High Peaks Wilderness Area

The High Peaks Wilderness Area is the largest wilderness in New York’s Forest Preserve and the symbolic heart of Adirondack backcountry travel. Spanning the central Adirondacks, it contains 42 of the 46 High Peaks, including Mount Marcy, the state’s highest point, and ranges from swamps and rivers to alpine summits above the timberline. Water shapes the landscape through numerous lakes, streams, waterfalls, and the Lake Tear of the Clouds, often regarded as the Hudson River’s source. Heavy recreational use led to especially strict protections in the Eastern High Peaks, while its extensive trails, rugged routes, rare alpine vegetation, and dramatic mountain scenery make it one of New York’s most significant protected landscapes.

North Elba, New York · United States