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Looking down the Phelps summit trail we see Colden (l),
Avalanche (c), and Algonquin (r)

Trip In A Nutshell:
The base of Phelps is a short and simple hike, compared to many, from the Heart Lake Trailhead. Starting at the trailhead, follow the Van Hoevenberg Trail (ADK #61, McM #133) 2.3 miles to Marcy Dam. Continue from the dam on the Van Hoevenberg Trail an additional 1.1 miles to the start of the Phelps Trail (ADK #62, McM #149), which will be on your left.. The summit of Phelps is reached after 1.0 mile. Add it up and you get a roughly 8.0 mile round trip over easy to moderate ground with nice views of Algonquin, Wright, Colden, Marcy, and several other of the highest Adirondack peaks.

Difficulty and Philosophy 401:
Phelps is one of the easier Adirondack peaks to climb and makes a good hike for the start of the season when your stamina is suffering from too many winter days spent nestled behind a good book in front of the fire. Above all, Phelps is a straightforward hike. There are no tricky rock climbs, no breathtaking passes with sheer cliffs on either side, no graceful waterfalls, none of those elements that spice things up in the woods; Phelps is your basic walk in the woods.

For a long while, I had bad memories associated with Phelps. At the time I climbed to its summit in 1986, I was experiencing very difficult personal problems. I was in the middle of the worst period of my life. The toughest decisions I have ever made were in front of me. The next 3 or 4 years would be pure misery, I knew, and Phelps' summit did not assuage my cares one bit. But after I came off Phelps' summit and got back to the start of its summit trail I turned left, upwards, and continued on the Van Hoevenberg Trail to Indian Falls, perhaps my favorite spot in the Adirondacks. There, I set up my tent and sat at the the top of the falls to contemplate the future and watch an awesome summer sunset. Whether it was the spacious view, the sound of the tumbling water, or the peacefulness of the sunset in its timeless setting, I found some peace and realized that the world had not set me apart for punishment, that it had made no judgments against me. Several decades later, my problems resolved, I remember the day as one of those important days that make you grow stronger and give a sense of renewal.

Trailhead:
There is nothing very compelling about the approach to Phelps since it is made via the highway-like Van Hoevenberg Trail. (See the route on the Van Hoevenberg from the Heart Lake trailhead to Marcy Dam. Once you arrive at the junction with the Phelps Trail the hike becomes more interesting and challenging as shown and described below.

Photos
Adirondack Journey wishes to recognize Jackson Thomas for contributing the photos below. Jackson has helped us over the past year or so to provide some excellent content including all photos on this page.

All photos are courtesy of Jackson Thomas. These cover the trail up Phelps. To find some photos of the portion of the route from Heart Lake to the foot of Phelps, go to the Marcy Dam or Heart Lake pages. These are Jackson's as well.

1	The trail is rock-strewn. While moderate at its start it becomes increasingly steep as the climb progresses. Still, the trail is but 1 mile long.	2	This is not something you see every day in the Adirondacks. The pronounced erosion and subsequent exposure of tree routes to this extent is a rarity in our experience.
4	Despite the rocks and roots, the hike so far is gentle to moderate in leafy, sunlit forest.	5	Birch, maple, spruce, and balsam predominate. The canopy is quite open and the trail heads upwards in an easterly direction.
6	A beautiful bed of what seems to be the plant called one-flowered wintergreen, although this may be a moss we don't recognize instead.	7	This is clearly a heavily used trail, typical of the trails found in this part of the Adirondacks and typical for the more often climbed peaks such as this one. We are getting near to the point where the trail begins to head straight up the mountain on bare rock where the soil washed away seemingly many years past.
8	The trail departs its easterly direction and turns more northerly. In so doing, it becomes steeper and tends to follow the fall line. Boulders become a bit of a nuisance.	9	The rich mixture of deciduous trees continues as we reach roughly the half-way point.
10	Rock. No soil. Fewer hardwoods and an increase in coniferous trees.	11	Colden and one of its slides is to the left. Avalanche Mtn is at center, so Avalanche Pass passes between those two peaks. To the right, the rising slope is Algonquin.
12	As we close in on the summit, the deciduous (leafy) trees and shrubs have disappeared. Shallow soil provides a reasonable foothold for conifers. We're heading straight into the hill now in a northeasterly direction. We will continue on in this fashion.	13	This photo is typical of many Adirondack peaks as one gets on up there. Phelps is only 4159 feet and a fairly modest mountain.
14	A good view toward the Great Range across Table Top. R-L: Haystack, Basin, and Gothics.	15	Marcy in the distance with Table Top in front.
16	Colden from the summit.	17	Algonquin and, in front of it, just to the right a bit, is Wright Peak with its slide. The slide is supposedly fairly easy. May try it in 2004.
18	More "trail"	19
20	This seems an unusual shelf-like platform. Looks kind of like a highway. Colden at rear.	21	Marcy
Additional Summit Photos and one Panorama Photo
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28	Wonderful panorama shot!