Mount Jo- A 2.1 Mile (3.4 km) Hike in the Adirondacks

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Mount Jo was the first mountain we ever hiked up in the Adirondacks. We visited the Adirondacks for the first time five years ago, and we’ve been coming back ever since!

Mount Jo is a great starter mountain, if there is such a thing, because it’s steep and rocky enough to be somewhat challenging. But, the trail to the summit is short enough that most people can reach it in about an hour. The trail is a bit reminiscent of the Luskville Falls Trail in Gatineau Park.

For our five year wedding anniversary, we decided to bring things full circle. We decided to get family photos done on the summit of Mount Jo! So on the first day of our vacation, I headed out on a little solo hike to make sure we knew exactly how long it would take us to get to the top and meet our photographer.

The trail to Mount Jo is open year round, and dogs are allowed.

Getting There

The trail for Mount Jo starts near the Adirondack Loj. It’s just fifteen minutes south of the centre of Lake Placid. You can use these coordinates to get there: 44.181507, -73.965016. The last few miles of road before the Loj are in rough shape, so keep an eye out for potholes.

The parking lot at the Loj is massive- there are actually five of them. Despite this, they fill up very quickly. More than one mountain has its trailhead here, so it’s a good idea to show up early to make sure you get a spot. When I got there just after 7 a.m. the lots were nearly full.

There was a little restaurant and gift shop in the area, and you can camp there too.

Parking cost $12 US for the day. Driving until the road ended, I arrived at a little toll booth and paid the attendant working there. There isn’t staff at the booth 24/7, so if it’s closed when you arrive you can put your cash in a little envelope and slide it through the slot on the right side of the booth. You can also go into the gift shop and use credit or debit to buy a parking pass if you don’t have cash (but they close at 5 p.m. on weekdays!).

The Trailhead

The Trailhead for Mount Jo started right across from the tollbooth. So after parking and getting organized, I headed back to where I had driven in. Just beside the trailhead there were a couple of portapotties (just in case!).

A sign at the beginning of the trail leading into the forest announced that this was the right way for Mount Jo, the Heart Lake Loop, Rocky Falls, and Indian Pass.

The trail started out really flat, and was quite maintained. In this section, it would be easy to walk side by side. I had walked only a short while when I reached a split in this maintained trail. To my left was the Adirondack Loj (where I had parked), and to the right were the trails I was headed towards.

I walked past the Adirondack Loj Nature Museum. They had lots of plaques posted with information about plants and trees in the area.

Then, I reached the trail split for Mount Jo after hiking just under .2 miles (0.3 Km.). There was a sign at the split directing me into the forest on my right. I headed in that direction.

Trail Register

Quickly, I came upon a trail map, and the trail register where I stopped to sign in.

The trail immediately became rockier and covered with roots, but wasn’t too bad starting out. Soon, the forest floor began to fall away on my left hand side, and rise above me on my right.

So far, I hadn’t seen any trail markers. But at the .3 mile mark, I saw a numbered post. These continued as I hiked along, but I only noticed them reach #4, so I’m not actually sure if they’re supposed to coincide with the interpretive guide put together by the Adirondack Mountain Club.

Looped Trail

I reached a decision point at 0.37 miles (0.6 Km.). Mount Jo can be hiked as an out and back hike, or as a loop. Here the trail split to form the loop. There was a sign letting me know that the “long way” was to my left, and the “short way” was to my right. I knew that I was going to hike the trail as a loop. I decided to take the short way up, for more of a challenge. Turning to my right, I continued.

I began to see a few unofficial looking trail markers as I hiked along. There weren’t enough of them for me to actually follow though.

Rocks and More Rocks

I traversed a little creek running down the mountain side, then crossed back over it once more. The trail continued to get rockier and rockier. Despite the lack of trail markers, it wasn’t too hard to follow because in most spots there was only one way up, and in others you could still see where the dirt between the rocks had been worn down.

At the half mile mark, I found myself just continuously climbing over big rocks. There were a few sets of rock stairs built in, and I found myself taking big, quad burning steps up the mountainside. There was definitely some huffing and puffing happening.

In a few spots, arrows had been spray painted onto the rock to help keep me moving in the right direction.

Trail Split to the Summit

I had hiked 0.76 miles (1.2 Kms.) when I came to another split in the trail. There was a sign here, letting me know that the summit was to my right, and the long way back to the Loj was to my left. Of course, I headed right.

The trail flattened out a bit on the way to the summit, which was a nice little break. The trail was covered with roots, and I soon began to cross short footbridges where the trail was quite muddy. I’m certain that this section of trail gets really wet in the spring.

Next, I found myself beneath a set of wooden stairs designed to help me traverse what would otherwise be a really tough scramble over huge boulders. Stepping up these, I found myself on top of a huge rock face. The trees had fallen away, and the view opened up immediately. This was the first view I had gotten, and it was stunning.

False Summit

I could have easily mistaken that spot for the summit, if there wasn’t a little sign in the trees behind me showing that the summit was still ahead of me. I followed the arrows on the sign, taking a few steps through the trees, and exiting onto another big open rock face- the true summit. The view from here was just as stunning.

According to my GPS, I had traveled only 0.9 miles (1.4 Kms.). It had taken me just over 40 minutes to get up to the summit. I had been moving fairly quickly the whole time, and I had stopped to take photos, but hadn’t taken any real breaks on the way up.

I spent a bit of time looking for a summit sign or survey marker, but there was none. After a few more pictures, I headed back.

The Long Way Home

Returning the way I had come for a bit, I decided to take the long way back. At the split for the short versus long way, I continued straight down.

The long way back ended up being fairly nondescript. It was much less rocky than the shorter trail, but had a lot more roots criss-crossing the path. Although coming up this way would still be a bit steep, I could see that it would be much less challenging than the shorter trail.

There was one short section that felt really choppy, with a combination of bigger rocks, roots, and small rocks and pebbles that had come down the mountain with the spring run off.

For a section of the trail, there was a massive rock face protruding above me on my left hand side.

Before returning to the trail split that formed the loop, the trail began to flatten out and return to more of a dirt path (although there were still lots of roots and rocks to be had!).

Trail Thoughts

I wasn’t very early starting out on the trail (7:30 a.m.), but I still managed to have the summit all to myself. There were a few people who had signed in before me on the register, but I only saw a handful of people on the trail, on my way down. I don’t think this is a common occurrence though. Mount Jo is one of the more popular hikes in the area, so I think I just got lucky!

The trail looked a little rough in a lot of places. It’s clear that a lot of people have been out on it. In a lot of spots the trail had widened considerably, from people taking the easy route, instead of the actual intended trail. Seeing the trail in this condition was a really good reminder of how important it is to Leave No Trace. Staying on the trail is just one way we can help make sure the natural environment remains as we found it.

By the time I made it back to the trailhead, having completed the entire loop, I had hiked 2.1 miles (3.36 Kms.). I had covered that distance in 1 hour and 34 minutes. Mount Jo was a lovely little solo hike for a Sunday morning. And it was just as great revisiting it later with my family for pictures. On that hike, we walked out in the dark! It was our first night hike!

If you’re new to hiking in the Adirondack region, this little mountain is a great example of what the area has to offer- challenges and great views in equal measure.

I hope this trip report has enough info to get you there too. Let me know in the comments, or share and tag a friend to start planning your next adventure!

Map and Elevation Gain

Whenever I’m hiking somewhere new, I tend to wonder about who was on, and who took care of that land before me. I’ve enjoyed using this website as a place to start learning more about the indigenous people whose land I’m on: Native-land.ca.

Gear I Brought

• Hiking Boots
• Wool Socks
• Warm Leggings
• Base Layer
• Long Sleeve Top
• Mountain Warehouse Day Pack
• Nalgene 32 Ounce Bottle
• Headlamp
• Map
• Compass
• Bear Bell
• SOL 2-Person Emergency Bivvy
• First Aid Kit with Tick Removal Tool