Hike, swim, and climb all in one day!

Saranac Lake prides itself in being decidedly different, and approaching adventures with that mindset can make the typical adventure turn into an unforgettable experience. 

One of the more visible mountains in the communities of Saranac Lake and Lake Placid, McKenzie Mountain dominates the skyline with its bumpy ridgeline and lofty height (just shy of being a High Peak!). It’s a sentinel of the area that sees throngs of hikers seeking to stand on its summit each week, but choosing a different approach will get you on a slightly less-trafficked trail, and allow for other options for recreating, like visiting the other McKenzies. Create a full-day itinerary out of not only hiking McKenzie, but wading into McKenzie Pond and exploring or climbing at the McKenzie Pond Boulders!

Hike McKenzie Mountain

The famous Jackrabbit Ski Trail has a section that cuts through the McKenzie Mountain Wilderness Area, connecting Lake Placid and Saranac Lake. There are a few ways to hike McKenzie, and most utilize access via this ski trail. Start at the western trailhead for this section of the Jackrabbit, located at a small parking pull-off on McKenzie Pond Road. Using this as your starting point, the total hike has around 2,900 feet of elevation gain, and stretches for 10 miles round trip. The trail starts out flat for a couple miles, meandering its way through the woods, often within sight of the babbling McKenzie Brook. Continuing straight at the turn-off for McKenzie Pond, the trail ascends the pass between Haystack and McKenzie Mountain’s southern aspect. Though steep, it’s a wonderful warm-up for the real ascent of the day, which starts once you crest the pass, descend a hundred feet to a convergence of four trails, and take the left-most trail up to the day’s goal. Get ready to take things slow on the next 1.5 miles and 1,500 feet of elevation gain to the top of McKenzie Mountain. It’s steep, rooty, and classic Adirondack fun on a challenging trail. There are a couple bumps along the top of the ridge before you actually hit the true summit of McKenzie, marked by a yellow-lettered, brown sign. Don’t miss out on the hidden views from the well-trafficked side trails jutting from the treed-in summit area. Find the views to the west of Saranac Lake and Lake Flower, then head to the eastern ledge overlooking Lake Placid below. Seeing both viewpoints will drive home how this mountain connects the communities of Saranac Lake and Lake Placid in a tangible way. 

Swim in McKenzie Pond

Descending down the steep trail of McKenzie, turning back towards the way you came, you can’t pass up the short side-trail leading to McKenzie Pond. It’s about 2 miles from the trailhead, and on your way back from summiting McKenzie it’ll be on your right. The side trail is flat, around 0.1 miles, and leads to a wonderful little cove overlooking a lonely island against the backdrop of Saranac Lake’s Baker Mountain and the western ridge of McKenzie Mountain. Take your hiking boots off and wade in, and if you’re brave enough to swim the cool mountain-fed water, go for a swim, it might just be the most refreshing feeling after a challenging hike. 

A break in Ray Brook

You’ve earned some eats after that hike and swim of the McKenzies, and luckily you’re within striking distance of a few fan-favorite eateries. You can sample just about everything at ADK Street Eats in Ray Brook, which serves up everything from tacos and burritos to lobster rolls and burgers. On a hot summer day, the logical next step is obviously ice cream, and you could walk a few steps over to the Pine Cone and get a taste of why they got to the finals in the 2022 Battle of the Cones, a fan-voted contest for best ice cream in the Adirondacks. 

Bouldering at the McKenzie Pond Boulders

Unbeknownst to many living in and visiting the Saranac Lake area, there is a historic bouldering area with an active community of climbers who regularly enjoy evenings after work here. While bouldering, the form of climbing done on smaller rock formations without the use of a rope, is the main form of recreation here, taking a stroll below the goliath glacial erratics at the McKenzie Pond Boulders is breathtaking. There’s a parking area near where you start the hike for McKenzie Pond, a pull-off for parking on the left side of the road if you’re coming from Ray Brook, and on the right side if you’re coming from Saranac Lake. The routes on the rocks here, known as problems, range in difficulty from V0 to V10, and the landings are generally flat, safe, and even though some problems can get quite tall, have good landing areas for you to put crash pads down. The culture here is welcoming, and boulderers who come here often comment on the old school nature of the climbs themselves, with the grades being stout, the holds polished from many years of climbing, and the top-outs tough. Don’t let this deter you from visiting this area, as it’s become quite the destination over the years because of the rock quality, wide-ranging climbing styles, and picturesque forest setting. Famous climbers like John Sherman, inventor of the very grading-scale we use nowadays for bouldering, have visited the area, adding to the reasons why you need to make a stop here. 

Making a day out of McKenzie Mountain, Pond, and Boulders can include all of the above, or a combination of any! Whether you complete one part of this McKenzie trio, or all of it, head over to Ray Brook Brewhouse down the road for an ice cold beverage and a story-telling session on their front patio.