Mount Haystack rises to 4,960 feet as the third-highest peak in New York, occupying a commanding position in the Great Range of the Adirondack High Peaks. The name dates to 1849, when guide Orson Schofield Phelps led the first recorded ascent and noted the mountain's resemblance to a haystack; Phelps later cut the first trail to the summit in 1873. Above treeline, the rocky alpine summit opens to sweeping views of nearby Mount Marcy and the deep cleft of Panther Gorge.
The most popular approach begins at the Garden parking area in Keene Valley and follows the Johns Brook Trail past the DEC Interior Outpost and Johns Brook Lodge before joining the State Range Trail. The route covers about 9.3 miles one way with significant elevation gain. The final push to the summit involves a relentlessly steep stretch known as the Devil's Half Mile, requiring careful footwork on open rock. A shorter but more demanding southern approach starts from the Ausable Club at Upper Ausable Lake, climbing 3,070 feet over just 3.5 miles on steep, rough terrain; this route is not suitable for those carrying heavy packs.
Haystack is frequently combined with neighboring High Peaks including Basin, Saddleback, and Marcy, or incorporated into a full Great Range traverse. The exposed summit makes it vulnerable to afternoon thunderstorms in summer, and snow can persist on north-facing slopes well into spring.
