Region
Highlights
- Wright Peak is in the High Peaks of the Adirondack Park of New York and the northernmost peak in the MacIntyre Range.
- Known to have one of the windiest summits in the park.
- The usual approach to Wright Peak is from the Adirondak Loj up the Van Hovenberg Trail to the steep MacIntyre Range Trail to the junction for Algonquin Peak; a left turn takes the climber up the last few hundred feet of elevation through the alpine zone.
- Wright is often hiked in conjunction with Algonquin and sometimes Iroquois Peak by pursuers of the ADK 46ers challenge. Many of these pursuers search for B 47 bomber wreckage and the bronze plaque just north of the summit, which memorializes the four airmen who lost their lives in the crash.
- Backcountry skiing is popular on Wright Peak.
- There are long slides from the summit that lead to Marcy Dam and are often skied in winter.
- Also, the Wright Peak Ski Trail, cut by the CCC in the 1930s, descends the northeast side of the peak in a series of switchbacks.
Routes
76 summits • 10.8 mi • 4,177 ft gain • 7 hr 54 min
28 summits • 10.6 mi • 4,373 ft gain • 8 hr 52 min
3 summits • 10.6 mi • 4,127 ft gain • 11 hr 22 min
3 summits • 7.9 mi • 2,528 ft gain • 6 hr 54 min
2 summits • 11.0 mi • 4,126 ft gain • 6 hr 54 min
2 summits • 7.6 mi • 2,534 ft gain • 6 hr 2 min
2 summits • 8.4 mi • 5,589 ft gain • 6 hr 6 min
1 summit • 15.5 mi • 4,514 ft gain • 9 hr 16 min
1 summit • 13.5 mi • 5,092 ft gain • 6 hr 39 min
1 summit • 8.4 mi • 2,333 ft gain • 6 hr 22 min
Latest summits
"Great views.. Long hike. We were not able to do Iroquis. We ran out of time And water Rookie mistake but looking forward to summitting Algonquan again 2nd highest peak and great views!!" — JohnD315 • Jul 15, 2023
"Our first ADK peaks! It was a foggy day. Temperature was perfect although a little windy on the summits. Some of the slides were difficult and we didn’t know what to expect. It had rained the days previous so there was a constant stream running down the slide going up Wright and Algonquin " — Anurseandapainter • Jun 21, 2023
"Wyndham’s first Adirondack High Peaks experience and 9/46 for Jen. Our first High Peaks since October ‘21. We had a busy ‘22 with wedding planning and welcoming Wyndham, and it was nice to be back. Wyndham and I were bit up quite well by black flies and mosquitoes even with repellent, leaving us with bloody red spots, you wouldn’t know it with his smile though and not saying a peep in his pack. Seeing Wyndham enjoy nature brings a smile to my heart. We enjoyed a blue bird day and not a cloud in the sky, great job Jen and Wyndham. 💪🏻⛰️💙" — scottturner • May 28, 2023
"Tom and I left the LOJ lot at 7:26 am @ 27 degrees and a breezy light snow. Originally planned on Algonquin and Iraquoi but with 50+mph winds predicted we decided to make it a short day of Wright only. Trails were broke out good for snowshoes except where blown in. By the time we reached the junction of Algonquin and Wright the winds were considerable so we suited up to head for the summit. Upon leaving the safety of the tree line it was apparent that the summit was going to b a challenge. The winds were brutal and with the blowing snow we could barely see from cairn to cairn. Immediately upon reaching the summit we were hit by a gust that knocked us both down...a first for me! A hasty retreat followed. Summited at 9:15 and returned to cat at 12:30. A crazy but memorable day!
." — garyogden • Jan 28, 2023
"Moderate to difficult climb in great weather. Algonquin easily the most difficult with multiple steep slides and a few false summits. Boundary and Iroquois are moderate via the herd trail, the toughest part being re-summiting Algo. Wright peak was moderate as it is very steep at the top. Great 360 views from all peaks. Finished in 4 hours 52 minutes. Recommend taking your time as it can be exhausting." — markfilliter • May 29, 2022
"An easy paced hike of Algonquin with Dianne, her husband Mike and Ed. Dianne needed the peak for her 46R challenge but unfortunately as we entered the exposed top she lost mental game and bailed on summiting. While she and her husband ate lunch Ed and I headed for the summit. We ran into two friends who were returning from doing an out and back of the whole range. While chatting Diane and Mike showed up, she had rallied and was now game for the top…woo Hoo! Quick chat with the steward and a group photo then it was time to head back to the Loj for happy hour. At the jct with the Wright Peak side trail I couldn’t resist running up to the windier summit with no view again do to low cloud cover. Quick chat with the steward then try to catch to my three companions." — Nimblefoot • Oct 9, 2021
"Hiked this to try and see the solar eclipse, hiked for sunrise. It was absolutely freezing. We stayed the night at the Loj with Matt, Heather, Pat, and Willow, and Kayleigh. " — juliepike • Jun 10, 2021
"Just before we climbed the last ledge before hiking up the rock slab. The wind sounded like a train. We slowly made it to the top. The wind chill was unbelievable cold. No views due to snow and wind." — Ridgehiker • Dec 22, 2020
"One of the busiest days in the High Peaks on record - hundreds of people on the trails from the Loj. Parking at Adirondack Loj full; parking >2 miles from trailhead. Hiked straight up to Algonquin, over Boundary Peak to Iroquois, then back over Algonquin and down+up to Wright. Beautiful day for a hike; peak foliage and high winds on the summits. " — hunterjfrost • Sep 26, 2020
"Loop hike out of the ADK Loj through Avalanche pass and back via the Algonquin trail tagging the last three peaks of Tom’s 46r quest. On top of Iroquois the low cloud bank cleared giving us great views which we enjoyed for the rest of the day. There was some wInd, quite gusty at times, giving Tom and Kathryn a good taste of mountain weather and a new perspective of extreme conditions. At least half the folks attempting Wright failed, got turned back at tree line, do to the strong gusts. Donated an Ex-Officio sun shirt to Iroquois when the main compartment of my pack got unzipped and it blew out in the ~40 mph gusts. " — Nimblefoot • Sep 7, 2020