Buck Mountain Trail from Pilot Knob

At about 0.2 mile, a branch heads toward Inman Pond. Stay on the Buck Mountain route and keep north at intersections. The first stream crossing, roughly half a mile in, is a sensible turnaround if you want a short woodland walk; it’s about a mile out and back, but it doesn’t reach the lake views. There’s also a separate 3.2-mile loop from Pilot Knob through the Inman Pond trail junctions. That’s a different outing and skips Buck Mountain’s summit.

The trail starts wide through the woods, then reaches the stream crossing over rocks. Beyond it, the grade builds. The path follows the water for a stretch, eases briefly in a few places, then pitches up over roots and rock. You’ll cross streams again, and wet rocks or mud can make the descent especially slow after rain. Take the upper climb at a steady pace; the easier opening doesn’t predict the work ahead.

Around three miles from the parking area, an open rock ledge gives the first clear look toward the south end of Lake George. It’s a good place to pause, but it’s not the summit. Continue through the woods and across the ridge, following the cairns to the actual top. There are several open views along the way; the summit itself is bare rock with a broad sweep of the lake, Bolton Landing, and Adirondack ridges. For a photo, keep some of the pale summit rock in the foreground so the lake view reads as a mountaintop, not just distant hills.

Start at the Buck Mountain/Pilot Knob Parking Area off Pilot Knob Road. Visitors say the lot can fill on busy weekends and in fall, though reports disagree about its size, so an early start is the safer bet. No food or drinking-water service was identified at the road-end access or along the trail; bring what you need from the start. Dogs may come, but keep them under control and leash them when others approach. Deep snow makes this long climb much harder without snowshoes.