Peaks · New York

Mount Marcy, New York's highest peak

The top of New York and the tallest of the Adirondack High Peaks. Here's the climb, what's on top, and how to get the summit photo.

Turn your Mount Marcy summit photo into a charm

Sample summit photo, not a customer's climb: A hiker in a blue jacket on the bare rock summit of Mount Marcy beside a cairn, holding a cardboard sign reading MT MARCY 5,344 FT — **Sample Summit.** An example of the kind of Mount Marcy photo you could turn into a charm.

Mount Marcy at a glance

Summit elevation: 5,344 feet^1,2
Standing: New York's highest peak and the tallest of the Adirondack High Peaks^2,3
Where: The High Peaks Wilderness in the Adirondacks, managed by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation¹
Van Hoevenberg Trail: 14.8 miles round trip with 3,166 feet of gain, from the High Peaks Information Center lot near the Adirondack Loj. Follow the yellow blazes and cairns above treeline.²
Parking: There's a fee for the large lot at the trailhead. Pay at the booth even if no one is inside. Reservations are required for Adirondack Mountain Reserve routes from May 1 to October 31, not for this trailhead.^1,2
Wilderness rules: Groups are capped at 15 for a day trip and 8 overnight. Bear canisters are required for overnight campers in the Eastern Zone, and there's no camping on summits.¹
Weather: Temperature, wind and visibility can change quickly. In winter, expect it to be at least 20 degrees colder up high than at the trailhead, before wind chill.²

The summit plaque

Marcy's summit has a plaque, and its wording gives the mountain another name, Tahawus, meaning Cloudsplitter. The sources we read don't describe a summit sign. Around the plaque is the alpine zone, New York's rarest ecosystem, so keep to the marked route. Whatever marker is in your photo, your charm keeps it.

Getting the summit photo

Bring your own sign if you want the name and height in your hands, written large in thick dark marker.
Get your whole body in, head to boots, standing on rock rather than the alpine plants.
Take it early. Wind and clouds can roll in fast on the summit.

Mount Marcy questions

How tall is Mount Marcy?

5,344 feet. It's New York's highest peak and the tallest of the Adirondack High Peaks.

How long is the Mount Marcy hike?

The Van Hoevenberg Trail is 14.8 miles round trip with 3,166 feet of gain, starting from the High Peaks Information Center lot near the Adirondack Loj.

Do you need a permit or reservation for Mount Marcy?

Not for the Van Hoevenberg Trail, but there's a parking fee at the trailhead lot. Parking reservations apply to Adirondack Mountain Reserve routes from May 1 to October 31. Day groups are capped at 15.

Is there a summit sign on Mount Marcy?

There's a summit plaque. Many hikers bring their own sign too. Whatever you hold up, we keep it in your charm.

Carry your Mount Marcy summit

You stood on the top of New York. We cut that photo to your outline with your sign or the summit kept in, so you can carry the Cloudsplitter on every hike after... a badge you earned.

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Proud of someone who just made the top? Use the photo they sent you and give them their summit to carry. How gifting works

Sources

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, High Peaks Wilderness Complex.
Lake Placid Adirondacks, Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism, Mount Marcy.
Adirondack Explorer, Review of a history of Mount Marcy.

Backcountry conditions change suddenly. Check DEC's High Peaks Wilderness page before you go. Facts checked October 2026.