A waterfall in the High Peaks Wilderness Area

Whether you're a seasoned hiker whose daily mileage can easily hit double digits, or a beginner backpacker looking for a mellow one-night trip in the backcountry, the Northville-Placid Trail is the perfect option. From the northern trailhead in Lake Placid, one of the first features thru-hikers reach on their way to Northville is Wanika Falls! This cascade can make for a great day hike or beginner backpacking trip.

To Wanika Falls!

This hike not only brings you into the backcountry, but back in history too. In 2024, the Northville-Placid Trail (NPT) turns 100, and you don’t have to thru hike the entire trail to be a part of the story. By the numbers, a hike to Wanika Falls will be about 14 miles with 1,400 feet of elevation gain round-trip. 

At the parking area, you’ll enter the woods, listening to the Chubb River babbling to your right, and quickly reach a register marking the NPT. From the register, the trail starts a steady and gradual ascent, leveling out after a half mile and continuing up and over some shorter hilly sections. At a little over 2 miles into the trip, you’ll reach a half mile long spruce swamp, which can be a little wet at times. Many of the spruce have toppled, but the remaining lumber high above guard the unique wetland ecosystems surrounding this spot. 

The trail then meanders over a brook on a beautiful wooden bridge at 3.3 miles and links up with an old tote road at 3.7 mi. Here, it bears left and begins climbing to an old beaver pond on the right at 4.1 miles, where you might have some views of Street Mountain, a popular 46er hike. 

The trail remains quite flat, crossing a handful of brooks before descending slightly to a bridge over the Chubb at 6.1 miles. From here, it’s a bit over a half mile to the left turn for Wanika Falls at 6.7 miles. Turning left, the trail to the falls climbs steeply to a crossing of the Chubb River just above a small falls. The actual Wanika Falls are about 100 yards from here.

Camping

If 14 miles in one day is too much, consider a 1 night backpacking trip! It turns this difficult day hike into an enjoyable 2-day trip. The fall has a designated primitive camping site nearby (across the water by the Camp Here disc), and if lean-tos are more your speed, hiking an extra 1.5 miles past the turn off for Wanika Falls will get you to Moose Pond lean-to. If you plan to camp, because you’re in the High Peaks Wilderness Area, a bear can is a must—for your safety and that of the bear! 

Celebrate the Northville-Placid Trail’s 100th anniversary by visiting NPT100 to check out interactive and educational events happening along the trail and in the communities it connects!