Baxter Mountain Trailhead — Attraction in Town of Keene

Hiked Hurricane and Baxter on the same day. I did Hurricane 1st then scooted a mile or so to the Baxter Mtn. Trailhead off of Highway 9N at the top of the hill where the lanes merge as you come from Keene Valley towards Elizabethtown. This trail is on private property, so please respect it as such so all hikers can have access to this fairly easy hike. It took me 40 minutes to reach the summit (a little exhausted after hiking up and down Hurricane) and only about 20 minutes on the return. Baxter has a few summit nubbles, and the summit-proper is wooded marked only by a small cairn on a boulder. You might actually miss it if you're going from ledge to ledge. Take a few minutes to explore around the summit for its various ledges with great views. Giant peeps up over smaller peaks, Noonmark looks insignificant with Dix and Nippletop as its backdrop, and the hamlet of Keene Valley is tucked under the main jumble of Adirondack High Peaks. One ledge will give you a view of Porter and Cascade through the trees, and one vista includes Hurricane (you can see the fire tower) and the valley between it and the Giant Mountain Wilderness. Great short hike! Take it, especially if you want a nice family outing with a wonderful...

The trailhead parking wasn't bad. We showed up around 3 on a Saturday and were the one of 3 cars. The trailhead does not have a register book, and the mountain doesn't have a definitive peak. You can see where people have scraped the top of different possible peaks, but no markers. You can assume you made it when the trail markers go from blue to yellow, or the other way around, depending on which...

This is a very easy moderate hike. It's quick and easy for the whole family or young kids. It has enough to make you feel like you hiked something but not too much for little ones. Parking is on the side of the road but there is a enough space. Due to the ease of the hike, it's obviously busy on top which...