Mount Haystack

Mount Haystack is in the Great Range of the Adirondack High Peaks in the Adirondack Mountains of New York.
3rd highest peak in New York, after Mount Marcy and Algonquin Peak.
Named based on the resemblance of its rounded, conical peak to a haystack. Offers incredible views from its bare, alpine summit.
Not climbed by many outside of those pursuing the Adirondack 46ers challenge due to its remote position from the nearest trailhead and the steep and challenging approaches from either direction.
Most frequent approach if Haystack is the main goal is to follow the Johns Brook Trail from the popular Garden parking area in Keene Valley to the Phelps Trail and then use Shorey's Short Cut to get over to the Range Trail.
Possible to combine this with an attempt on Marcy itself, but that makes for a long day and the approach from Panther Gorge is even steeper than that from the north.
Some hikers come along the entire Great Range itself, making the peak their last stop before Marcy itself, or combine it with neighboring Basin and Saddleback. This is known as the "Great Range Traverse"
One of the most famous elements of Haystack is the infamous "Devil's Half Mile". This stretch, which is technically 3/4 of a mile, is the extremely steep last stretch of the trail. The reward is what many peak connoisseurs choose as the finest summit in the Adirondacks.
Haystack is consistently listed #1 on View Ratings for the Adirondacks.

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Latest summits

"Et voilà. En un peu plus de 2 ans après s'être donné l'objectif de compléter les 46 sommets, nous en venons à bout. Le plan étant de camper près du JBL et de faire Saddleback, Basin et Haystack pour devenir des 46ers. Heureusement que le JBL n'est pas trop loin, les sacs à dos de 50 lbs sur 30km n'auraient pas été les bienvenue! Tout à bien commencé et le moral était bon, malheureusement nous n'avions aucune vue sur Saddleback et Basin, tout était dans la brume. Nous avions espoir que le ciel s'éclaircirait en courant de journée, mais une fois arrivés sur Haystack aucune vue ne s'offrait encor" - PL5, Sep 9, 2017

"Deb and I finished up on Haystack today #46. Couldn't ask for better weather and such clear skies. We loved this hike and the entire 46er experience. Not our end, we will be up and down many of them a 2nd, 3rd or even 12th time in the future. Moving on to New Hampshire next, well after MacNaughton." - hbotc, Sep 2, 2017

"Solo. Haystack, Basin, Saddleback. Started out my day at around 0730, by pulling into the Garden parking area only to discover that I only had a 5 & a 20 in my wallet... And there was no attendant on duty. As the parking fee is currently $7, & I didn't want to find out what happens if you don't pay, I slipped my 20 dollar bill into the envelope with a note saying it was all I had. (Imagine my pleasant surprise when by the light of my head lamp 11.5hrs later I discovered my envelope taped to my driver's side door handle with $13 change & a "thank you" written on it! But I digress..) Despite tra" - kellieirene, Sep 28, 2016

"The Real Marcy’s Playground: A One Day Great Range Traverse From the inception of my days as a hiker, I’ve strived to get better—both in terms of my mental and physical well-being. For some reason, the former has been appeased by abusing the latter to the point of misery. What exactly do I mean by that? Insanity fuels my happiness. More specifically, hiking 25 miles with roughly 9400 feet of elevation gain in one day is my cup of tea. I had been eyeing a one day Great Range Traverse for a long time. I talked it up and talked it up to the point where it seemed as if it had already been d" - justinraphaelson, Sep 5, 2015

"After Marcy, I hiked Haystack. I really wanted to get some views into Panther Gorge. I sort of did, but was hoping for better. Looking off the backside of Haystack, it was incredible to just gaze further west into the ADK. Next was Basin. " - newenglandwarrior, Sep 4, 2015