Region
Highlights
- Cascade Mountain is an ADK 46er in the Adirondack High Peaks region of Adirondack Park.
- Its name comes from a series of waterfalls on a brook near the mountain's base.
- Of the 46 Adirondack High Peaks, Cascade is the most accessible and the most frequently climbed.
- The main trailhead is on Route 73, 6 miles east of Lake Placid, at Cascade Pass, overlooking Cascade Lake.
- The summit is visible from the trailhead, a rare occurrence in the High Peaks.
- The mountain's bare-rock summit resembles the alpine summits found on many higher peaks but instead is the result of a 1903 fire.
- Porter Mountain, another of the ADK 46ers, is an easy side-trip that is usually climbed in the same outing.
Routes
154 summits • 5.8 mi • 2,292 ft gain • 4 hr 53 min
9 summits • 6.1 mi • 2,392 ft gain • 5 hr 21 min
6 summits • 7.6 mi • 1,708 ft gain • 4 hr 4 min
2 summits • 4.6 mi • 1,857 ft gain • 4 hr 36 min
1 summit • 5.0 mi • 1,867 ft gain • 4 hr 6 min
1 summit • 5.1 mi • 1,886 ft gain • 4 hr 29 min
1 summit • 6.6 mi • 2,363 ft gain • 5 hr 26 min
1 summit • 8.5 mi • 2,249 ft gain • 6 hr 17 min
Latest summits
"After a longer than anticipated hiatus, our crew dusted off the gear and set the plan to re-hike Cascade and Porter for “winter” credit do blow out the cob webs. It was pleasant to not have to awaken at 2a.m. for a change. Leaving Glenville around 6a.m. we made the run up to Warrensburg where our #3 would take over driving, undoubtably armed with his homemade breakfast sandwich’s, a tradition I’m most grateful for! He did not disappoint. Geared up, we hit the trail about 8:30 a.m. Temps were comfortably in the mid 30’s with partially overcast skies. With the less than my lifetime average snow pack for this time of year, shoes were not necessary mostly below 2k feet due to snow pack <8”, in fact it was more like 4-6” rotten hardpack ice. Due to anticipated warming throughout the day and likely deeper snow above, the shoes came along for the ride. Conditions reflected mostly common sense behavior, folks had packed out the trail surface nicely with shoes back during the last few storms. Only minor left over potholes where folks had stepped off trail. The entire tread was indestructible the whole way. It’s always been sad to me this area enforces snow shoe requirements regardless of wh..." — davelaurenty • Feb 9, 2024
"Lars and Jeff made it to the summit. I stayed back with Victoria at the treeline. Hike start time 10:12am on 7/7/23. Summited at approximately 12:00PM. Heavy rain and thunder at summit. Downpour and thunder on descent. Trail very muddy and wet. Hike finish 2:00PM" — catearonson • Jul 7, 2023
"Beautiful day and a great hike. Started my 46 with Cascade and Porter. If you do these 2, do Porter first. No real view but needed it done. Cascade is amazing. Windy but 360 degree views of the Adirondacks " — Meiners • Jun 22, 2023
"After leaving the summit of Porter we were off to Cascade. The forcast called for 20mph gust on the summit. It was easily twice that! So windchills were brutal on the summit. Took some pics and made a hasty retreat back into the tree line where I met an elderly hiker. This fine gentleman was 82 years young!! We talked for a while. It was his 13th summit of Cadcade! He was a real inspiration!! Returned to car at 11:40. Trail conditions were perfect. Snowshoes door to door." — garyogden • Dec 21, 2022
"A failed attempt to climb Little Porter ( because of a trail closure) turned into summiting Porter & Cascade. Not a bad consolation prize. Out and back mileage was 8.1 miles from RT. 73 & took 4 hrs. & 50 min. to complete.
" — billsussdorff • Oct 20, 2022
"Back again to the mountains we went, chilly morning, bright sun, and snow! ❤️☀️❄️
Porter Mountain and Cascade Mountain
Pretty easy hike up two high peaks, lots and lots of mud! The snow and ice melted off the trees feeling like rain, it was beautiful, and a fun day in the mountains.
40 high peaks left to hike for my ADK 46er challenge! ❤️🥾🏔" — Littlefoot • Sep 24, 2022
"Priceless! Spending first day of holidays hiking on some old friends with inspired to be a 46er Corny Connie in Lake Placid climbing 46er Cascade 4098ft and Porter 4059ft Mountains with a reluctant throw in, Baxter Mountain @2440ft. Great day in the mountains with inspired friends doing what we love" — ramjet1963 • Jul 16, 2022
"The final mountain on our traverse from Blueberry with Nancy on a windy sunny day. 1 mile from Porter. Yellow painted blazes up open faced rocky top. Met people on this section of trail. " — lfrancois • May 26, 2022
"Molly and I reached Lake Placid yesterday. The plan was to join a group for a long hike tomorrow, so we decided to do something short today. Molly had yet to hike these peaks. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't going to cooperate, giving us low cloud cover. We headed up and tagged Porter first in the hopes the cloud cover would lift on Cascade. This did not happen and we hit the summit of Cascade in the clouds. It was windy there as well. So we came off the mountain quickly. A +2 gain for my winter 46. 6.2 miles." — newenglandwarrior • Dec 28, 2021
"Planned on doing a traverse over Pitchoff (W to E) but realized halfway through that I left my keys in my friend's car. So, we looped back after hitting the summit, stopped at Balanced Boulders on the ascent, which provided great views and was a wide-open rock face, It was a bit windy on some climbs and the summits. We needed spikes for a part of it, but overall great sunny weather and not too difficult of a hike, a few technical scrambles. After getting back to the car, we decided to continue to Cascade Mountain. Muddy for the first half, icy on the second half so spikes were needed. Summit was beautiful as always, but extremely windy. Overall, 9-10 miles in 6 hours between the two peaks. " — gregoryskiba • Dec 17, 2021