The 46 mountains in the Adirondack Park above 4000 feet in elevation are known colloquially as the 46 High Peaks. The challenge of climbing all 46 peaks was first established in the beginning of the 20th century, and the tradition has expanded in popularity, continuing to the modern day. The 46 mountains are clustered in the north-central region of the Adirondack Park, known as the High Peaks Region. The High Peaks are one of the most popular recreational destinations in the Adirondack Park, making it a significant part of the Park’s history and future.

The Forty-Six High Peaks

The first people to climb the forty-six High Peaks were brothers George and Bob Marshall and their guide, Herb Clark. The men used topographical information, collected by Verplanck Colvin, to compile the list of the forty-six mountains above 4000 feet in elevation in the region. However, this list is inaccurate, as several of the peaks on the list are actually below 4000 feet (Johnson). One mountain, MacNaughton, is not included on the list of 46 peaks, although its elevation is 4000 feet. Nevertheless, the peaks below 4000 feet remain on the official list of the 46 peaks and MacNaughton remains off it (Biddle). Referring to Figure 1, the 46 mountains are clustered in what is known as the High Peaks region. This includes the MacIntyres (shown in red) and the Great Range (shown in royal blue). The Sewards (gray) is the westernmost range, and Whiteface and Esther are the northernmost peaks (teal). Chart 1 lists the 46 High Peaks and their elevations at the bottom of this blog post. 

Figure 1. The 46 High Peaks, Grouped into Ranges

The Original Forty-Sixers

George and Bob Marshall and Herb Clark summited their first peak, Whiteface Mountain, on August 1st, 1918. The group completed the 46 peaks on June 10, 1925 at the summit of Mount Emmons (Johnson). Members of Grace Methodist Church in Troy, New York were the next significant group to climb the 46 peaks. The first two members of the church, Edward Hudowalski and Ernest Ryder, completed the 46 peaks in 1936. Edward Hudowalski’s wife, Grace Hudowalski, led several groups of congregation members to various peaks. She was the ninth person and first woman to complete all 46 peaks in 1937. Grace Hudowalski also led the group The 46ers of Troy, which eventually expanded into the ADK 46er Club that is still active today (Adirondack.net). The legacy of these first 46ers continues to this day. Mount Marshall is named for George and Bob Marshall, and East Dix was renamed Grace Peak in 2014 to honor Grace Hudowalski (Brown; Biddle). The original 46ers created the challenge of climbing all 46 peaks and made it a popular recreational activity, setting the foundation for what it is today.

The ADK 46er Club

The ADK 46er Club is the organization that catalogs the 46ers and supports aspiring 46ers. The Club was founded in the 1920s, and grew as books recounting the story of the Marshall brothers and Herb Clark circulated. The ADK 46er Club transitioned from a social group to become more focused on preservation and conservation in the High Peaks region. The group asks its members to be “hiking partners, mountain stewards.” The club now supports preservation efforts, trail maintenance, and educational projects in the High Peaks (Adirondack Forty-Sixers). The 46er Club has exploded in membership since its inception almost a century ago. The 10,000th member of the 46er club joined in October of 2016 (Matson). The ADK 46er Club is the central organization supporting the 46 High Peaks.

The 46 Peaks Today

The 46 High Peaks today are vastly different from the peaks the Marshall brothers and Herb Clark climbed a century ago. The decline of logging and increase in protected lands in the Adirondack Park has changed the landscape of the mountains (Britell). However, the increased use of trails and other infrastructure has placed a new strain on the region. Overcrowding is a major concern in the summer months (Adirondack.net). The many summertime visitors to the High Peaks leave behind litter and other pollutants (Johnson). Some mountains, like Mount Marcy, have auto roads to the summit, allowing even more visitors at the peak. The ADK 46er Club does trail maintenance in the High Peaks, but only 26 of the 46 Peaks have officially designated and maintained trails. The other 20 are considered officially “trailless,” but primitive herd paths are present on most of them (Adirondack Forty-Sixers). Although the 46 high peaks are not immune to the broader issues the Adirondack Park faces today, they still keep the spirit of their historical roots alive.

Chart 1. The 46 Peaks, Listed

	Mountain	Elevation (feet)
1	Marcy	5344
2	Algonquin	5114
3	Haystack	4960
4	Skylight	4926
5	Whiteface	4867
6	Dix	4857
7	Gray	4840
8	Iroquois	4840
9	Basin	4827
10	Gothics	4736
11	Colden	4724
12	Giant	4627
13	Nippletop	4620
14	Santanoni	4607
15	Red eld	4606
16	Wright	4580
17	Saddleback	4515
18	Panther	4442
19	Tabletop	4427
20	Rocky Peak Ridge	4420
21	Macomb	4405
22	Armstrong	4400
23	Hough	4400
24	Seward	4361
25	Marshall	436
26	Allen	4340
27	Big Slide	4240
28	Esther	4240
29	Upper Wolf Jaw	4185
30	Lower Wolf Jaw	4175
31	Street	4166
32	Phelps	4161
33	Donaldson	4140
34	Seymour	4120
35	Sawteeth	4100
36	Cascade	4098
37	South Dix	4060
38	Porter	4059
39	Colvin	4057
40	Emmons	4040
41	Dial	4020
42	Grace	4012
NA	MacNaughton	4000
43	Black	3960
44	Cli	3960
45	Nye	3895
46	Couchsachraga	3820

Works Cited

“Adirondack 46er Map.” Www.arcgis.com, Arcgis, 12 Mar. 2018, www.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=2411a41acd9545eb8816c937b0830e10.

Adirondack Forty-Sixers. “ADk46ers | History.” Www.adk46er.org, Adirondack Forty-Sixers, 2011, www.adk46er.org/history.html.

Adirondack.net. “Hiking Challenges: The Adirondack 46ers.” Adirondack.net, Adirondack.net, 2019, www.adirondack.net/hiking/challenges/46er/.

Biddle, Pippa. “Reflections on Finishing the Adirondack 46ers.” Appalachian Mountain Club, Appalachian Mountain Club, 29 May 2019, www.outdoors.org/resources/amc-outdoors/features/finishing-the-adirondack-46ers-a-hiker-reflects-on-pausing-at-number-42/.

Britell, Jim. “Bob Marshall’s Long-Lost Arguments for Wilderness -.” Adirondack Almanack, The Adirondack Almanack, 4 Dec. 2020, www.adirondackalmanack.com/2020/12/bob-marshalls-long-lost-arguments-for-wilderness.html.

Brown, Phil. “The Life of Bob Marshall.” Adirondack Explorer, Adirondack Explorer, 21 July 2009, www.adirondackexplorer.org/outtakes/the-life-of-bob-marshall.

Johnson, Erik. “How to Become an Adirondack 46er.” Backpacker, Outside Interactive, Inc, 2 July 2015, www.backpacker.com/trips/how-to-become-an-adirondack-46er/.Matson, Zachary. “10,000th Person Climbs All 46 Adirondack Peaks | the Daily Gazette.” Dailygazette.com, The Daily Gazette, 21 Jan. 2017, dailygazette.com/2017/01/21/inspired-46-as-club-gets-10-000th-member-hikers-discover-more-than-a-patch/.