Region
Highlights
- The Thomas Mountain Trail follows a forest road and ends at a lookout with views of the Lake George south and central basins and the southwestern Adirondacks.
- Bikes can be used on the trails.
- The Cat and Thomas Mountain Preserve protects the waters of Edgecomb Pond, which is the source of drinking water for Bolton Landing.
- Many hikers continue on from Thomas Mountain to Cat Mountain.
Routes
24 climbs • 13.3 mi • 1,504 ft gain • 4 hr 17 min
5 climbs • 8.6 mi • 1,512 ft gain • 5 hr 24 min
Latest climbs

"A Lisa and Roger day finishing up on the Lake George 12ster with a loop hike of Cat and Thomas being the goal for the day, A cloudy and muggy day for our climb though the trails were rocky and wet to the summits from previous rains through the week, Amazing views from the west side of the lake looking towards the east, south and west of the summits made for a great day in the mountains doing what we love" — ramjet1963 • Jul 14, 2023

"I went to Thomas first, then took the yellow trail to Cat, then closed the loop back to the parking lot on the blue trail. What yourself coming down Thomas to Cat - leaves on top of pine needles on top of dry dirt makes for a slippery descent! Absolutely stunning hike and well maintained trail - just keep your eyes open for the markers and junctions and you'll be OK. My mileage said 8+" — stacydedring • Oct 23, 2022

"A 6.6 mile loop beginning & ending at the Valley Woods Rd. Trailhead. I chose to do the
loop clockwise crossing Peaks 1843 & 1900 first before ending with Thomas. It took exactly
3 hours to complete." — billsussdorff • Aug 12, 2022

"Anne, Black and I left the trailhead at 8am under partly cloudy skies , a light breeze @ 68 degrees. Trail to summit was loose rock and dry to the top. The trail info said bikes allowed. I can't imagine riding a bike on it. Summited at 9am. Views of Lake George and the southern high peaks were decent. A few bugs but nothing bad. Returned to car at 10am." — garyogden • Jul 14, 2022

"Cat Mountain + Thomas Mountain
December 23rd, 2018
Cat Mountain
9:30a We started at 8am this morning, I was hungry and tired when I woke up and did most of this hike with a headache. The plan is to do this as well as Thomas Mountain today. This will be my longest hike to date at over 6 miles. Francis and Eli walk extremely fast up the mountain and it is hard to keep up with them. I am also way to nice to ask them to slow down. This came back to bite me in the butt since just a few seconds ago I stopped sat down on a rock and began feeling like I was gonna puke. I tried stopping myself but when Francis and Eli asked if I was having a heart attack I had to talk and tell them that I felt like I was gonna puke. Sure enough the talking made me throw up the only two things I had in my stomach. A banana and water.
9:41a We just made it to the top. Francis and Eli are off taking pictures and pointing out mountains and I am still recovering. We took a non-supported train up so we actually ended up walking up the side of a cliff to get here. It was a nice view but at the same time, a very hard climb. The top is amazing and I can see the Pinnacle from here.
10:26a On the way u..." — devenmosher24 • Dec 23, 2018

"A nice chilly winter day to loop hike Cat & Thomas Mountains. Cat was in the cloud so the view was hit and miss, but by the time we made it to Thomas the sun had broken through and it was beautiful." — Right-On • Feb 3, 2018

"Climbed Cat Mountain first, then took the Yellow Trail (Richard Hayes Phillips Trail) to Thomas. Some short steep icy sections on the Yellow Trail, traction is definitely helpful. We had to assist a couple coming up one section by giving them some rope to hang onto - they just didn't have the traction to make it up without extra handholds. Disappointed that the cabin has been removed from the summit, but it was being destroyed - better to take it down than to have someone burn it down by accident. It was a beautiful day to be out! " — PJSelmer • Jan 20, 2018

"Found today with my friends Paul, Shane and Kayla. Not satisfied with just finding the cabin, we circled the yellow trail around the mountain and bushwhacked to the true summit. A great view, although I hear they’re going to be removing the cabin soon." — MarkEarle67 • Dec 2, 2017

"First of two mountains today and the first in the Lake George 12ster challenge. Great views from the cabin, and a viewpoint near the summit. The actual summit was in the woods." — RangersApprentice • Dec 2, 2017

"Headed down on a long drive to hit Cat & Thomas as part of the LG12. Not a bad day for early December, a few clouds, but still great views, and temperatures were above freezing. Loved the cabin at the top, but sad to recently discover that the DEC plan to remove it. Great little peak and not overly difficult at all. 1/12 in the LG 12ster and 18/26 in the Junior peaks challenge." — HikingViking • Dec 2, 2017