Drive 43 miles, 1.0 hours to Ampersand Mountain trailhead
The Five Star Trail hiking book rates Ampersand Mountain 5 stars for scenery, and 4 stars for difficulty. 5.2 miles roundtrip, 4 hours of hiking time.
Try this 5.40 mile, out and back trail near Tupper Lake, New York. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 3 h 22 min to complete. This is a very popular area for hiking and snowshoeing, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring.
This hike is not one of the 46's but at 3352', Ampersand is a fun and challenging hike with great views from the top. There is some steep, tough areas with rocky faces and some bouldering but it is well worth it. Depending on the time of year, microspikes/crampons may be required.
Ampersand Mountain's open summit provides breathtaking 360-degree views, but you'll have to work for it. The first half of the trail is fairly easy, but once it starts going up it's relentlessly steep until the top. Give yourself plenty of time to complete this hike, especially if you aren't an avid hiker.
Distance: 2.7 miles to the summit
Elevation: 3,353 feet
Elevation Gain: 1,775 feet
Hiking From the parking area, carefully cross Route 3 to get to the trailhead. The path descends slightly to a brook crossing before starting an easy hike that gently rolls up and down through a mature forest. At 0.8 mile there is a long boardwalk across a wet section; soon after that the trail begins a slow ascent, then it gets steeper as it approaches the location of the old fire observer’s cabin, on the right at 1.7 miles — rubble is all that remains of the building. Past the cabin site, the grade increases and eventually becomes very steep as it reaches a stone staircase, which was built to alleviate the heavy erosion caused by water runoff and heavy foot traffic. The trail remains rocky from this point on. Take note that footing can be slippery along this stretch, especially during wet weather. The path reaches a ridge and levels out at 2.4 miles, and soon after that it enters a spectacular section with enormous, jumbled boulders the size of small houses. Take a few minutes to explore the narrow passageways here, then swing right to climb over open rock to the summit at 2.7 miles. Drive 13 miles, 0.25 hrs to Floodwood Lakes Loop The Five Star Trail hiking book rates Floodwood Lake Loop 4 stars for scenery, and 2 stars for difficulty. 8.5 miles loop, 4 hours of hiking time. Discover this 8.60 mile, loop trail near Lake Clear, New York. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 3 h 43 min to complete. This trail is great for cross-country skiing, hiking, and paddle sports. The trail is open year-round, but the best times to visit are March through November. Floodwood Lake Loop is a great rainy day hike! This trail passes and runs along several lakes in the Saranac Lake Wild Forest that most people normally get access to using canoes and kayaks. Though the trail itself rarely goes directly next to the water, there are a half dozen or so canoe carries and access sites that will get you to the shores of the ponds and waterways. The woods and wetlands that it passes through are quite diverse and very lush, so look out for mushrooms and fungi along with the typical flora and fauna of the area! For the most part, it is definitely one that is good for those seeking a bit of solitude on a busy weekend. The Little Square Pond Trail (red markers) leaves the Floodwood Road and passes through the woods for about 0.75 of a mile until it reaches Floodwood Pond. Take the canoe carry (yellow markers) to the right a few hundred feet until it reaches the beach for a quick view of the pond. Get back on the trail and follow it through the woods along Floodwood Pond. You'll get a couple of views of the lake, but the trail itself never really goes onto the shore unless you bushwhack 100 feet or so. After passing though a campsite at the south end of the lake, you'll head left (follow the trail markers) and to the east a bit. A couple hundred feet after this, there will be a trail that shoots off to the right and heads down to a bridge that crosses a stream. It's worth stopping and taking a look at the fish and other wildlife that might be in the water. Go back up to the main trail and follow it through the woods and along the water for about 2 miles until you reach a canoe carry that connects Fish Creek with Follensby Clear Pond. You could continue on the Little Square Pond Trail all the way to Fish Creek Pond Campground to connect with the second half of the hike, but the canoe carry will save you a bit of rambling through the woods. Cut across on the canoe carry and take a look at Follensby Clear Pond when it meets the beach/launch area. Loons can often be heard on the islands out on the lake. From here you'll be following the Horseshoe Pond Trail (blue marker) back north to Floodwood Pond Road. The Horseshoe Pond Trail is significantly more overgrown and less-well maintained than the Red Trail, but there are markers roughly every 100-200 feet, so it's hard to get too lost. The trail will curve around Horseshoe Pond and follow a peninsula that just out into it. Parts of this area were particularly lush with thick, green moss carpets and some boggier areas. The trail will eventually curve back around Horseshoe Pond (with some views of the water along the way), and will get to a stream connecting Horseshoe and Little Polliwog Ponds. There is an old, decrepit wooden bridge that crosses the stream/swamp here. Be very careful when crossing it (it's not high off the ground, but quite slippery), and try to step off and onto the ground as soon as you won't get your shoes wet. From here, it's just under 2 miles until you get back to Floodwood Road. Take advantage of the canoe carries crossing the tail to get access and views of Little Polliwog Pond, Polliwog Pond, and Middle Pond along the way. Some minor bushwhacking will also give you views of some smaller, unnamed ponds. Once the trail reaches the road, take it west for a mile along the north shore of Middle Pond and return to you car. Drive 53 miles, 1.25 hrs to Elizabethtown
All Trails description of Floodwoood Lake Loop
