Tongue Mountain Range Trail

The Tongue Mountain Range Trail is a hard, one-way ridge traverse across the long peninsula between Lake George and Northwest Bay. It starts at the Deer Leap access on NY 9N and follows the ridgeline south to Montcalm Point, where it meets the Northwest Bay Trail. The official figure is about 10.8 miles one way; signs and GPS measurements vary by about a mile, so treat it as a full-day outing rather than a precise pace target. There is no reliable published completion time. Budget 8 to 10 hours as a planning estimate for the distance, repeated climbs and rocky footing.

Cross NY 9N from the Deer Leap parking area to the signed trail entrance. The path climbs through woods, with a junction for the short Deer Leap spur around 0.6 mile. Stay on the through-route. Brown Mountain opens onto a view around mile 1.7; farther on, cairns mark open rock around mile 2.4, and the Five Mile lean-to is near mile 2.6. Fivemile Mountain's summit comes at roughly 3.5 miles. This first half is mostly a forest walk with occasional openings, so the scenery builds gradually.

At about mile 5, the Five Mile Point Trail junction offers exits toward Clay Meadows or the lake shore. Keep to the through-route for Montcalm. A quarter-mile side spur near mile 5.6 reaches the Fifth Peak lean-to; it is an optional out-and-back, not part of the mapped line. Beyond the central saddle the trail becomes rougher, with more open rock, steeper ups and downs, and more frequent views. The path can be harder to pick out where it leaves a ledge and re-enters the trees, so keep track of the blue markers and your map.

Fifth Peak gives an early broad look across Lake George; French Point opens onto the narrow channels and islands of the Narrows. The route continues over exposed slabs and ledges toward First Peak and the Point of Tongue before dropping to Montcalm. From the established openings at French Point, leave some rock in the foreground with the water and islands beyond it; that shows how the ridge sits above the lake. Keep back from unprotected edges while stopping.

This ridge is dry, and no dependable water source is established along the traverse. Carry what you need from the start. The Five Mile lean-to is on the route; the Fifth Peak lean-to requires the short spur. Neither should be treated as a water stop. Timber rattlesnakes live in the range and are especially associated with sunny rocky ledges. Give any snake room and leave it undisturbed. Dogs are allowed; keep them under control and leash them when other visitors approach.

Montcalm Point has no road access, so a car left at Deer Leap cannot collect you there. Arrange a boat pickup, reverse the route, or plan the additional walk on the Northwest Bay Trail and connecting paths to a road-accessible trailhead. Decide this before starting; the shoreline junction is an endpoint, not a normal roadside pickup.