Sunset Hike on Stewart Mountain || Loon Lake, NY

 Hike: Stewart Mountain near Loon Lake, NY
Distance: Less than 1 mile round trip, out and back trail, 200 feet of elevation gain
Details: This is a very quick & easy hike in the Adirondack mountains, very close to Loon Lake, NY. It was a perfect after-dinner walk for us and we enjoyed watching the sunset from up top. The short distance makes it ideal for sunset, because we didn't have far to walk back in the dark!

The entire trail was well-marked with the classic yellow NY trail markers. 

There was a great information sign at the top to let us know just what we were looking at!

Perfect spot for a beautiful view of the sunrise - and we had it all to ourselves!

Parking: The parking for the trail is right along White School House Road. There is a small area to park that fits about half a dozen cars. However, we only saw one other car in the lot.

Trail Conditions: There were a few rocky parts and a decent climb for such a short hike, but definitely doable for anyone in half-decent shape.

Final Thoughts: This is a super quick hike that boasts beautiful views. Our suggestion would be to go at sunset, but any time of day would be nice. This hike is also part of the Chester Challenge, a series of eight family-friendly hikes in Chester County, NY. Mike & I have completed three of the hikes and hope to go back and finish the challenge next summer!

Vanderbilt Mansion NHS || Hyde Park, NY

The Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site is located in a small town outside of NYC called Hyde Park. It was about a twenty minute detour on our way home from the Adirondaks this summer so we decided to check it out! My husband & I enjoy visiting NPS sites as we can while traveling because we always find we learn something new at these places. Admission to the grounds is free and there are guided tours of the mansion for $10/person, but they were actually free with our annual parks pass! 

The tour took about an hour and explored three different floors of the home. The mansion is one of the oldest estates on the Hudson River and was completed after in 1899. It was owned originally by Frederick William Vanderbilt, son to the famous businessman, William Vanderbilt. The property includes many buildings and a formal garden as well.

We loved the formal gardens and fountains - they were a beautiful site and all but empty!

All together we spent about two and a half hours at the mansion, which was a perfect amount of time to take a tour, see the grounds, and browse the museum. If you're looking for a nice getaway outside of New York, be sure to add the Vanderbilt Mansion as a stop!

Hurricane Mountain Hike || Adirondacks, NY

Hike: Hurricane Mountain Northern Approach Trail near Keene, NY

Distance: 6.6 miles round trip, out-and-back trail, 1,600ft of elevation gain

While vacationing in the Adirondacks with my family, my husband and I decided to do a longer day hike in the high peaks region. Hurricane Mountain came as a suggestion from a good friend, so we decided to try this shorter peak out and we loved it!

We chose the northern trail, which starts at a parking lot off of Otoole Road. We followed well-marked blue blazes for the first three miles of the trail. The first mile of the trail was very easy, had a creek crossing and was mostly flat. The second and third miles had a steady climb, but neither of us felt it was too bad. The trail wove through groves of aspen trees and was really beautiful.

Every intersection was well-marked and we had no trouble finding our way up the mountain. 

At the top of a large hill, we reached the three-mile mark. There is a red path (the southern approach) that intersects and took us the rest of the way to the summit. At this point in the trail we came up over the treeline and had incredible views of the high peaks. I should note that we hardly saw any other hikers up until this point - I'm fairly certain more people opt for the red trail/southern approach.

One of the main reasons we chose this hike is because of the open fire tower at the top! We climbed up the five flights of stairs and were greeted with incredible views. 

It was a good spot for a lunch break too!

After enjoying the views we went back down the mountain on the same trail. 

Many of the trails in the Adirondacks have registers at the trail heads. In the morning, we signed our names, contact information, our destination, and how many days we would be out (as backpacking is allowed in the area), and when we returned we "checked out" by putting a check-mark near our name. The obvious reason for this is safety - if we didn't return in a few hours someone would hopefully begin to look for us. But in addition, this helps rangers know how many people are using the trails and the effect it has on them.

Mike & I both agreed that we loved this hike and would list it among our favorite Adirondack hikes. It is enough of a workout to make you feel like you earned the views, and the fire tower at the top is super neat! For more information on getting there, parking and other reviews, check out Alltrails.com.