Mount Gilligan

Region: Essex County, Adirondacks

June 12, 2022 | Elizabethtown, NY

The background: I was staying nearby and looking for a short but sweet hike in the afternoon. We had just completed Allen the day before, but were still eager to move our legs while also honoring our recovery day! I had heard of this hike and knew it was about a mile or so to the summit, so we decided to drive over and check it out. We didn’t see any other hikers in our hour and a half there - mission accomplished as it was peaceful and pleasant!

Getting there: from I-87, take exit 30 towards Keene Valley. Turn left onto US 9N and drive for a little over 5 miles until you see Scriver Road on your right. Turn into the lot (on the right.) You’ll be picking up the trail on your left before the house.

Important note: If you are driving from the north, you will see a sign for Gilligan Road on the left a bit before Scriver Road. Although intuition might say otherwise, this is not the parking area for the trail. There are signs posted communicating for you to keep going a mile or so to Scriver Road to pick up the hiking trail.

You will not have cell service and your car should make it fine in 3 season weather to the lot from the main road - I am not sure if the lot is plowed in winter.

For reference: it’s about a 45 minute drive from Lake Placid, and 55 minutes from the Village of Lake George.

The hike: 2.2 miles out and back; elevation gain ~ 600 ft. Don’t let the mileage fool you- it’s moderately steep in some sections!

An ideal day and what you can pair this hike with:

Nearby options: Baxter Mountain, Hurricane (Fire Tower) Mountain, Bald Peak, Owls Head Lookout. End the day with a (large) bite and a beverage at the recently reopened Baxter Mountain Tavern. (Just be sure to check their hours ahead of time since you will have minimal service in this area of the park!)