New York trails · Elk Lake To Dix Mountain Trail
Elk Lake To Dix Mountain Trail
A 6.1-mile out-and-back in New York, with 2,794 ft of climbing. Reaches Dix Mountain and other lake/summit destinations. Managed by the state.
Elevation profile
Most of the climbing sits in the final third — 78% of the ascent, between mile 4.1 and mile 6.1.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Dix Mountain (summit)
- Beck-horn (summit)
- Dix Pond (lake)
- Elk Lake (lake)
Heads up
Getting there
Elk Lake To Marcy Trail access — parking nearby, restroom. 44.02077, -73.82791 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 5:47 a.m., the sun rises at 6:17 a.m. and sets at 7:33 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 8:03 p.m. (EDT) — 13 h 16 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 12.3-mile round trip takes roughly 7 h 20 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 1:37 p.m. — 5 h 56 min before sunset.
Loop options
- Hunters Pass Trail + Elk Lake To Dix Mountain Trail — 4.4 mi loop, 409 ft gain
- Hunters Pass Trail + Beckhorn Trail + Elk Lake To Dix Mountain Trail — 11.6 mi loop, 3,296 ft gain
- Elk Lake To Dix Mountain Trail + Dix Mountain Via Hunters Pass + Hough-Dix Trail — 12.9 mi loop, 4,284 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Elk Lake To Marcy Trail — 0.0 mi
- Pinnacle Ridge Trail — 4.2 mi
- Pinnacle Trail — 4.5 mi
- Allen Mountain Trail — 6.5 mi