Elk Lake - Marcy Trail

Elk Lake - Marcy Trail is a remote High Peaks route built around reaching Marcy, with the same line used to reach Mount Marcy, Mount Skylight, and Gray Peak. Expect a long day: roughly 9.7 miles one-way (about 19.4 miles round-trip) and most parties finish in the 10–12+ hour range.

From the Elk Lake Trailhead the tread starts as a gentler, rolling approach on former woods roads and boardwalk-style crossings over Marcy Swamp. As you keep going, the route gets steeper and rougher, then begins tracking alongside Marcy Brook.

A major anchor point on the way is Panther Gorge, a remote camping/lean-to area beneath Marcy, Skylight, and Haystack. The route’s character changes again here—after Panther Gorge you’re working up toward the surrounding peaks rather than just following the basin.

Hike planning should treat wet ground as a real constraint. The approach can involve half-log walkway sections over wetlands, and those are described as slick when wet—so footing, traction, and time buffers matter on damp days and in shoulder seasons.

This is also a high-responsibility backcountry route seasonally. The Elk Lake area sees an annual deer-hunting closure (regular season is typically late October through early December), and in the Eastern High Peaks Wilderness overnight hikers are required to carry bear-resistant canisters between April 1 and November 30.

Dogs aren’t allowed on this route as it passes through the Adirondack Mountain Reserve conservation easement where canine use is prohibited.

More information: Haystack & Marcy counterclockwise from Panther Gorge, Seeking Information: Elk Lake - Marcy Trail to Panther Gorge, Elk Lake - Marcy Trail | Essex County | New York - Hiiker