Adirondack High Peaks Map + 3-Day MacIntyre Range Itinerary
Three of the 46ers in one weekend, from the Adirondack Loj.
3-day Adirondack High Peaks backpacking itinerary. 15-mile MacIntyre Range loop covering Wright Peak sunrise, Algonquin (NY's #2 at 5,114 ft), and optional Iroquois, three of the 46ers in one weekend from the Adirondack Loj.
“I’ve requested to book a Chain Lakes Loop guide on ExplorOFF, and it was the best idea ever! I highly recommend going with their guided option since you get a real human connection on the trail and don’t have to worry about a thing. Yulia was great to talk to!”
11 stops on a real mapEvery stop pinned in order→Adirondacks: every stop pinned in order.
Wright, Algonquin & Iroquois · MacIntyre Range · New York
Every stop on this trip, in order, opens as one driving route in the Google Maps app. No copying addresses across one at a time.
Adirondacks in photos: 5 of the stops.
Plan and book your 3 days in Adirondacks, one step at a time
How 3 days in Adirondacks split up
Plan 3 days for Adirondacks. Distance: 15-mile loop. Elevation gain: 4,000+ ft. Permits: None. Hiking the Adirondack High Peaks is the classic New York alpine adventure, and this 3-day backpacking trip in the Adirondack High Peaks bases its logistics out of Lake Placid and the Adirondack Loj trailhead. This 15-mile MacIntyre Range loop lets you bag three of the famous 46ers, Wright, Algonquin, and Iroquois, while experiencing a stunning alpine sunrise.
Day 1: Hike to Base Camp
5 stops · Day one
Day 2: The Three-Peak Ridge Traverse
4 stops · Day two
Day 3: Return to Trailhead
2 stops · Day three
Hike to Base Camp
Depart the Adirondack Loj parking lot by mid-afternoon (late afternoon if you raft the Hudson Gorge that morning). Hike up to a designated wilderness site at the base of Wright Peak, pitch your tent, and pack your food securely into a required bear-resistant canister. Cook the first trail dinner and turn in early, the next morning starts before dawn.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
Drive from~9 mi to the Adirondack Loj · car required · DriveBase your logistics out of Lake Placid, host of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics. The Adirondack Loj is 9 miles south on Adirondack Loj Road. Lake Placid is about 5 hours from New York City (I-87 north to Route 73) and 2.5 hours from Montreal. No public transportation reaches the trailhead, so a car is required.
Hudson River whitewater rafting · Aro Adventures6-hr guided morning trip · then 1.5 hr to the Loj · activityOptional: raft the Hudson River Gorge with Aro Adventures before you walk in. It is a 6-hour guided trip with all gear included, launching in the morning from North River, about 1.5 hours south of Lake Placid, on the dates its calendar shows. Book it and you reach the Loj in the late afternoon, which still leaves daylight for the 2.5-mile walk in. Skip it and start the walk by mid-afternoon.
Book this →- Adirondack Loj / Heart Lake trailhead
GPS 44.182891, -73.963788 · gateway to the High Peaks · ViewpointThe Adirondack Loj trailhead at Heart Lake is the gateway to Wright, Algonquin, Iroquois, Marcy, and many other High Peaks. The Adirondack Mountain Club lot here takes no reservations: $25 a day ($10 for ADK members), first come, and it fills early. If it is full, park at the free South Meadow lot (adds 1.5 miles each way). The High Peaks Information Center at the lot rents bear canisters.
Operator info → 
Hike in to base camp below Wright Peak~2.5 mi · designated wilderness site · HikeDepart the Adirondack Loj parking lot by mid-afternoon and hike up to a designated wilderness site at the base of Wright Peak. Pitch your tent and pack your food securely into a required bear-resistant canister. Cook the first trail dinner and turn in early, because the next morning starts before dawn.
- Camp at a designated site below Wright Peak
Free, first come · bear canister required · lodgeNight one is a designated wilderness tent site or lean-to below Wright Peak. They are free and first come, first served, and cannot be reserved. Food goes in the bear canister, and there are no campfires in the Eastern Zone.
The Three-Peak Ridge Traverse
Wake up for a 3:30 AM alpine start. Climb to the tundra zone of Wright Peak (4,580 ft) for sunrise, if the sky is clear, the dawn light over the open ridge is the trip's emotional peak. Traverse the open granite slabs to Algonquin Peak (5,114 ft), New York's second-highest mountain.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Wright Peak (4,580 ft) for sunrise
3:30 AM alpine start · open tundra · HikeWake up for a 3:30 AM alpine start and climb to the tundra zone of Wright Peak (4,580 ft) for sunrise. If the sky is clear, the dawn light over the open ridge is the trip's emotional peak. Stay strictly on solid rock above the treeline to protect the fragile alpine vegetation.
- Algonquin Peak (5,114 ft)
NY's #2 · 8.7 mi · 3,651 ft gain · Hard · HikeTraverse the open granite slabs to Algonquin Peak (5,114 ft), New York's second-highest mountain. The Algonquin Peak and Wright Peak via Algonquin Trail route is rated 4.7 from 3,154 reviews on AllTrails: 8.7 miles, 3,651 ft of gain, Hard, out and back. Doing the MacIntyre Range as a backpack instead of a day hike, with sunrise on Wright and no one else around, changes the experience completely.
See the trail → 
Iroquois Peak (4,840 ft), optional spur0.7-mile out-and-back · HikeAdd the optional 0.7-mile out-and-back spur to Iroquois Peak (4,840 ft) before leaving the ridge. It is the third of the three 46ers on this loop and a short detour from the main traverse.
Famartin / CC BY-SA 4.0Camp near Marcy BrookDescend Avalanche Pass · ladders & scrambles · lodgeDescend steeply through the ladders and boulder scrambles of Avalanche Pass to camp near Marcy Brook for the second night. Keep your food in the bear canister and camp only at a designated wilderness site.
Return to Trailhead
Enjoy an easy, mostly downhill morning hike along forested trails and stream crossings back to Heart Lake. Plan to be back at the parking lot before noon, with time to head into Lake Placid for a celebratory lunch.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Hike out to Heart Lake
~3 mi · easy, mostly downhill · HikeEnjoy an easy, mostly downhill morning hike along forested trails and stream crossings back to Heart Lake. Plan to be back at the parking lot before noon, with time to head into Lake Placid for a celebratory lunch.
G. Edward Johnson / CC BY 4.0Celebrate in Lake Placid1932 & 1980 Winter Olympics host town · ViewpointHead into Lake Placid, host of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics, for a celebratory lunch. From here you can plan which of the remaining 46ers to bag next, such as Cascade Mountain via the free shuttle from the Cascade Welcome Center.
Sort the canister and the parking
Nothing here takes a booking except the parking. These are the rules that decide whether you can legally camp.
- Bear canisterRequired for every overnight camper in the Eastern Zone. Not a recommendation.
- No campfiresNowhere in the Eastern Zone. Bring a stove.
- Stay below 3,500 ftNo camping higher, unless you are at a lean-to.
- 150 feet of clearanceCamp that far from any road, trail or water, on durable ground.
- 8 overnight, 15 by dayGroup caps. Oversized-group permits are not available here.
- AMR parkingIf you start there, reserve it. 1 May to 31 October, no walk-ins.
What to pack for Adirondacks
Built from this route, not a generic list. Every line says why it is here.
On every day of this trip
On your feet
Because you are sleeping out 2 nights
For the drive to the trailhead
Specific to Adirondacks
Essential wilderness regulations & planning.
Protect the alpine tundra
Stay strictly on solid rock surfaces when hiking above the treeline to avoid destroying the fragile, slow-growing alpine vegetation. DEC summit stewards are on the alpine summits July through September to educate hikers and protect the vegetation.
Bear canister & camping rules
A bear canister is required for any overnight stay in the High Peaks Wilderness, and it is not optional. Camp only at designated wilderness sites: no camping within 150 ft of water, trails, or roads, and none above 3,500 ft except at designated sites.
Maximum 8 people per group
Group size in the High Peaks Wilderness Area is capped at 8 people. Plan your party accordingly before you head in.
Go July through September
Peak hiking runs July through September with long days and full trail access. Black flies are brutal in June, so bring head nets and strong repellent. Late September to early October brings peak fall foliage and the best weather of the year, with crowds thinning after Columbus Day weekend.
Trailhead parking
The Adirondack Loj lot takes no reservations: $25 a day ($10 for ADK members), first come, and it fills early. If it is full, park at the free South Meadow lot (adds 1.5 miles each way). Only the AMR lot at St. Huberts needs a reservation (May 1 to October 31), and this route does not start there.
Getting there needs a car
Lake Placid is about 5 hours from New York City (I-87 north to Route 73) and 2.5 hours from Montreal. The Adirondack Loj is 9 miles south of Lake Placid on Adirondack Loj Road. No public transportation reaches the trailhead, so a car is required.
Adirondacks: questions before you go
Hiking in the Adirondacks high peaks: the questions people ask most.
No. No permits are required for day hiking or backpacking in the High Peaks Wilderness. However, a bear-resistant canister is required for any overnight stay in the Eastern Zone. Parking at the Adirondack Loj costs $25 a day and takes no reservation; only the AMR lot at St. Huberts needs one.
The 15-mile MacIntyre Range loop covers three of the 46ers: Wright Peak (4,580 ft) for sunrise, Algonquin Peak (5,114 ft, New York's second-highest mountain), and the optional Iroquois Peak (4,840 ft) via a 0.7-mile out-and-back spur. All three are reached from the Adirondack Loj trailhead at Heart Lake.
July through September is peak hiking season with long days and full trail access, though black flies are brutal in June. Late September to early October brings peak fall foliage and the best weather of the year, with crowds thinning after Columbus Day weekend. Mud season runs late April to May; winter is spectacular but demanding and requires ice axes and crampons.
No. The Adirondack Mountain Club lot at the Loj is first come, $25 a day ($10 for ADK members), and it fills early, so arrive early. If it is full, park at the free South Meadow lot, which adds 1.5 miles each way. The reservation system you may have read about is for the AMR lot at St. Huberts, May 1 to October 31.
Lake Placid is about 5 hours from New York City (I-87 north to Route 73) and 2.5 hours from Montreal. The Adirondack Loj is 9 miles south of Lake Placid on Adirondack Loj Road (GPS 44.182891, -73.963788). No public transportation reaches the trailhead, so a car is required. Overnight lodging is available at the ADK's High Peaks Information Center right at the trailhead.
Cascade Mountain (4.9 miles round trip, 1,940 ft gain) is the most-climbed 4,000-footer in New York and a perfect first 46er: shortest approach, clear trail, and outstanding summit views. The original Route 73 pullout closed in 2021, so park at the Cascade Welcome Center in Lake Placid and take the free shuttle to the trailhead.
Mt Marcy is the highest of the 46 Adirondack High Peaks at 5,344 ft (#1 by elevation rank). The full list runs from Mt Marcy down to Couchsachraga Peak (#46, 3,820 ft). The four peaks below 4,000 ft were originally surveyed above 4,000 and remain on the official 46ers list.
Yes. Tell us your dates and we pass them to the licensed local guide who runs this route, with the permits, the food plan and the shuttles included, from about $2,095 per person. They confirm what is possible on your days and what it costs. Asking is free: no card, no deposit, and nothing is held until you say yes.
Pick how you want to go.
Same 3-day route. Same 8 stops.
- 2 nights, sites along the route
- Free
- Hudson River whitewater rafting · Aro Adventures
- Priced when you book
- Rental car, 3 days
- $180
- A private local guide, campsites booked
- Included
- Airport pickup and every drive
- Included
- Park, permit and campsite fees paid
- Included
- All the gear and the trail meals
- Included
Written and walked by Yulia Vasilyeva · Co-founder · Lead planner and guide
Three years leading guided hikes in the Pacific Northwest, rated 5.0 by 20+ verified guests, and she builds every custom itinerary herself. Based in Seattle.
Last checked September 2026
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