Hiking

Nature Hikes

To make the most of your time here we recommend signing up for one of our nature hikes, offered each day at 10:30 am. In roughly an hour and a half – two hours, an expert naturalist will lead you on the perfect educational adventure. This 1.9 mile long loop begins at the bottom of the Mixing Bowl trail, and proceeds along the West Branch of the Ausable River. Soak up the scenery as you pass through lush green hardwood forests, open ski trails with fantastic views, and then return to the base lodge via the waterfall-filled Stag Brook Trail. Our naturalist will show you all of the hidden gems along the way and open your eyes to why these landscapes look the way they do. Save $10 by purchasing the Nature Hike with Gondola Ride package and get the full Whiteface experience.

Trails

Summit Nature Trail — at the Whiteface Veterans’ Memorial Highway

Intermediate: 0.2 miles (one way) | 0.25 hours

The trail begins at the top of Whiteface Veterans Memorial Highway and proceeds to the summit. 1/5 of a mile in length climbing 257′ feet in elevation.

West Branch Nature Trail

Beginner: 1.9 miles | 1.5 hours

This trail begins at the bottom of the Mixing Bowl trail and proceeds along the West Branch of the Ausable River, passing through hardwood forests, and open ski trails, returning to the base lodge via the beautiful Stag Brook Trail.

Stag Brook Falls Trail

Beginner: 0.5 miles | 0.5 hours

This trail begins behind the Base Lodge and proceeds up the Stag Brook, past a 25-foot waterfall. It is a short trail (1/2 mile) that eventually leads to open ski trails. This would be a good option for those who would like to hike up the mountain to gain a scenic vista.

Whiteface Peak Trail

Expert: 1.25 miles (one way) | 1.5 hours

There is a sign at the bottom of Paron’s Run indicating the trail to the summit. At the Summit Quad Terminal, hikers will find a steep narrow trail leading to the summit. Please remember that the last Gondola cabin leaves the top at 4:30. Ask any of our attendants at the top of the gondola for direction.

Top of Gondola to the Base

Intermediate: 3.0 miles (one way)  |  2 hours

There is no marked trail from the top. We recommend that guests hike Excelsior to the top of the Face Lift, and then follow that lift to the bottom. 2.5 to 3.0 miles long, loose gravel, not recommended for amateurs.

Bear Den Mountain Trail

Intermediate: 3.2 miles  | 2.5 hours

The hike begins in the Bear Den parking lot. The round trip hike is 3.2 miles, vertical 1,432 feet. The summit is an open rock with nice views. This is a moderate level hike, some experience recommended.

Flume Connector Trail

Beginner: 2.0 miles | 1 hour

Follow the West Branch of the Ausable River past a Great Blue Heron Rookery and Beaver pond. Great photo opportunities along the way. This round-trip beginner trail links the Flume Trail System with the Whiteface Trail System.

Schedule

The Cloudsplitter Gondola and, Whiteface Base Lodge with dining and retail is open for the season in the summer of 2022!

Map

Trail Ratings

Easy: walking with no obstacles and low grades

Intermediate: 10% grade, small rocks and roots, easy scrambling

Difficult: 15% grade, large obstacles, possible scrambling or climbing

Extremely Difficult: 20% grade, 15+” obstacles, many harder sections

Flume Trail System

Flume Trail System — Wilmington Wild Forest

The Flume Trail System is comprised of approximately ten miles of trails open to mountain biking, hiking, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing in the town of Wilmington, NY. The trailhead is located approximately 2 miles south of the village center on State Route 86.

All trails except for the Flume Knob and Bear Den Mountain Trails are open to mountain biking. Trails closed to bicycles are posted as such.

This trail network was built and is maintained, almost entirely by volunteers. Please be respectful of their work and other users as you enjoy these trails.

Trail Information
The trails’ number, name, length, and rank are as follows:

Trail 1 – Corridor is 0.3 mile long and is ranked Easy
Trail 2 – Delta is 0.4 mile long and is ranked Easy
Trail 3 – Bluff is 0.4 mile long and is ranked Moderate
Trail 4 – Corridor Loop is 0.4 mile long and is ranked Easy
Trail 5 – Cedar is 0.4 mile long and is ranked Moderate
Trail 7 – River is 0.4 mile long and is ranked Easy
Trail 8 – Marble Mountain is 0.6 mile long and is ranked Moderate
Trail 9 – Erratic is 0.3 mile long and is ranked Moderate
Trail 10 – Ridge is 1.5 miles long and is ranked Hard
Trail 11 – Flume Knob is 1.0 mile long and is a hiking trail only
Trail 12 – Bear Den Mountain Trail is 1.2 miles long and is a hiking trail only
Trail 19 – Whiteface Upper Connector is 1.0 mile long and is ranked Hard
Trail 20 – Whiteface Lower Connector is 0.9 mile long and is ranked Easy

Mileage — Mileages listed are for individual trail segments only and do not reflect cumulative mileages.

Difficulty Ratings — Trail difficulty ratings are relative to the trails in the Flume Trail System only. They may differ from difficulty ratings at other facilities

Whiteface Connector Trails — All trails in the Wilmington Wild Forest, Flume Trail System are open to the public free of charge. This includes the Upper and Lower Connector Trails to Whiteface Mountain Ski Area (Also referred to as Trails 19 and 20).

“Rules of the Trail”
The following guidelines describe proper etiquette on shared use trails. They were developed by the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) to help avoid conflicts between different user groups. For a further explanation of these guidelines, or other mountain bike related information, visit IMBA using the link in the right column.

• Ride on Open Trails Only
• Follow Leave No Trace Principles
• Control Your Bicycle
• Yield To Others
• Never Scare Animals
• Plan Ahead
• Muddy Trails
• During the spring, and after heavy rains, local soils often become saturated and highly susceptible to erosion. Please avoid biking or hiking when trails are wet. Your patience and consideration will be appreciated by all users of these trails.

Hunting Season — As with all New York State Forest Preserve lands, the lands within the Wilmington Wild Forest are open to hunting (subject to all applicable laws and regulations). Please be aware that hunting may occur in this area during any open season.

Activities & Events

More To Explore

There is much to do in the Olympic region! Whether you are here to hike the 5th highest peak or take a stroll, sore in our gondola through the awe-inspiring natural beauty of the Adirondack Mountains or take the road that leads you directly to the summit of a mountain. The legacy of Whiteface is waiting for you to explore.