McKenzie Mountain is a highly visible mountain in Saranac Lake because it has two peaks on the summit.
See more info on the Saranac Lake 6er Challenge.
McKenzie Mountain
There are two approaches to summiting Mount McKenzie, and both include a half mile of very steep, wet, and eroded trail. This difficult terrain is usually wet and slippery, making the footing difficult. The gentle incline branches off toward Haystack Mountain, with the McKenzie trail continuing straight. You will come upon the Jack Rabbit Ski trail at 3.6 miles, which is an alternative route to ascending the mountain.
Once finally reaching the true summit, the hiker should continue to the ledge just beyond for beautiful views of Saranac below.
In the surrounding McKenzie Mountain Wilderness, there are three lean-tos you can camp in.
GETTING THERE:
There are two trails for Mount McKenzie. A 5.3 mile trail begins from Rt. 86 in Ray Brook , 1.6 miles east of DEC headquarters (located between Saranac Lake and Lake Placid). From the parking lot and trailhead hikers can reach both Haystack Mountain and Mount McKenzie - a 10.5 mile round trip. The second trail does not avoid the difficult and slippery terrain, but offers a different approach from Whiteface Inn Lane in Lake Placid. Hikers taking this route ascend the Jack Rabbit Ski trail to its intersection with the first trail we mentioned on Rt. 86.