance. Shelving rock is a gravel road, but the trailhead here at pilot knob is off a paved, plowed road, and the parking lot is pretty big (10-15 cars if they park nicely.) No incline to get into the lot, though the lot is currently very icy and uneven. You can do it with a normal car still. The hike to Buck is great, about 7 miles total (to the top and back), and mostly in streambeds. In the winter, that means it is VERY ICY. Bring microspikes! There was some snow at the top but nothing deep yet. There are several stream crossings, but the water isn't deeper than a few inches. The climb to the false summit is quite steep, don't forget to look behind you for an incredible view! There is also a great view from the summit itself. Stunning lake views, wonderful place. PS: currently an area near the beginning of the trail is flooded out. You need to follow the yellow spray...

We hiked as a group and it ranged from beginner to expert. If you have hiked a few mountains in your life this should be pretty standard. To me it was challenging yet not back breaking. I climbed Cascade last year (the smallest of the high peaks I believe) and it was not for me. Too much. This was somewhere between moderate and difficult. A great hike with a beautiful view and you will still be able to function later that night.

Bring lots of bug spray! The trail was nice with lots of dirt path areas and not just rocks. It also had lots of meandering, alternating incline/level areas. I’ve climbed mountains that were just straight up for hours and this is not it! Gradually it gets more steep and the last mile or so it gets pretty challenging. It gets really pretty too. The false summit might be my favorite spot. The top is beautiful as well.

It took us about 4.5 hours round trip. Record heat lately, bring extra water. Very...