Parking
Use the Deer Leap Parking Area on Route 9N. The trailhead is across the road from the pull-off; cross carefully on the steep roadside section.
Overview
About Deer Leap Trail
Why go
- Open Lake George and Black Mountain views from the rocks
- A shorter way to sample the Tongue Mountain terrain
Heads up
- A short hike with repeated climbs and rocky footing
- The trailhead is across steep Route 9N from the parking area
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake George map
Full mapElevation1,027–1,378 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
2 active Lake George alerts
- ClosureFishbrook Pond North Lean-to site closedThe entire Fishbrook Pond North Lean-to site is closed because the lean-to burned down. - No camping or campfires are allowed at the site until further notice.Official details
- CautionNo Parking Zones enforced along River RoadDo not park in the No Parking Zones along River Road in the Hudson River Special Management Area in the Towns of Lake Luzerne and Warrensburg; DEC is enforcing the restriction.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Lake George Tour Guide
Your drive to Deer Leap Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Lake George NY. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Lake George audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Deer Leap Overlook Trail0:00 / 0:22
“You're coming up on Deer Leap's trailhead, for a rocky overlook of Lake George and Black Mountain. Allow two to three hours for the out-and-back, with rolling climbs and rocky footing on both legs.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake George Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Boats Sunk for Safekeeping
- The Trees That Shade the Streams
- The Fisher’s Swiveling Feet
- The Loon’s Underwater Chase
- 113 audio storiesacross Lake George’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor White-tailed Deer, Timber Rattlesnake, Osprey, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 67 trails, 64 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Deer Leap Trail
Is it the right outing?Deer Leap is a 3.4-mile out-and-back from Route 9N to an open rocky overlook above Lake George.
Deer Leap is a 3.4-mile out-and-back from Route 9N to an open rocky overlook above Lake George. The view reaches Black Mountain across the water. It is a good pick if you want a real woodland hike to a lake view without committing to the much longer Tongue Mountain ridge route. Allow about 2 to 3 hours; you return on the same 1.7-mile trail.
The first climb and the forkThe trail starts with a flat, rocky opening and a register, then begins climbing through…
The trail starts with a flat, rocky opening and a register, then begins climbing through hardwoods after about 0.2 mile. A small stream is near the half-mile mark. At 0.6 mile, Deer Leap Trail meets the Tongue Mountain Range Trail. Stay on the Deer Leap route; the other trail heads into a much longer ridge walk.
The rolling middlePast the junction, expect more up and down than a steady climb.
Past the junction, expect more up and down than a steady climb. The woods give way to large boulders and rocky bends, with switchbacks before the final, more level approach. The route passes two primitive campsites. On the way back, those same descents become climbs, so leave some energy for the return.
At the overlookDeer Leap is a group of open rock outcrops rather than a broad summit clearing.
Deer Leap is a group of open rock outcrops rather than a broad summit clearing. From the main ledge, Lake George and Black Mountain fill the view. For a photo, keep a little of the rock shelf in the foreground with the lake and far ridge behind it. The cliff edge is exposed, so stay back while you take in the view.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Lake George
34 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
26 sightingsTimber RattlesnakeMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
22 sightingsOspreyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
60 sightingsLoonMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
33 sightingsPorcupineMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
84 sightingsGreat Blue HeronMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Lake George. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
