Cobble Hill

Looking for a great family hike up in the Adirondacks? Take a look into Cobble Hill right off of Mirror Lake in Lake Placid. This is a perfect hike for those with younger kids and want to expose them to hiking.

Cobble Hill has a little bit of everything all packed into the short distance. The trailhead is located on the edge of the Northwoods School so the best place to park is right inside the new entrance of the school off Mirror Lake Dr. After about .2 miles in, the trail splits and you get to pick what rout you'd like to take. Go straight for the short (.4) but steep open rock scrambling route or go left for the longer (1.1 mile) routes that takes you by Echo Lake and winds up to the summit.

Short Route: after the intersection the route gets steeper until you come to the open rock section of the hike. There is a rope you can use to help pull yourself up the bottom part if needed. As you climb up on your hands and knees be sure to turn around and take in the view of Lake Placid and Mirror Lake. Proceed to the top and there is a second viewing area that looks over some of the high peaks region.

Longer Route: after the intersection the route stays flat for a while and can be wet in some areas. You walk along the shores of Echo Lake before the trail steepen a little. This is where my 2.5 year old niece decided she didn't want to walk anymore so my father and I had to carry her on our shoulders the rest of the way. When you reach the top the view overlooks some of the high peaks region. Note: if you want to get the view of Mirror Lake you need to continue the loop onto the trail for the shorter route.

I suggest bringing a camping hammock with you if you have one. There are some great places to set it up and relax at the top of the long and short routes.