Indian head in Adirondack Mountains is a very beautiful hike. One of the best to do especially when looking for amazing colors during the fall foliage. People can take the road to shorten the hike or they can also use the trails. I did both. It would take a lot more time to finish the hike if a person goes through the trails in the woods rather than using the road. So the difficulty of this hike depends on whether you want to take the road which is very easy or you want to take the forest trails. People can also go to Rainbow falls which is a waterfall which is beautiful during the Spring season.
Indian Head, Fish Hawk Cliffs And Rainbow Falls Important Information
Trail Map: Trail Map 1
Suggested Phone GPS Apps: Alltrails.com, Avenza Maps, Google Maps
Difficulty: Easy To Strenuous
Distance: 12 Miles
Elevation Gained: ~2000 ft
Portable Toilet At Parking: None
Trail Breakdown
Road Trail
Gil Brook Trail
Cross Over Trail To Indian Head Lookout
Trail To Fish Hawk Cliffs
Going Back To Indian Head Lookout
Short Trail Down To The Road Trail
Road Trail To Rainbow Falls
Road Trail Going Back To Parking Lot
Note: The information is just an approximation.
Parking
Start Of The Hike
For a very long time, I always go to bed early and wake up late but today was different. Today was leaf peeping season in the Adirondack Mountains and if I don’t park my car by 7AM, I will find myself without a parking space. I drove into St. Hubert’s parking lot and proceeded to get the last spot at around 7AM. I got out of my car, still sleepy, and started making breakfast at the parking lot. Nothing too fancy, just a pack of Korean noodles and some hard boiled eggs.
Road Trail
Wooden Gate
Road Trail
Road Trail
Water
Gil Brook Trail Intersection
Intersection. The sign that I was looking for telling me the start of the Gil Brook Trail.
Gil Brook Trail
Gil Brook Trail
Gil Brook Trail
Gil Brook Trail
There was no difference between the scenic trail and normal trail at all. The scenic trail leads to the river but the river was dry and there was really nothing to see.
Gil Brook Trail
The footpath had a slight ascent, it wasn’t hard and barely noticeable but I had been hiking for 4 days straight as such my body was not in perfect condition. Fatigue had already accumulated and it would take a few days rest to fully restore my body to its original form. I went upward sluggishly, thrusting my hiking sticks to the ground, hoping it would relieve some of the pressure from my legs.
Indian Head Cross Over Trail
The amount of dead leaves on the footpath was a lot more than usual as I felt my boots somewhat sinking with every step that I made. This was a clear sign that this trail was not very popular or very few hikers come here. Why would anyone go to a rough footpath when they can use the road to get to the viewpoint? Only crazy people like me would do this.
Indian Head Cross Over Trail
Dead logs and branches could be seen as I hiked the last ascent towards the Indian Head mountain. I was already dead tired at this point and to face such obstacles was taking a toll on the mind. I kept moving upwards knowing that the goal was very close and this was the last test that I had to endure in order to claim my prize which was a beautiful viewpoint.
North Outlook
Beautiful viewpoint my butt!!! There was nothing at the top and my disappointment could be seen on my face as I was shaking my head. I moved on, kept hiking, hoping the Indian Head lookout would be different. If it was also blocked by trees then I wasted my time coming here.
Indian Head Top Ledge
Indian Head Top Ledge Left View
Indian Head Top Ledge Back View
Indian Head Vista – Main Ledge
Indian Head Viewpoint – Main Ledge
Indian Head Lookout
Bottom Ledge View
Indian Head Bottom Ledge Lookout
Trail To Fish Hawk Cliffs
Fish Hawk Cliffs Outlook
Fish Hawk Cliffs Viewpoint
Intersection
Bridge
River
Dam
Trail To Waterfall
Trail To Waterfall
Rainbow Falls
Going Back Using The Road
End Of The Hike
