Lake Colden via Marcy Dam and Avalanche Pass

High Peaks Wilderness, Adirondack Park (Adirondak Loj trailhead, Lake Placid)

Lake Colden sits at 2,764 feet at the western base of Mount Colden, with Algonquin Peak above it and Mount Marcy 2.8 miles to the east, according to Wikipedia. DEC keeps an Interior Outpost on its western shore, and the lake is ringed by lean-tos and campsites.

The usual way in from the north runs from the Adirondak Loj past Marcy Dam and through Avalanche Pass, a narrow gap that was closed for more than a year after landslides off Mount Colden.

The hike

The trail leaves the Adirondak Loj trailhead at Heart Lake and follows Marcy Brook to Marcy Dam, 2.3 miles in, according to Wikipedia. The dam itself is mostly gone: floodwater from Hurricane Irene damaged it in 2011, and DEC announced in 2014 that it would be removed. The area remains a busy camping hub, with trails leading from it to most of the High Peaks.

From Marcy Dam, Hiking Project’s route description describes a group of lean-tos along Marcy Brook before the climb into Avalanche Pass. Rock and mud slides from Mount Colden closed the pass in July 2025, and DEC reopened it on August 26, 2026, saying repair and reroute work across the pass will continue through 2027 and asking hikers to give crews space.

Beyond the pass is Avalanche Lake. Hiking Project calls the 2.1 miles along it the hardest part of the trip, with rock-hopping, climbing, and boardwalks; DEC’s release describes the “Hitch-Up Matildas,” narrow wooden platforms along the western shore that skirt the water and cling to a sheer rock face. Hiking Project warns that this stretch can be “very sketchy” when wet.

The trail then follows the shore of Lake Colden toward the Interior Outpost and the Opalescent River. Pure Adirondacks, in a guest post by Krysti Sabins, describes the trip as an out-and-back of about 12 to 14 miles round trip with little elevation gain, camping along Opalescent Brook. Some hikers loop around Lake Colden before heading back.

Hiking Project describes a longer through-trip that continues past Flowed Lands and down the Calamity Brook Trail to Upper Works, 11.8 miles in all. DEC now says the high-water bridge on that trail is out and the trail may be impassable in high water, so check before planning it. DEC also warns that the old Cold Brook Pass Trail is not maintained and that the Trap Dike on Mount Colden is a technical climb, not a hiking route.

For a longer High Peaks overnight from the other side, see Johns Brook Valley to Mount Marcy or the Indian Pass through-hike, which also starts at the Loj.

Tips

Carry a hard-sided bear canister. DEC requires one in the Eastern High Peaks from April 1 to November 30.
Plan for no campfire. Fires are banned in the Eastern High Peaks.
Give trail crews room in Avalanche Pass; DEC expects work through 2027.
Take Avalanche Lake slowly when wet. The walkways and rock can be slick.
Check DEC’s backcountry page for the Calamity Brook and Opalescent bridges before you go.

Camping

DEC’s High Peaks rules limit overnight groups to eight (day groups to 15), with no oversized-group permits. Camp in designated sites whenever possible; otherwise, at-large camping must be at least 150 feet from any road, trail, or water. No camping on summits, and DEC’s High Peaks page says none above 3,500 feet except at lean-tos. No campfires in the Eastern Zone, where bear canisters are required for all overnight campers (April 1 to November 30, per DEC’s bear page) and dogs must be leashed. Lean-tos are first come, first served and must be shared. ADK reported in October 2026 that three primitive sites at Marcy Dam had closed, leaving 15. DEC says the Avalanche Lake sites are closed.

Inside Intel: In Adirondack Life’s 2020 “Favorite Lean-tos” feature, Tony Goodwin of Keene picked the Beaver Point lean-to on Lake Colden for its “view of the lake, Algonquin Peak, Avalanche Pass and Mount Colden.” Pure Adirondacks’ writer pitched a tent along Opalescent Brook instead.

Trail facts

Distance: About 12 to 14 miles round trip (Pure Adirondacks); 11.8 miles one way as a through-trip to Upper Works (Hiking Project)
Route type: Out and back
Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous
Campsites: Marcy Dam (15 sites per ADK, plus lean-tos); Lake Colden lean-tos and sites; Avalanche Lake sites closed (DEC)
Water: Marcy Brook, Avalanche Lake, Lake Colden, Opalescent River; treat all water
Permits: None; overnight groups of eight or fewer
Bear and food storage: Bear-resistant canister required April 1 to November 30
Fires: Prohibited in the Eastern High Peaks
Dogs: Leashed at all times in the Eastern Zone
Trailhead: Adirondak Loj, Heart Lake, near Lake Placid
Last verified: October 11, 2026

The Lowdown

A tent pad below Avalanche Pass:

With the Avalanche Lake sites closed and the Lake Colden lean-tos shared first come, first served, a tent of your own is the safer plan. See the backpacking tents testers rate.

See the picks →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.