Thomas Mountain – A Gentle Walk to a Great View

This hike is on a nature preserve made possible by the Lake George Land Conservancy. Please respect their property and the rules that they have made to protect the beautiful lands that they have purchased.

This is a good hike for families who are not used to the rough Adirondack trails quite yet.

The trailhead for this walk is off of Valley Woods Rd just after you turn right off of Warren County Route 11 which runs from Exit 24 of the Northway (I-87) to 9N near Bolton Landing. Valley Woods Rd is about 2 miles from the exit.   When there is no snow, there is a good parking lot sufficient for several cars.  While the route would be an excellent intermediate Nordic ski route, the parking lot is not plowed in winter, so be advised.  

The start of the trail, marked by orange markers, follows a good logging road.   There is very little elevation change until you reach the open area where the side trail to Cat Mountain begins.   The trail to Cat is marked with yellow markers and is 2.5 miles each way from the intersection.   At this point, the trail/road to Thomas Mountain begins a steady ascent of about 600 feet heading west, then arcing back south to a switchback.   Once you reach a second switchback, you are most of the way up.   The road ends in a clearing and a short trail leads through the woods to a Conservancy cabin and the lookout at the top of a cliff.   Please respect the cabin, using only the edge of the front porch to rest.  

The view of Lake George is kind of limited, but as this picture shows, the views of Crane Mountain and Gore Mountain are quite good.   The southern exposure on the cliffs would make this a good hike on a sunny spring or fall day.

NOTE: Currently this trail is not described in ADK's GUIDE to ADIRONDACK TRAILS - Eastern Region.

Have a great hike!
Bob Goodwin