Three Hadley-Luzerne Hikes

By Rich Macha

The towns of Hadley and Lake Luzerne straddle the Hudson River in the southeastern Adirondacks. Here, the free-flowing Hudson is surrounded by small but rugged mountains as it drops over Rockwell Falls, then meets the Sacandaga River before being tamed by the dams downstream. Rockwell Falls can be viewed from the Bridge of Hope which connects the two communities.

Outdoor activities in the area include hiking, biking, horseback riding, whitewater rafting and paddling on the Sacandaga, moving-water paddling and tubing on the Hudson, and flatwater paddling on Lake Luzerne. Here are three easy to moderate hikes in the area that have great scenery to reward your efforts – Potash Mountain and the Bear Slides are found to the east of the Hudson and Hadley Mountain rises up to the west of the river.

Potash Mountain – The summit of Potash Mountain is on a small rectangle of state land that is surrounded by private lands and is part of the Lake George Wild Forest. Public access to this tract became a reality when the Harris Preserve was created in 2017. The trailhead is on Potash Road, a short distance north of NY Route 9N and the Luzerne State Campground on Fourth Lake – look for the Harris Preserve sign and a gravel parking area with picnic tables under a roof.

The trail through the preserve is a smooth gravel path and somewhat civilized as it winds upwards in the shade of tall hemlocks and crosses a brook on a good bridge. A junction is soon reached where the 0.6-mile Nature Trail (red markers) connects with the trail up the mountain (blue markers). The Nature Trail loops through mixed woods and some of the trees are marked with small plaques that identify the species. I found these particularly helpful on trees that I don’t normally notice in the Adirondacks, like black birch and bigtooth aspen.

Continuing on up the mountain, now through woods of oaks and other hardwoods, the blue trail assumes a rougher and wilder character as it enters state land and steepens in the process. In some spots, rocks have been placed to create steps, which keep hikers on the trail and minimize erosion.

After a fair climb, a junction is reached where you can go either way, as the trail loops around the summit. If you bear left, you will soon reach a large open area of rock with very good views to the west and south – you can see Hadley Mountain to the west, Fourth Lake to the south, and some residences on Potash Road down below. A brief climb then leads to the actual 1,750-foot summit that has no view, but go a little further on the loop trail to find a good view toward Lake Vanare and the mountains on this side of Lake George. The summit loop trail drops down to rejoin the main trail and your route back down.

The round-trip distance is close to three miles, or 3.5 miles if you add the Nature Trail on the way up or down the mountain, and the elevation gain is 1,055 feet.

Bear Slides – The Bear Slides is a 300-foot section of Buttermilk Brook where the water “slides” down over smooth rock. It is located in the Hudson River Special Management Area, known to locals as “Buttermilk,” north of the hamlet of Lake Luzerne where you can pick up River Road and drive alongside the Hudson River. The road is paved at first but becomes a good dirt road before Thomas Road enters from the east. Continue on River Road past campsite #5 until you reach a good size parking area on the right. River Road becomes Buttermilk Road as it enters the town of Warrensburg but don’t expect to see any street signs around here. Another gravel road, Bear Slides Road, bears right at the end of the parking area and that is the start of our hike.

Bear Slides Road goes uphill and soon arrives at a gate. The grade eases as the narrow lane continues past a handicap accessible campsite and “Buttermilk Hill” (not named on maps) comes into view up ahead. Another accessible campsite is passed and the road becomes more trail-like, just before reaching the small pool at the foot of the slides, after a walk of just one-mile. You can cross to the other side of the brook and take a right on a trail that follows the brook upstream, or you can head right up on open rock if there is not a lot of water. You can continue on the trail upstream past the top of the slides and enjoy more lovely cascades and pools. The trail ends at Gay Pond Road, a four-wheel-drive road that passes more primitive campsites on the way to its namesake pond.

Heading back down past the slides, stay on that side of the brook, and take the trail (red markers) down past campsite #6 to parking area #6 on Buttermilk Road – this is 0.4-mile from the bottom of the slides. Across the road, you find another gate and a short trail to a nice spot on the Hudson River, known as Darlings Ford. From here, you can loop back to your car by walking along Buttermilk Road. Depending on your explorations, the round-trip can be anything from two to four miles. Bushwhackers may want to explore the small mountains in the area such as “Buttermilk Hill,” Joe Baker Sag, Huckleberry Mountain and Number 7 Mountain, all of which have nice views from rock ledges that are found near their summits.

Hadley Mountain – At an elevation of 2,651 feet, Hadley is a very popular mountain with a fire tower and excellent views, and you don’t have to necessarily climb the tower to get the views. The trailhead can be found on Tower Road. The trail is fairly steep as you gain over 1,500 feet in 1.8 miles; the grade eases at the one-mile mark before making the final ascent. In summer, the fire tower is often staffed by a volunteer who can answer any questions you may have.

From the summit area, the Great Sacandaga Lake can be seen to the south and, on a clear day, the High Peaks can be seen to the north, the Green Mountains to the east, and the Catskills far to the south. I found that walking on paths along the ridge north of the tower lead me to more areas of open rock that revealed more views and items of interest that I won’t get into here – you never know what you may discover when you wander about!  

A lover of wild places, Rich Macha has led many trips for the Adirondack Mountain Club, and has spent 20 years in the paddlesport/snowsport business. More of Rich’s adventures can be found at northeastwild.blogspot.com.