Parking
Start at the DEC Clay Meadow Trailhead Parking Area along NY 9N; use the designated lot.
Overview
About Fifth Peak Trail
Why go
- Lake and ridge views reward the climb.
- A lean-to and grassy clearing make a clear destination.
- An optional waterfall spur adds a short side trip.
Heads up
- Steep, rocky stretches and multiple stream crossings.
- Reported round-trip distances range from 5.6 to 6.8 miles.
Fifth Peak is a 5.6-mile round-trip out-and-back from the DEC Clay Meadow Trailhead to a lean-to and open viewpoint on Tongue Mountain. Detailed walking directions put it at 2.8 miles each way; other accounts place the same outing around 6 to 6.8 miles, so leave extra time if you have a fixed return. Expect more than 1,400 feet of climbing, with another estimate near 1,700 feet. Plan on five to six hours with stops. This is a moderate-to-hard half-day for hikers who want an uphill woodland walk and a Lake George payoff.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake George map
Full mapElevation358–1,745 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
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 Fifth Peak 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
Clay Meadows and Tongue Mountain0:00 / 0:27
“You're approaching Clay Meadows, the starting point for hikes onto Tongue Mountain.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake George Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Empty Skin Beside the Water
- Pole Hill Pond and Walnut Ridge
- The Loon’s Underwater Chase
- What Makes a Rattle Buzz
- 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 Fifth Peak Trail
Keep the turns straightStart at the trail register on blue blazes. The path drops to a stream crossing around 0.2 mile.
Start at the trail register on blue blazes. The path drops to a stream crossing around 0.2 mile. At 0.4 mile, stay straight onto the red Five Mile Point Trail. At about 2.0 miles, turn right onto the blue Tongue Mountain Range Trail; near 2.5, turn left onto the yellow Fifth Peak Lean-To Trail. The red trail continues toward Five Mile Point, so continuing on it past the blue junction takes you away from this outing. Junction mileages are approximate; watch for the blaze changes and signs.
Climb in steps, not one pushThe route has several climbs separated by flatter stretches, including a level patch around 1.
The route has several climbs separated by flatter stretches, including a level patch around 1.3 miles. The steeper parts are rocky and rooty, with multiple stream crossings. A short, unmarked path on the right leads to a waterfall; it is an optional detour and is not included in the route distance. Return to the marked trail to continue toward the blue junction.
Find the lean-to and the two viewsThe yellow spur ends near Fifth Peak's lean-to and a grassy clearing.
The yellow spur ends near Fifth Peak's lean-to and a grassy clearing. The shelter is a simple dark-wood lean-to, and the best outlooks are nearby. Just south of the shelter, Lake George appears through branches. The wider opening in the clearing to the east looks across Tongue Mountain's ridges and valleys toward Northwest Bay. For a photo, frame the distant water with branches or rock in the foreground so the lake does not flatten into a thin strip.
Take water and leave timeUse the DEC Clay Meadow Trailhead Parking Area on NY 9N.
Use the DEC Clay Meadow Trailhead Parking Area on NY 9N. No potable-water stop or food service is documented on the route, so bring what you need for a half-day out. Dogs are allowed under ordinary state-land rules; keep them under control and restrain them when other hikers approach. The wild forest is open for recreation year-round, but check current land-manager notices before setting out.
Give the ledges roomTimber rattlesnakes inhabit the sunny rocky ledges in this area.
Timber rattlesnakes inhabit the sunny rocky ledges in this area. Watch where you place your feet and hands, and give any snake room to move away. The climb, rocks and stream crossings call for more care than the mileage alone suggests.
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.
