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    Van Hoevenberg Trail

    4.7 (7 reviews)

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    Checking in/registering at the trailhead
    Krista M.

    Really, really great trail located in the High Peaks region of the Adirondacks. I had the opportunity to hike the Van Hoevenberg Trail from the parking lot at the Adirondack Loj to the top of Mount Marcy this past Labor Day weekend. We arrived to the parking area around 8:30/9:00am and easily found a parking spot (note: parking is $12). After waiting out a quick downpour, we got our daypacks on and began the trek up Van Hoevenberg Trail. I thought the entire trail was really well maintained, well marked, and so scenic! Mind you, this was my first of the Adirondack high peaks but even so, I was thoroughly impressed. We marked up the 3,200 feet of elevation gain and enjoyed the 7-miles or so up to the summit. The summit was windy yet completely breathtakingly beautiful. We decided at the summit that we would hit Tabletop Mountain on the way back down, too. Well, truth be told, the hike up to Marcy was really on the easier side. The difficult part was coming back down. In my mind, I really thought the trail was easy and lacking the actual elevation gain. Wow, I was eating my words on the decent. Those rocks really creep up on you and make it so difficult to descend. My feet and legs began to ache before we even got to the trail junction for Tabletop. Alas, I still trekked my little booty up to Tabletop and back down to Van Hoevenberg. Prepare for an all-day hike and know that you can backpack up to split this into a multi-day adventure. I was so proud to have hiked to the highest point in New York State and am so grateful for awesome friends who gave me the opportunity to be able to do so! Highly recommend this trail - bring a change of socks for the summit and definitely make sure you have a comfortable pair of shoes to change into once back at the car... your feet are probably guaranteed to ache after this long, rocky trail!

    Michael C.

    I've hiked every mountain in New England, and numerous 14ers and I gotta' say amount Marcy was my favorite! The Van Hoevenberg Trail is a long, arduous journey to the summit of Mount Marcy that seemingly takes forever. The inbound and outbound journey is a half marathon in length. Be prepared for a long day. I started out at exactly 11:30 am and the total hike took Me 6 hours and change. I'm a fast ultra marathon runner and I ran the portion before the dam, and went straight to the summit without one break and it was still 6 hours +! The whole trip to the summit is low angle and gradual approach, not many steep, vertical sections. There are multiple forks in your path, always elect the path that has the blue emblem. God speed.

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    Captain Marneys Boat Rental - The giant pink flamingo tube is a must.

    Captain Marneys Boat Rental

    4.7(16 reviews)
    6.1 mi

    Hidden gem in the heart of lake placid! We decided to take a break from hiking the high peaks with…read moreour 9 and 12yo kids and rented a boat. FYI, they only accept cash or checks. I was a bit apprehensive since we are boating novices, having only used a motorized boat once before. Turns out we had nothing to worry about. We were given a pristine, spacious pontoon (called the Bentley, if that tells you anything :), and the operator gave us crystal clear directions on how to use it. The person helping us also gave us a map of lake placid and pointed out good areas to stop for swimming and fishing. My kids had the time of their lives on the water. The operator was kind enough to suggest bringing one of their floating tubes and a fish net, all for no extra charge. I thought we would only be on the water for 2hrs at most, but we ended up being out for more than 3. The kids said they could have stayed out on the lake all day. We did not catch any fish but we all enjoyed the beautiful view in our clean, spacious pontoon. Given our inexperience, this excursion could have easily gone south, however Captain Marneys clearly cares about its patrons and goes the extra mile to make sure everything goes well. We will be back!

    I hate to leave a review this bad, because many of the people who worked here seemed great. The…read morefirst warning I have for you is not to do not.bring your dogs anywhere near this establishment. Their yellow lab attacked our dog while we registered for a rental.

    Photos
    Captain Marneys Boat Rental - Wilson learning to drive on one of our dog-friendly pontoons.

    Wilson learning to drive on one of our dog-friendly pontoons.

    Captain Marneys Boat Rental - Whiteface Mountain with the fall foliage. Pictures don't do it justice.

    Whiteface Mountain with the fall foliage. Pictures don't do it justice.

    Captain Marneys Boat Rental - Arlo and Lucky enjoying the ride.

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    Arlo and Lucky enjoying the ride.

    Scarface Mountain

    Scarface Mountain

    3.0(1 review)
    9.6 mi

    ***3 1/2 stars*** My…read morechum and I trekked over here last Sunday for an adventure, and to be honest, probably not for the best reason - we primarily selected this hike because of the name, sight unseen. Climbing a mountain with 1930s gangster vibes? What could go wrong? Scarface is not a bad hike, but based on my limited experience in the area, this is not your best option if you're looking for overall personality and amazing viewpoints. The hike itself is pretty straightforward - it's an out and back that starts right off 32 (there's a very nice Maplefields right down the road on 86 that I enjoyed - very clean and spacious with oodles of souvenirs for purchase, along with a bathroom to use) that's relatively flat for the first two miles or so, goes up fairly steeply for another mile before getting to some views looking westward to Oseetah Lake and beyond and leveling out for the most part to the summit. We started a little before 9am on a partly cloudy morning. The trailhead is a little tough to find. There's parking for a handful of cars, but not a lot of signage to confirm you're in the right place. Thankfully you still have a cell phone signal over there to help verify location, and we also were fortunate enough to arrive at the same time as someone else who told us we were where we wanted to be. For the most part, the trail markers were well placed and consistent but we had trouble finding them past the viewpoints and improvised a lot up in the piney areas near the summit. By then though, it's tough to totally lose your way and we were able to pick up the trail again. The lower-lying woody areas were pleasant, and we got some good pics by the little manmade bridge that goes over a pond about 10 minutes in. There's also ample brush/foliage if a bathroom break is needed - no port-a-potties made cameos on this particular hike. The climb up toward the viewpoints is a little tough. Both of us are in pretty good shape, but we took a few breaks along the way. It's not insanely steep, but it's constant movement uphill, which for me is usually a little rougher than dramatic climbing where you're barely moving as you slowly navigate up rocks, etc. Additionally, we were about a week or so removed from peak fall foliage, so the ground was covered in leaves and made this a bit more treacherous than I'm sure it is during other parts of the year. We both full-on slipped and fell at least once, as did our canine companion, making his legit hiking debut in a lovely bright orange shirt. The viewpoints are solid. My only direct comp in the area is Mount Marcy, which I summited a few years ago. That one offers astounding views in all directions going out miles and miles. The Scarface viewpoints are pretty much exclusively to the western side of the mountain, and they don't occur at the summit - it's a little further down. Still pleasant to sit and soak up the sights, but by definition your vision is limited. And as alluded to, the summit is VERY anticlimactic. It's literally in the middle of a little pine forest, denoted by a sign on one of the trees. That's it. Your view is of pinecones, basically. I don't regret this hike, but I'd probably bypass it next time in favor of a higher peak with more to offer.

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    Scarface Mountain
    Scarface Mountain
    Scarface Mountain

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    Square Eddy Expeditions - Don M & Family

    Square Eddy Expeditions

    5.0(17 reviews)
    36.0 mi

    We really like this raft company and Lori, one of the owners…read more Been rafting w/ Loti a few times. One of the most personable guides we gave been across three companies on five trips. Fun songs, dad jokes told better, and I love to her say "Keep paddlin." Lori "Loves to SURF" . This is the best time in the Hudson. We spent several minutes in "Fluffy Box" and she even got the raft turned around!!! We also made it into Bus Stop and got in some good surf there as well. But wait - there's more! We went down Jiffy Pop Backwards!!!!! Bestest Ginger snaps and other super healthy lunch options too, washed down with yummy hibiscus pink tea. So - if you want the small company vibe that cares about you as a participant and partner, Square Eddy is the way to go.

    This is a hidden gem. Just completed this rafting experience in August 2025. The operation is…read moresmall but that is what sets it apart. Whereas some of the other local company have giant, full-size buses pushing through volume onto the river, this operation was intimate and friendly. In the short amount of time we spent with the owners, we got to know them and their friends very well. Linc was our guide and he was full of knowledge and information. He was also a tremendous guide as far as rafting is concerned. The lunch we all shared was homemade and delicious. The cookies we had were incredible. The fresh fruit was a nice touch too. In total there were 4 rafts and approximately 20 people. We didn't need to wait around for anyone and the entire operation felt smooth and well-planned. We had a phenomenal time and highly recommend this activity.

    Photos
    Square Eddy Expeditions - Va. Beach Family

    Va. Beach Family

    Square Eddy Expeditions - Getting ready for a fun day on the Hudson River!

    Getting ready for a fun day on the Hudson River!

    Square Eddy Expeditions - #funinthesun on The Indian River, #indianlakeny w/ Square Eddy Expeditions. Cheers

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    #funinthesun on The Indian River, #indianlakeny w/ Square Eddy Expeditions. Cheers

    Van Hoevenberg Trail - hiking - Updated May 2026

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