by Bill Ingersoll
Published: August 2010
The very name Panther Gorge conjures all sorts of romantic notions of wilderness – and indeed it is one of the wildest places in the High Peaks. Panther Gorge is the deep valley dividing Mount Marcy, the state’s highest peak, from Mount Haystack, the third highest. Within the gorge lies a secluded lean-to, and from it spring two of the steepest trails in the High Peaks.
Panther Gorge is the starting point for one of the best loop hikes in the Adirondacks. But while many of the High Peaks can be reached by day hikes, for most people it is almost impossible to explore the trails leading out of Panther Gorge unless you backpack in. (Those few individuals who can hike to the gorge from Elk Lake, ascend one or more of the peaks, and then hike out on the same day know who they are.)
The challenge lies not in the severity of the terrain, but in the distance. It is an even nine miles from the Elk Lake trailhead to the junction within the gorge where the mountain trails begin. Therefore this is recommended as a three-day backpacking trip: one day to hike in to a base camp at or near the lean-to, one day to enjoy the mountain loop, and a third day to return to Elk Lake.
Getting There
From Exit 29 on the Northway (Interstate 87) follow Blue Ridge Road west for 4.1 miles, where Elk Lake Road turns right. In 2.7 miles you reach the entrance of the Elk Lake Preserve, and at five miles you reach the public parking area for the two state hiking trails that originate on this private park. Note that this lot fills early on peak weekends, and there are no nearby alternatives. The majority of visitors are headed to the Dix Range; the trail to Panther Gorge sees only a fraction of that use.
The Trail
The trail heads west across the road from the parking area on a gradual descent to The Branch, the outlet of Elk Lake, which you cross at 0.3-mile on a bouncy suspension bridge. The trail then briefly follows Nellie Brook, reaching a logging road at 0.4-mile. Here it turns left and immediately crosses Nellie Brook. A right turn 100 feet beyond the brook takes you away from the road to a narrow trail that angles first right, then left to join another logging road in less than five minutes.
Still on the private property of the Elk Lake Preserve, the trail now follows the roadway (called Pinaud Road) for more than two miles around the west side of Elk Lake. The road has a grassy surface and a leafy canopy for shade, so it is not an unpleasant route for hiking. And in the interest of keeping hikers on the correct route, it is well marked and signed.
Several branching trails, with destinations such as Lightning Hill and the west shore of the lake, are closed to the public.
At 2.7 miles you reach a junction where the public trail turns left, west, off of Pinaud Road. Whereas you can hike to this point in little more than an hour, your pace slows as the terrain becomes more rugged. Brush closes in on both sides, and after skirting wide around an open wetland the trail climbs at a moderate grade into the hills. This is part of the continuous ridge that stretches from Mount Colvin to the north to Boreas Mountain to the south. Fortunately the ridge is at one of its lowest points here, so the climbing is not severe. But the next 2.5 miles after leaving Pinaud Road are characterized by hilly terrain through remote woods as you cross from the Schroon River watershed to the Ausable.
This section ends with a long, sometimes steep descent that follows an intermittent stream downhill. You make a sharp left in the vicinity of an old logging settlement, and then turn right through a broad ferny meadow. At 5.2 miles you reach a junction with a state trail to Pinnacle, Blake and Colvin.
Beyond the intersection, the Panther Gorge Trail descends just over another 100 feet to marsh level, entering another private park surrounding Marcy Swamp. In five minutes you reach an intersection with the private trail that leads west to Panorama Bluff, east to Mud Pond Landing. Then you reach Stillwater Inlet, a major tributary of Upper Ausable Lake. A narrow bridge seems treacherous with your pack.
Across the bridge, a boardwalk takes you through the edge of Marcy Swamp beside stagnant pools. You cross another small inlet stream to begin the five-minute, nearly 0.3-mile walk on a raised boardwalk that makes crossing the swamp possible. Although standing water fills this spruce and balsam swamp, it still supports trees tall enough to block distant mountain views.
The trail heads up though a pocket of old blowdown into a tall forest with an open understory. The trail then climbs moderately to an intersection at 6.6 miles, 1.4 miles from the Pinnacle Ridge Trail intersection. It takes about 50 minutes for this segment, longer if the trail is not clear.
Signs at the intersection point east to a private trail to Marcy Landing and left to Panther Gorge. In about 100 yards the trail finally crosses the state land boundary at elevation 2,530 feet.
The trail is now a wonderful foot trail, perhaps the least eroded and least traveled of all the approaches to Mount Marcy. Most of the significant mud patches are spanned by stringers, and the few eroded spots have been stabilized by rocks. Glimpses of Skylight and Marcy are few and fleeting. You rock-hop across a tributary stream at 8.3 miles, and then at 8.9 miles you reach the camping areas, located at 3,200 feet and about 1,200 feet above Marcy Swamp. The lean-to is to the right and a large tent site is to the left. This is one place where the lean-to site may offer more privacy than the tent site, since it is smaller and screened better from the trail. The tent site is essentially a communal camping area, where multiple parties claim a spot of level ground from the handful of selections. There are no other established campsites in the vicinity. Note that the regulations for the Eastern High Peaks are in effect – campfires are not permitted, and be sure to bring a bear canister.
Skylight, Marcy, and Haystack are the three peaks that border the gorge, but some hikers spend multiple days here to hike other nearby peaks at their leisure. The best of all possible Panther Gorge hikes is undoubtedly the circuit around the head of the gorge from Haystack to Marcy and Skylight. This loop is 6.2 miles long, but the tremendous elevation as you climb and descend each of the three peaks change makes this a strenuous hike – but the bare summits also make this one of the most scenic hikes. You are shorting yourself if you don’t allow a full day to experience this traverse!
Bill Ingersoll of Barneveld is publisher of the Discover the Adirondacks guidebook series (hiketheadirondacks.com). For more on this region, consult Discover the Adirondack High Peaks by Barbara McMartin and Bill Ingersoll.
