The forest is an easy hiking experience of four to five miles with a modest elevation gain, depending on whether you include the one-mile nature trail or go straight for the 4.1-mile hike around Pack Forest Lake.

A hike on the 4.7-mile John Pond Clear Pond Loop in the Siamese Ponds Wilderness will take you back more than a century in time.

Crane Mountain’s summit is a place you’ll want to stay a while. It's more plateau than peak and so, for full scenic impact, you must explore it in its entirely. That includes the herd path you’ll find on Crane Pond Hill.

For Adirondack mountain names, Balm of Gilead is tough to beat. This 2.8-mile out-and-back hike through a beautiful hardwood forest that starts out flat and rises 400 feet along a small stream bed. The main reward is its rocky summit and expansive view of 13th Lake and the Siamese Ponds Wilderness beyond.