Street and Nye Mountains

  • Adirondak Loj Rd, Lake Placid
  • info@lakeplacid.com

Hike Features

Summit

Street and Nye mountains are almost always climbed together on the same trip by those who are working to complete the Adirondack 46. And they are seldom visited by people who are not working on their 46, likely because the "views" (when found) are not as striking as from other High Peaks. Both peaks are summited by following herd paths; no official trails lead to their summits. Today we know that Nye is not technically over 4,000 feet, but it was originally surveyed to be so, so it remains a 46er.

Street is named for Alfred Billings Street, a NYS law librarian and author of the book The Indian Pass. Nye is named for William B. Nye, a guide from North Elba who famously carried Matilda across the Hitch-Up-Matilda ford on Avalanche Lake.

How to get there

Leave Lake Placid on Route 73, follow Route 73 toward Keene. Take the first right after the Olympic Ski Jumps, onto Adirondack Loj Road. Follow this to the end at Heart Lake. There is a fee ($10 as of 2013) for parking.

By the numbers

  • Elevation: 4,166 feet for Street, 3,895 feet for Nye
  • Elevation gain: around 2,000 feet
  • Distance: 8.4 miles, round trip, roughly
  • Street is High Peak #31 and Nye is High Peak #45
  • Follow Leave No Trace principles

Hiking

There is no true maintained trail to, or up, the mountain. Before embarking, please make sure you are comfortable navigating by map and compass.

This route starts out on the opposite side of the toll booth as the parking area. Initially it follows a gravel path to and along the shore of Heart Lake. Just after the trail register, turn right at the junction with signs for Old Nye Ski Trail and Mt. Jo via Rock Garden. Where the Rock Garden Trail up Mount Jo goes right, the path to Street and Nye goes straight. It is officially unmaintained at this point.

There is a precarious crossing of Indian Pass Brook that has no bridge; high water makes this very difficult and potentially dangerous, especially in winter. Be aware that the crossing at Indian Pass Brook can be dangerous. Water levels can rise quickly after rains and snowmelt. The hike follows through open hardwoods, crosses two other smaller brooks and then through an attractive valley to a height-of-land before starting an aggressive climb to the herd-path intersection for the two mountains.

At the intersection, Street is to the left and 0.6 miles from the intersection. Nye is to the right and 0.2 miles from the intersection. The herd-path to Street typically is very tight and has some deadfall to contend with. The grade is not too steep at any point and the forest opens up as you start the climb of Street from the col. Just over the summit, there is an opening with a decent view. Street is 4.0 miles from the Adirondack Loj.

To Nye Mountain from the intersection, the climb is moderate with a couple small steeper steps to get you to the wooded summit. There is a slight view off from the trail just below the summit, the only view from this peak.

Snowshoeing

It is often needed to break trail on this one if you plan to go within a couple days of a recent storm; it takes a bit longer for this mountain to get broken out than it does the trailed mountains. In a case like this, the herd path can be difficult to stay on so it takes a bit of care to remain on the correct course. As always, take care and bring a map and compass for extensive wilderness exploring. Be aware that the crossing at Indian Pass Brook can be dangerous. Water levels can rise quickly after rains and snowmelt.