Region
Highlights
- Has amazing views along the ridgeline if one has time to do them. One really bad bump before the true summit
Routes
14 climbs • 6.2 mi • 2,013 ft gain • 6 hr 39 min
5 climbs • 7.7 mi • 2,408 ft gain • 6 hr 23 min
Latest climbs

"A very hot day! When you reach the cairn and think you are done only to realize you are looking at the summit and have a ways to go 😅 Saw my first moose up on the mountain too what a treat" — andrewbearjustin • May 13, 2022

"Tom, Black and I left the trailhead at 9:56am under cloudy skies @ 28 degrees. Trail covered in a light fresh snow. Wore micros spikes to the summit. Trail was frozen and in good shape with some icy spots. Wind around 30mph along the Ridgeline. Trail was hard to locate at times with deep drifts in places. Low cloud cover prevented seeing the tops of the surrounding high peaks. Returned to car at 3:10pm. 7.3 miles in 5hrs 24 minutes. My first hike since April 28th." — garyogden • Dec 10, 2021

"This was a somewhat iffy weather day. The sky was overcast with rolling clouds over the big mountains. As we crested the ridge lineI could see a flat level plain of cloud cover over the high peaks. I kept watching for it to blow over as we scrambled along the ridge. There was once very sketchy and snowy stretch to climb before what we thought was the summit. However, once we got up there we could see people in the distance sitting on the true summit. We made the trek over but the views are good in either spot. This was about 8 miles round trip. Overall didn't beat me up too bad. I can feel my climbing muscles starting to come back. Foot was a little sore for a few days after, but overall not bad. Would love to do this again in the fall, and maybe just go to the false summit someday in winter conditions." — bethmorgan • May 16, 2020

"Took a bunch of friends from our Hiking club to one of my favourite peaks in the Adirondacks. Jay Mountain is an absolute gem of a peak. A good challenge is spots, numerous "peaks" before the true summit, and gorgeous views the whole way. " — HikingViking • Oct 19, 2019

"We orphaned Jay Central and Main peaks back in April due to conditions. Today we headed back down to the Adirondacks to try again and see the beautiful Autumn colours. The views did not disappoint. Third time on the Lookout and Western, Second time on Central and Jay Mtn main summit." — HikingViking • Oct 13, 2018

"“Bump 4,” hahahaha. Solo, 29er finish!!
I usually avoid hiking on weekends as it is a major pain, but I wanted to finish this list since I hit #28 on Bald Peak yesterday. I read trip reports that a new trail had been cut ~6 years ago, and there were only 5 parking spots at the trailhead. With that in mind, I got up early to try to snag one of those spots, which I did. In fact, at 730am, I was the only damned person there. The log book for this trail needs to be replaced. It has way too many pages, and it seems as though each page has 1-2 people logged on it in different months (& also years!) what a mess. In terms of weather, it was ~50 degrees and fairly clear out. PERFECT.
Wow, wow, wow! What a great hike. This trail is fantastic. In fact, it is so fantastic, that I actually jogged it on my way out with no issues. Flat, steady, well-maintained, long switchbacks, no BS. Just wonderful! I took a quick peak out on Jay Lookout then continued on, and quickly noticed a lack of trail markers. When I got the ridges, I kept thinking of all the whiners on AllTrails claiming how criminal it was that there aren’t paint marks on the rocks or cairns. Welllllllll. It’s kind of dumb to ex..." — kellieirene • Sep 8, 2018

"Wasn't happening Today. The trail was covered in ice and snow and couldn't be located (Herdpath). Also, there was so much melting slushy snow and ice on the open rock, it was too dangerous even with microspikes. Crampons and an Ice Axe may have helped, but we thought it was best to leave this for another day. Been here once before anyway, and the views from the other nearby peaks, were simply stunning." — HikingViking • Apr 21, 2018

"Beautiful day for hiking in the Adirondacks Today, Jay had been on our radar for quite some time, and given the fact it had a 1.5 mile ridge, we thought it best to saved for a clear day. The views certainly did not disappoint. The climb itself was tougher than we first thought. Not overly difficult, but long, and some tricky steep sections to negotiate. The mountain itself has 3 prominent peaks. After hitting a ledge at the end of the marked trail, we headed down and took a left (right if you don't climb up to the ledge). From here it's all cairns and herdpaths along the ridge line. Jay West Peak (Jay Mtn on the map) is what you hit first before moving down and along the rest of the ridge. The next prominent feature, is the Grassy Notch. We saw many people up here, and spoke to some who actually thought the Grassy Notch was the actual summit of Jay. The actual summit of Jay is further along yet. Heading down the steep eastern side of the Grassy notch, we headed up to Jay's true summit. A long tough hike, but, given the absolutely amazing views, very much worth every ounce of effort." — HikingViking • May 27, 2017

"Up, down, up, down, up, down... This was quite a long and challenging hike! But definitely worth it. Some of the best views in the Adirondacks thanks to the 1.5 miles of open ridge. " — RangersApprentice • May 27, 2017

"DEC's new reroute is much better than the old & the almost constant views of the High Peaks from the summit ridge is
second to none. Didn't wear a hat & sunburned my head pretty good...doh!!" — billsussdorff • Jun 22, 2016