Frequently Asked Questions

The Northville-Placid trail is 133 miles from the original starting point in Northville to the original ending point in Lake Placid.  However, to allow for modern realities and to avoid walking on busy highways, many hikers now hike from the Godfrey Road Parking area (in Upper Benson) to the Chubb River bridge (in Lake Placid) for a total of 121.1 miles.  The Schenectady Chapter of the ADK also recognizes these 'modern' end points for purposes of handing out their end-to-end patches.
 

Some people do!  And I guess the good thing about doing so is that your pack gets progressively lighter as the days go on and you eat your food.  However, most hikers prefer "mail drops".  Mail drops involve mailing your food, and other supplies, to pre-designated areas along the trail.  You can mail your supplies to a United States Post Office within the towns along the trail (such as Piseco, Blue Mountain or Long Lake), or you can try to mail them to other spots such as certain outfitters along the way.  I am lucky enough to have two amazing parents who live close to the trail and enjoy road trips. . . so I do what I call "mom drops", which basically means that one of my parents will meet me at a pre-designated spot along the trail with supplies.  For the Northville Placid trail I find that 2 drops are usually good. 
 

Bears are a concern throughout the Adirondacks, including along the Northville-Placid trail where a bear has been spotted on each of my two hikes.  However, the well prepared and careful hiker will have very little to worry about.   Make sure you know how to properly hang your food at night and make sure you do not sleep with any food in your tent or lean-to.  You may even want to consider products such as the Ursack or Bearvault for food protection.  Keep in mind that your food supply is what keeps you going out there - and bears are not the only animals who will be happy to steal your meal.  Losing it may not be life threatening, but it certainly threatens the completion and enjoyment of your hike - plus it is bad for the animal - so please secure your food while on the trail.
 

Gear is largely a personal decision and will differ from hiker to hiker, but with that being said here are basics that you will find on almost everyone thru-hiking the Northville-Placid.  A backpack, a hiking stove, water purification system, a light source such as a headlamp, food, extra clothing, rainwear, sleeping gear and footwear.

I also bring some "luxury" items with me ranging from books to hiking poles to camp sandals.  I personally choose the lightest gear I possibly can with only minor exceptions for comfort.
 

This is also largely a personal decision.  I "thought" I was in decent shape for my first thru-hike and found out quickly that I was not.  For this second thru-hike I went a bit overboard and found myself jogging 3 to 4 times a week and weight lifting 2 to 3 times a week, for several months in advance.  I can tell you that overtraining is much much better than undertraining.

By and large the Northville-Placid is a fairly "flat" trail with no hard summit ascents, but you will be carrying a full pack for 10 to 17 miles a day.  So with that being said, most people who are avid hikers will have no problem with this hike from a physical conditioning point of view, and doing a few warm up hikes (with full pack) before setting off should be good enough.  For someone who is not in hiking shape, I recommend a combination of cardio work such as jogging or treadmilling along with a few challenging warm up hikes.  Anything to get your body used to carrying a full pack and walking 10 miles with it.
 

The trail can be hiked anytime, including winter (with proper gear and experience of course) - but I have only hiked it in late August, primarily to take advantage of the long Labor Day weekend.  This is toward the end of summer, but it offers the advantage of avoiding the heart of bug season.  If you plan on swimming along the trail, which I highly suggest you do, ya might enjoy a little bit of an earlier start - as I find some of the waters to be downright chilly in August.  I have also heard that hiking the trail in Fall is quite amazing with the foliage turning colors.
 

This is a good question.  One that I am not qualified to answer.  I suggest that you email the Schenectady Chapter of the ADK and see if there are volunteer trail maintenance opportunities, or if there are any Lean-to's that are up for "adoption". 

Aside from this, one great way to support the trail is to simply hike it... making sure you leave it cleaner than you find it.  Pack out any garbage you find along the way.  You can also help support some of the local businesses in the towns along the way.
 

I have only hiked the trail from South to North, from Northville to Placid, as the name suggests.  This is the most popular way of doing it but either way would give you a good experience.  I personally enjoy ending the hike in Lake Placid and then taking some time to enjoy that area.