Porter Mountain
Porter Mountain is a peak in the Adirondacks of New York. It is 4,059 feet (1,237 meters) tall and is the 38th highest Adirondack High Peak. The mountain is in the town of Keene, Essex County, and is named after Noah Porter, a Yale University president who climbed it in 1875 with guide Ed Phelps. It used to be called West Mountain.
How to hike it
- The common trail starts on Route 73, about 6.8 miles from Keene center (4.5 miles from the Adirondack Loj road). It goes to a junction with a trail to Cascade Mountain. To reach Porter Mountain, turn right, descend to a col, then climb to the summit. One-way distance is about 2.8 miles with about 1,960 feet of elevation gain. A longer 4.3-mile trail is being built from the Mount Van Hoevenberg trailhead and, as of 2025, is still under construction.
- A second option starts at the Marcy Airfield along the yellow Ridge Trail. Beginning at the overflow Garden Parking Lot on Route 73, the route goes past Marcy Airfield and over Blueberry Mountain before reaching Porter Mountain. One-way distance is about 4.4 miles with about 3,275 feet of elevation gain.
- A third trail from the Garden Parking Lot has been closed since 2019.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 20:50 (CET).