Cat Mountain Trail from Edgecomb Pond

Cat Mountain from Edgecomb Pond is a summit out-and-back: a broad dirt road past the pond gives way to a blue-marked climb and an open-rock overlook above Lake George. The mapped red-and-blue corridor runs about 2.27 miles from the lot to the summit, or roughly 4.5 miles round trip. The posted route description gives 1.9 miles one way, so there is a real mileage discrepancy; I’d plan for the longer mapped distance and check the current preserve map at the color changes. Allow about three to four hours, including time on top. The summit sits about 880 feet above the parking area, and the rooted, rocky final climb makes this a moderate-to-hard hike rather than a casual stroll.

Use the Edgecomb Pond Road lot just past Finkle Road, near the Town of Bolton Watershed sign. The route begins on a dirt road beside Edgecomb Pond, then follows red markers. The directions call for a sharp right just beyond a gate and a left, southbound turn onto blue. Old unused roads cross the marked trail here; keep following the red markers until the blue junction instead of taking an unmarked road that looks like a shortcut. This red approach is not the steep red trail that drops from Cat Mountain’s summit.

Blue starts on an old road grade, then narrows to a rooted, rocky footpath and climbs more steadily. Expect to pay attention to your footing, especially on the upper stretch. At the T junction, turn left and south on blue for Cat Mountain; the other branch leads toward Thomas Mountain. The last section opens onto bare rock at the summit. For the Edgecomb outing, return the way you came. Taking the steep red descent from the summit creates a different, harder loop with a different distance.

The summit is a broad expanse of exposed rock, not a built platform. Its roughly 270-degree view takes in Lake George, the Narrows, islands, Trout Lake, and the southwestern Adirondacks. This is the payoff for the climb, so don’t plan to tag the summit and hurry straight back. Frame some of the bare rock in the foreground with the lake and forested ridges beyond; the open summit gives you a clear view across the surrounding tree cover.

The 1,909-acre preserve became part of the Adirondack Forest Preserve in 2013. Finkle Brook runs through it and forms Edgecomb Pond, which supplies drinking water to Bolton Landing; the pond-side start is part of a protected watershed. The preserve is open to the public from dawn to dusk year-round. Leashed dogs are allowed, and visitors should carry out what they bring in. Hunting and trapping are permitted under state rules; during hunting seasons, wear bright colors and hike with a companion.

Use the Edgecomb Pond Road lot just past the Finkle Road intersection. If the lot is full, roadside parking is permitted, but keep neighboring driveways clear. The Valley Woods Road trailhead is a different approach to the same mountain; don’t follow directions to that lot if you want the pond-side route.