The Northville-Placid Trail: An Adirondack Hiking Challenge
The Northville-Placid Trail, or NPT - also known as the Northville-Lake Placid Trail - is about 136 miles long and runs from Waterfront Park in Northville to the corner of Averyville Road and Old Military Road in Lake Placid. Since 1970, an award patch has been offered to those who complete the entire trail as a thru-hike or by section.
The NPT Trail: An Almost-Hidden Gem in the ADK
This trail has been called one of the most interesting and least-known features of the Adirondack region. Development of the NPT began in 1922 by the Adirondack Mountain Club, a newer organization at the time, with the trail completed around 1923/1924.
Since then, it's undergone several reroutes, most notably between 2013 and 2016, when a large stretch of road walking near Northville was replaced with new woods trail. Today, the NPT is maintained by the Northville-Lake Placid Trail Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club along with the DEC. It's primarily used for hiking, backpacking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.
The NPT runs through some of the most remote areas of the Adirondack Park, making its way through forests and up hills, around rivers and ponds; a few sections will also bring you to road walks in Piseco, Wakely Dam, and Long Lake. The scenery changes constantly as you make your way along the NPT, and traversing this trail is a wonderful way to experience the beauty of nature and the Adirondacks.
Planning Your Trip: What Hikers & Backpackers Need to Know
For a hiker in moderately good condition, the degree of ascent on the NPT is never too difficult. However, all hikers and backpackers need to be aware that the trail travels through some of the most remote areas of the Adirondacks, and you should be properly prepared with food, water, and supplies.
Give yourself plenty of time to complete a particular section of the trail or reach your next rest stop on a thru-hike. It's estimated that if you're thru-hiking the trail, it should take 10-14 days to travel from Northville to Lake Placid, or vice versa. Traveling from south to north is most common, and the Northville-Placid Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club's directions are written for this route.
Trail Sections
The NPT features multiple trailheads and parking areas, and there are blue DEC trail markers along its entire length. There are 10 trail sections - all distances are approximate, as several sections were re-measured following the 2013 to 2016 routes:
- Section 1. Northville to Benson - 12.3 miles
- Section 2. Benson to Whitehouse - 21.5 - 21.8 miles
- Section 3. Whitehouse to Piseco - 8.4 - 9.2 miles
- Section 4. Piseco to West Canada Lakes - 15 - 17.6 miles
- Section 5. West Canada Lakes to Wakely Dam - 16.2 - 16.7 miles
- Section 6. Wakely Dam to Lake Durant - 12.2 - 12.3 miles
- Section 7. Lake Durant to Long Lake - 13.9 - 14 miles
- Section 8. Long Lake to Shattuck Clearing - 12.5 miles
- Section 9. Shattuck Clearing to Duck Hole - 11.6 - 11.8 miles
- Section 10. Duck Hole to Lake Placid - 13.7 miles
Stops Along the Trail
Although much of the trail travels through wilderness, you will pass by local communities during the trip. Stock up on supplies at stores, or have some delivered to a post office (Piseco, Blue Mountain Lake, and Long Lake), which you can pick up as you pass through. Note that camping is permitted at undeveloped sites on state land.
Getting There & Shuttle Services
The NPT is a point-to-point trail, not a loop, so getting back to your starting vehicle can be a challenge. You'll need to arrange a drop off at one end and pickup at the other, or will otherwise need to plan ahead for these logistics.
APoint Shuttle Service, based in Queensbury, specializes in just this sort of transportation for hikers and other outdoor recreationists. Trips are custom-quoted depending on your route and group size. In fact, they can even assist with gear transport with backpacks, food resupply jobs, or other equipment.
Are You Up for a Hiking Challenge?
An award patch has been offered since 1970 to those who complete the NPT hiking challenge. Here are the rules:
- You may complete the trail as one end-to-end trip, or by section
- If completing the trail in sections, all sections must be finished within 12 months to qualify
- Obey all NY State DEC rules - regulations are slightly different in various sections of the Adirondack Park
- Use proper trail etiquette - "Leave-No-Trace"
- Know your limits and weather conditions
Once a hiker has finished this challenge, they can apply for the award patch by completing a "Record of Trip."
This hiking challenge is open to both Adirondack Mountain Club members and non-members, and you can complete it at your own pace.
Find More Resources on the NPT
See more info and firsthand experiences on hiking the NTP:
