Gray Peak, at 4,840 feet the seventh-highest of the Adirondack High Peaks, holds a distinction among the 46: it is the highest summit in the range without a maintained, marked trail. Surveyor Verplanck Colvin named it for botanist Asa Gray after making the first recorded ascent in September 1872. Gray sits just 0.6 miles southwest of Mount Marcy, and though it was initially considered too close to Marcy for the High Peaks list, it was ultimately included to preserve the name. Most visitors come specifically to advance their 46er count.
The standard approach follows a herd path from Lake Tear of the Clouds, the headwaters of the Hudson River, reached via the Elk Lake or Upper Works trailheads. The path begins at the lake's outlet, climbs over a ridge, and crosses into a valley before turning north to the summit ridge, striking it about 600 feet west of the top. The start of the herd path can be tricky to locate; on the way down, avoid descending the valley, which drops steeply to Feldspar Brook well below the lake. Many hikers link Gray with Marcy and Skylight in a single long loop from the Adirondack Loj, covering roughly 15 miles and 3,900 feet of gain.
The summit offers a partial view of Marcy, Skylight, and Colden. Navigation skills and a topographic map are essential given the absence of blazes. Late summer and autumn offer the firmest footing; spring snowmelt makes the approach terrain noticeably boggy.
