kjoyce4Our Top Tips
- Super dog friendly hike. Short and great payoff.
- The trail can be busy on weekends and in the summer. Avoid the crowds by taking the Observer’s trail or getting there early in the morning/late in the afternoon.
- The Observer’s trail is longer and has more elevation gain, but is generally less steep and is much easier to hike.
Hike Basics
Length: 2.7 miles (Ranger’s Trail)/ 4.7 miles (Observer’s Trail)
Elevation Gain: 1,207′ (Ranger’s Trail)/1,417′ (Observer’s Trail)
Dog Friendly? Yes
Off Leash Friendly? According to All Trails, one trail is off leash friendly, the other isn’t. I haven’t found an official answer, but have never had a problem having my dog off leash. I always leash her at the summit of any mountain.
Look out for: A couple small ladders. The Ranger’s trail is steep and rocky, so dogs will be doing a lot of hopping up and down rock stairs.
I’m starting with one of our most hiked peaks. Poke-O-Moonshine is a popular non-46 hike at the North East corner of Adirondack State Park. With two fairly short trails and amazing views of the surrounding mountains and Lake Champlain it’s easy to see why it’s so well used.
My first attempt (spoiler alert: I didn’t make it to the top) was only a month after I moved to Plattsburgh. I was out of shape and unprepared. This hike is easy compared to the some of the more popular ADK peaks, but it is by no means easy. Come prepared for a 3 to 4 hour hike if you’re a beginner.
More than a dozen hikes to the summit later, this is easily one of my favorite hikes to bring Chloe on. We’ve never had trouble leaving her off leash, and often there are a few pups for her to meet on the way up.
If you aren’t comfortable keeping your pup off leash, the Observer’s Trail is a great option. The trail is never particularly steep, so no trying to keep your dog still while you scramble up or down rocks. The trail is also less used and the parking lot is paved no matter what season you’re hiking. Poke-O is beautiful all times of year (except maybe mud season), but I love hiking here in the winter. The trail is perfect for snowshoeing and is popular and therefore packed down enough that you can get away with micro-spikes most of the time. There are less people, and Chloe loves the freedom to run around while I’m not worried about her bowling down an unsuspecting hiker.
If you do decide to take the Ranger’s Trail, which offers its own attractions, there are a couple things to be aware of. While it’s more interesting to hike with rock stairs and multiple lookouts (that are almost as good as the summit in some spots), but is more strenuous because it’s only about a mile and quarter to get to the top. It can also be slippery after it rains because of all the rocks, especially if there are leaves over them. Once you get past the rock stairs, it gets much flatter and winds through woods and patches of bare rock that giver you a preview of the beautiful summit view.
No matter which trail you use, it’s a beautiful hike, and perfect for packing in a few miles and a view without taking up the whole day.
