Northville-Placid Trail: Long Lake to Lake Placid

High Peaks Wilderness, Adirondack Park (Long Lake to Averyville Road, Lake Placid)

The northern end of the Northville-Placid Trail leaves the shore of Long Lake and crosses the western High Peaks Wilderness to Lake Placid. Wikipedia describes the NPT crossing the wilderness from its southeastern corner at Long Lake, and the lakeplacid.com tourism site counts more than a dozen lean-tos on this stretch, plus designated tent sites.

It also carries some history: the old camp of Noah John Rondeau near the Cold River, and the breached dam at Duck Hole.

The hike

EMS’s Go East guide puts Long Lake at NPT mile 100.38, Shattuck Clearing at 112.87, Duck Hole at 124.71, and Lake Placid at 138.36, about 38 miles. The lakeplacid.com site says about 36. Treeline Review’s Kate Riley notes the trail touches Long Lake about 1.5 miles from the village, and nptrail.org lists a 0.7-mile road walk on Tarbell Road.

The first miles follow Long Lake’s shore past several lean-tos. EMS lists Kelly Point #1 and #2, Rodney Point #1 and #2, and Plumley #1 and #2, and says the lake is busy on weekends. It also notes a beaver reroute and some private property near Rodney Point.

Beyond Shattuck Clearing, the trail follows the Cold River. EMS describes views of the Santanoni Range, Millers Falls, and two strong suspension bridges; Treeline calls the river section dry but brushy. ADK’s Albany Chapter mentions Noah John Rondeau’s old camp and “Town Hall” near the Cold River, and Treeline points to the Rondeau Hermitage site.

The trail then passes the Seward and Ouluska lean-tos. DEC says the bridge over Ouluska Brook has collapsed into the brook and is passable only at low water, and that the Seward Brook crossing near the Ouluska Lean-to can be difficult in high water.

At Duck Hole, Treeline describes a wooden and stone dam built in 1915 and partially breached in August 2011, with remnants visible from the campsite. DEC lists the Cold River crossing at Duck Hole as a high-water hazard. North of Duck Hole, EMS mentions the Moose Pond Lean-to and the spur to Wanika Falls near the end, and calls the High Peaks terrain rugged, with blowdowns.

The trail ends at the Averyville Road trailhead, which lakeplacid.com says is where most hikers now start or finish. Treeline notes that hikers may also walk 1.8 miles to the Lake Placid Station to sign the finisher’s register, on a road with limited shoulders and fast traffic.

The middle of the trail is covered in Piseco to Lake Durant. From Duck Hole, a trail leads south toward Upper Works and the Indian Pass through-hike.

Tips

Carry a bear canister. Sources disagree on whether it’s required here; DEC requires one in the Eastern High Peaks.
Check water levels before the Ouluska, Seward, and Cold River crossings.
Resupply in Long Lake, about 1.5 miles off-trail (Treeline); ADK lists its post office for mail drops.
Expect blowdowns in the High Peaks miles (EMS).
Use caution on the road walk to Lake Placid Station.

Camping

No permit is needed for the NPT. DEC’s High Peaks rules limit overnight groups to eight and say to camp in designated sites whenever possible, otherwise at least 150 feet from roads, trails, and water, and not above 3,500 feet except at lean-tos. Lean-tos must be shared. Bear canisters are required for overnight camping in the Eastern High Peaks from April 1 to November 30, and campfires are banned there; EMS says canisters are required from Long Lake to Lake Placid, while Treeline says NPT hikers aren’t currently required to carry them. Carry one either way.

EMS lists these lean-tos: Kelly Point, Rodney Point, and Plumley (two each), Cold River #1 through #4, Seward, Ouluska, Duck Hole, and Moose Pond.

Inside Intel: Kevin Ravas, writing for Pure Adirondacks about a June 2015 thru-hike, said “my favorite spot was at Cold River Lean-to #3.” EMS’s guide calls Plumley #1 and #2 highly rated for their view of Long Lake and Cold River #3 and #4 excellent for views of the bridge and river. Treeline’s Kate Riley liked the lakefront Kelly Point lean-tos and tenting above the Duck Hole dam.

Trail facts

Distance: About 36 to 38 miles (sources vary)
Route type: Point to point
Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous
Campsites: Kelly Point, Rodney Point, Plumley, Cold River #1-4, Seward, Ouluska, Duck Hole, and Moose Pond lean-tos; tent sites
Water: Long Lake, Cold River, streams; filter all water
Permits: None; overnight groups of eight or fewer in the High Peaks Wilderness
Bear and food storage: Canister strongly advised (sources disagree on whether required)
Trailheads: NPT trailhead near Long Lake (south) and Averyville Road, Lake Placid (north)
Last verified: October 11, 2026

The Lowdown

High water at Ouluska Brook and Duck Hole:

DEC flags the Ouluska, Seward, and Cold River crossings in high water, and the trail has wet ground. Our comparison weighs the Arc'teryx Beta SL against two cheaper shells.

Read the comparison →

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.