Lyon Mountain

Overview

Lyon Mtn is a mountain that stands alone in the northeast corner of the Adirondack Park. Located less than 30 miles west of Plattsburg, NY, and within 40 miles of the Canadian border, this mountain is truly on the fringe. Another aspect of the mountain is that there are no other sizeable mountains in the immediate vicinity making Lyon the most prominent feature of the region. At 3830ft elevation, the peak is as high as one of the official 46 High Peaks, yet did not make the cut at the time the list was made. Major iron ore mining began in the area in the 1870's and continued until the 1960's. The area is also known for the Clinton Correctional Facility, built in 1845, a maximum security prison located in nearby Dannemora, NY. Chazy Lake is at the eastern base of the mountain, and a wonderful profile of the mountain can be obtained along Rte 374 along the east side of the lake. It is located in the vicinity of the Chazy Highlands Wild Forest with the summit area being recently purchased by The Nature Conservancy. A 35' steel fire tower was erected on Lyon in 1917, and remained in operation until 1988. Restoration of the trail and tower began in 2005, and is still under way. The view from the summit and tower are of Chazy Lake, Lake Champlain and the Green Mtns to the East, Montreal skyline to the northeast, Chateauguay Lake to the north, the High Peaks to the south. One can also see a few large windfarms in the Champlain Valley below. This mountain is part of the Fire Tower Challenge by the ADK Mountain Club.

Getting There

Take I-87 to exit 38N, merge onto Rte 374 West toward Dannemora. Drive on Rte 374 for 22 miles through Dannemora and around the north end of Chazy Lake (*Good spot to pull off and take a few snapshots of the mountain you're about to climb), take a left on Chazy Lake Rd proceed approx. 1 3/4 miles and take a right on Lowenburg Rd., a gravel rd with no road sign, only a white "Seasonal Road" sign. Drive up until you reach a parking 

Parking Area

area. (*Note: there is no DEC trail signs at the highway or the parking area.)Take the obvious trail proceeding from the parking area, the ADK Mtn Club has recently created a new more gentle trail of 3.5 miles up the mountain. The turnoff for the new trail is clearly marked with an arrow to the left. The new and old trails meet near the summit for a short but very steep final ascent. Proceeding from the summit there is a trail along the ridge to another viewpoint. It brings you across a major cleared logging road, back into the woods and out to a rocky outcrop with a view of Averill Peak with a TV tower.

Red Tape

A large portion of the surrounding area is private lands so stick to the trail and summit area. Be safe and wear orange during hunting season Oct.-Dec.

Camping

Add Camping text here.

External Links

ADK Mtn Club
Alavigne.net
The Nature Conservancy

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