The Top 5 Tallest Mountains in New York Are All Located in the Adirondacks
The Adirondack Mountains are home to some of the tallest peaks in New York, including the top five tallest mountains in the state.
After a lengthy discussion of what mountain range had the higher peaks - The Adirondacks or the Catskills, the answer has become obvious. Included in the Adirondack Mountains is the "Adirondack High Peaks" - Which are 46 mountain peaks that were believed to be over 4,000 feet. Although the latest studies show four of those peaks don't actually hit the 4,000 feet mark (and one peak was skipped and should have been included in the list), that's still a lot of tall mountains right in our backyard.
Out of the 100 tallest mountains in New York, 75 of them are located in the Adirondacks.
Here is the list of the Top 5 Tallest Mountains in the state of New York:
1. Mount Marcy
New York's biggest mountain stands at 5,344 feet tall. The mountain is located in the town of Keene in Essex County (Just outside of Lake Placid).
2. Algonquin Peak
This is the other mountain in New York's 5,000 club (but it's not right next to Mount Marcy believe it or not). Algonquin Peak is 5,114 feet up, and is in North Elba (also in Essex County).
3. Mount Haystack
Even though it's the third tallest mountain, according to Summit Post it's believed to be the most challenging one to climb in New York. Mount Haystack got it's name because the shape of the peak and area around it resembles a haystack. The peak is 4,960 feet up. This mountain is located in the town of Keene, as well.
4. Mount Skylight
Also located in Essex County (right next to Mount Marcy), is Mount Skylight standing at 4,926 feet. If you were to climb Mount Marcy you would get the perfect view of this peak.
5. Whiteface Mountain
Probably the most well-known mountain in New York (at least in Central New York), is Whiteface, about ten miles away from Lake Placid. It stands 4,867 feet tall. You can drive almost all the way to the top of the mountain - The last 300 feet up, you can get in an elevator and take that to the summit. Once at the summit, on a clear day you can see more of the Adirondacks, Vermont, and Canada.
Even though these peaks are the highest in New York, they don't compare to the tallest mountain in the United States - Which is also the tallest mountain in North America. Mount McKinley in Alaska stands at 20,320 feet.