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Wright Peak - A Worthy Alternative to Algonquin

Editors Note: The 46 "High Peaks" do not need promotion to be popular hiking destinations. If anything, they are too popular with the hiking public, so it is not my intention to recommend any of them in "Hikes you might like." I am making a exception for Wright Peak because it is a good alternative summit for persons who are about to "bite off more than they can chew." The lower trail to Wright and Algonquin has received a lot of professional trail work and can lead the inexperienced hiker to think the whole trail is going to be like this. Instead, the further up the mountain you get, the more rugged the trail becomes. It seems to me that the trail up Algonquin beyond the Wright-Algonquin trail junction gets progressively more rugged than the trail has been to that point. So if you are an experienced hiker, having a great time, and the weather is good, then go for Algonquin by all means. But if you have found the trail more difficult that you expected, or you are more tired than you thought you would be, or the weather is somewhat threatening or poor, or it is later in the afternoon, consider changing your goal from Algonquin to Wright. The ascent to Wright from the junction is 600 feet vs 1200 feet for Algonquin, the weather on Wright is more often better than on Algonquin, and the trail up Wright is somewhat less rugged than the rest of the trail up Algonquin. Just do yourself a favor and have a great summit experience instead of a so-so one. - Bob Goodwin

On Tuesday September 14, 2004, I took a hike to a much less traveled 4000 footer known as Wright Peak. I parked at Adirondak Loj where there is plenty of parking available (cost $3 for ADK members, $9 for non-members ). signing the trail register around 8:15 AM I started out.

Starting out on fairly easy to moderate grades, the Van Hoevenberg trail winds through a beautiful forest until the 1.5 mile mark. (Whales tail notch ski trail diverges left here.) Now on rough and rocky terrain, the trail climbs moderatly to steeply and crosses a brook around the 2.0 mile mark. At 2.6 miles you come upon a nice waterfall and continue to climb the rocky trail until reaching a rock cobble on the right.

Reaching the side trail to Wright peak at 3.4 miles you now begin a steep ascent all the way to the base of the summit. Bare rock with cairns guide you the rest of the way to the summit at 0.4 miles from the side trail.

At 4580 feet, Wright peak is one of the lesser traveled 4000 footers because Algonquin (5114 feet, 2nd highest in the Adirondacks) (photo above) sits only 0.9 tenths of a mile next to it. Plenty of views (such as Heart Lake in this photo) await you at the top of Wright peak and you can see the hikers climbing Algonquin from the summit.

Plenty of history lies on this summit also as remnants of a U. S. B-47 bomber are scattered here from a crash in 1962. A bronze plaque marks the area on a rock just north of the summit.

For those of you who are climbing Algonquin because of the height and its popularity, don't forget what lies just minutes from it as Wright Peak will not dissappoint you.

NOTE: For a more complete description of the trails, please see ADK's (guide to) ADIRONDACK TRAILS - High Peaks Region 13th Edition, pp 122-124.

Happy hiking!
Rick McCorry