Pitchoff Mountain and Balanced Rocks Hike
The Pitchoff Mountain Trail to Balanced Rocks at Adirondack Park near North Elba, New York is a difficult 3.1-mile out-and-back hike that leads to the beautiful vista point at Balanced Rocks with views that peer into the High Peaks Wilderness.
Trail names: Pitchoff Mountain Trail, Balanced Rocks Trail
Location: Route 73, Sentinel Range Wilderness Area, Keene, NY
Permitted uses: Hiking, Nature Study
Prohibited uses: No motorized equipment
Hours: There are no posted hours.
Fees and Parking: There is no fee to park or use the trails. Parking is very limited but there are three lots near the trailhead, less than a quarter of a mile. We parked in the lot closest to the start of the trail and there was only room for about 4 vehicles. If you park in another lot, use extreme caution while walking on Route 73. Route 73 is heavy with traffic, both fast moving vehicles as well as cyclist training and there is not a sidewalk and a very narrow shoulder.
Pets: Dogs are allowed on a leash.
Accessibility: This hike was not wheelchair accessible.
Hiker amenities: There were two gender neutral portable toilets at the parking lot we parked at. There is no water or trash bins. Carry out what you carry in.
Length and Trail information: CAUTION! The trailhead is diagonal and across from the parking area and is poorly marked. The sign for the entrance to the trail is small and in desperate need of repair. When crossing Route 73, use extreme caution. Traffic can be very dangerous here. The steps leading from Route 73 to the trailhead are in disrepair as well and caution is needed to get up the steps safely. Once you get up the steps and into the woods, there is an information kiosk with a posted map and a hikers registration book. If there is room in the registration book you are encouraged to register as you enter and exit this area.
This hike was done as an out and back hike and is approximately 3.15 miles long. It is a very hard hike with numerous steep ascents and descents. There is a lot of rock scrambling and a very rocky rooted substrate that can be muddy and slippery. The trail is supposed to have red trail blazes, but we also saw yellow ones.
Our goal for this hike was to reach the Balanced Rocks located at about 3000 feet and check out the views. Along the way we were able to see from above both the Upper and Lower Cascade Lakes in the valley below. Before reaching the Balanced Rocks, we came upon an area along the trail with some good sized boulders oddly situated on a wide rocky ledge. I mistook these relatively “small” rocks as THE Balanced Rocks, but that was not the case. The actual Rocks are a bit further down the trail through some low growing trees. Once we cleared the trees we found a massively large exposed rocky plaza with VERY large boulders curiously perched near the edge. The 360 degree views from this plaza are beyond my ability to describe, as I find terms like “breathtaking” and “awe inspiring” insufficient for what we experienced.The plaza is very interesting to explore but be careful while walking around as there are large deep fissures in the rock bed. While we were there we were able to hear, observe and identify a Boreal Chickadee living in the low growing trees around the rocky plaza. After spending some time enjoying the tremendous views of the surrounding landscape and grand vistas, we made our way back to the trail and headed down the steep descent to finish our day of hiking.
