Pilot Knob Mountain is the peak directly south of Buck Mountain on Lake George, NY. To hike it, drive to the Buck Mountain trailhead by taking Ridge Road (9L) to Pilot Knob Road (County Road 38), driving 3.4 miles, and looking for the trailhead on your right. Primary outdoor recreation includes hiking and dog walking. Parking is free and abundant but water and restrooms are not provided. My cell phone struggled to maintain cell phone service and GPS coordinates while on the trail. There is a register which is important to sign because there are several trails that start from this trailhead.
The hike to the summit of Pilot Knob Mountain is about 2.3 miles with an elevation gain of 1,400 feet; from 400 feet to 1,800 feet. The trail is not identified by the state of New York so it takes a little bit of work to find. As a result, the trail is less popular than Buck Mountain which means it is quieter and can be a more peaceful experience. At the the first intersection, stay straight and follow the trail to Inman Pond.
From the trailhead, hike on the trail to Inman Pond somewhere between 0.5 and 0.7 miles before turning right onto the trail to Pilot Knob. The intersection to look for is marked with a plastic ribbon on a tree and, on the day we most recently hiked it, the ribbon was orange as seen below.
At the intersection with a ribbon, take the trail to the right.
Once on the trail, look for and follow trees with yellow and red markings. At all times, you should be able to see markings both in front of you and behind you.
Unlike the Buck Mountain trail which inclines gradually, this trail inclines aggressively from the beginning and never tapers off.
In addition, the trail is rocky and full of tree roots. I do not recommend carrying a child in a carrier on this trail because of both its steep climb and rugged terrain.
I have hiked this trail about 10 times. One of its nice features is that at the half way point you get views of Lake George whereas the Buck Mountain trail does not offers views until the very end.
On the edge of the trail, we spotted some blueberries.
Closer to the summit, we saw a beautiful orange flower. My best guess is that it is a Turk’s Cap Lily, do you think that is correct?
Unlike Buck Mountain, the summit is not clearly defined and there is not an official summit marker. Thus, I recommend walking to the south side of the peak and setting up a picnic on a large rock.
The pictures on this page were taken the second week of July 2010, which may have been the hottest, haziest, and breeze-free day I have ever experienced on Lake George. As a result, the view from the summit was muted and we didn’t stay long because the sun was zapping our energy.
The video below is a 360 degree look from the summit.
In sum, the hike up Pilot Knob is fun, challenging, and less popular/crowded than Buck Mountain. Additional Lake George hiking trails include:
