Scott and Wallface ponds

  • 1002 Adirondack Loj Rd, Lake Placid

Facilities

Lean-tos, Tent Sites, Waterfront Sites, Wooded Sites

Hike Features

Ponds / Lakes

A deep backcountry trip to two scenic ponds in the shadow of MacNaughton and Wallface Mountains.

How to get there

From the intersection of state Route 73 and Route 86 in Lake Placid ,follow Route 73 toward Keene. Turn right on Adirondack Loj Road and follow it the end, where there are several large parking lots.Hiking

By the numbers

  • 13 miles, 2150 feet of elevation gain round trip
  • High point 3,160 feet

Hiking

From the large parking area, walk back to the booth and cross the road to access the trail to Indian Pass. The well-used trail crosses several boardwalks and climbs moderately over rolling hills. With the High Peaks on both sides of you, you are definitely in a deep pass.

The path eventually passes Scott Lean-to and enters Scott Clearing, where there are fantastic views of Indian Pass and the massive cliffs of Wallface.

From Scott Clearing cross Indian Pass Brook. From here the climb is much more aggressive, and it becomes steep at times. In roughly 1.5 miles you will come to the old dam at the site of Scott Pond, which is more of a brook running through a grassy field. It's very scenic here, with Lost Pond Peak rising high above. Past this, the trail is a bit wetter and seemingly less-maintained. Pay attention to where you're going!

Continuing on, the trail reaches Wallface Pond in another 1.3 miles or so. The climb continues and is less steep, but it can be a bit wet. The views across the pond are fantastic, especially with MacNaughton rising high above.

Camping

There's a lean-to in Scott Clearing and a tent site on the shore of Wallface Pond.

Snowshoeing

Information is the same as above. This trail doesn't see much use past the intersection for Street and Nye in the winter, so prepare to break trail, especially once you turn from the Indian Pass trail and head towards the ponds.