Basin Mountain
Scenic and Destination Hikes Adirondack High Peaks
Trail Head:
John Brooks (Garden parking area)
Length: 13.8 miles roundtrip
Difficulty: Difficult
Activities: hiking
Static Trail Map
Elevation Profile
Elevation: 4,827 ft.Elevation change: 3133 ft.
One of the highest peaks in the Great Range, Basin Mountain is the 9th highest in the Adirondack High Peaks. The peak was named by Verplanck Colvin for the several basins formed between knobs on its slopes. (A basin is an area of land enclosed by higher land). 1
Basin Mountain can be climbed from many trailheads in the Adirondacks. The shortest route to the peak starts at The Garden trailhead west of the village of Keene Valley (shown above). An excellent hike would be starting at the Roostercomb Trailhead in Keene Valley and climbing along the entire Great Range. There are very steep sections of open rock in the Great Range, which make this very challenging. Also, the mileage and vertical rise are considerable, which would make this best be done as an overnight trip or a day trip with very light packs.
As a peak it stands out quite dramatically with a great bare and rugged area on its west side. One also has a great view of Gothics, Marcy, and the west side of Haystack. Unfortunately trees obscure the view to the south.2
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basin_Mountain_(New_York)
2 http://www.summitpost.org/basin-mountain/150691