A paved road to the top of Whiteface Mountain in NY
Whiteface Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 1.402m (4,599ft) above the sea level, located in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New York.
Can you drive to the top of Whiteface Mountain NY?
The windy and slow road to the summit is totally paved. It’s a toll road opened to traffic in 1935. It’s called New York State Route 431 (NY 431), also known as Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway. The road is 12.87km (8.0 miles) long starting at Wilmington.
Is the road to Whiteface Mountain NY steep?
The road to the summit, the fifth highest mountain in the Adirondacks, is very steep, hitting an 11% of maximum gradient through some of the ramps. Starting at Wilmington, the ascent is 12.87km (8.0 miles) long. Over this distance the elevation gain is 1.086 meters (3,562 ft). The average gradient is 8.43%. The grade is sturdy right from the start. The climb ends where the road dead-ends at the upper end of the parking lot, from where you can hike or take an elevator to the very top of the mountain.
Is Whiteface Mountain road open?
Set high in the Adirondack Mountains, the road is open daily from June through October.
How long does it take to drive to the top of Whiteface Mountain?
Tucked away within the McKenzie Mountain Wilderness, plan around 15 minutes to complete the drive without any stop. However, the drive is very scenic and will take much longer. While the road meanders up, you come across several viewpoints. As you drive further, the views become more beautiful. The last five miles are the most spectacular as the road winds upward through a changing forest and an alpine summit environment. At the summit, you can enjoy a castle built from native stone, a restaurant and gift shop, an elevator carved deep inside the mountain top itself, and a truly spectacular 360-degree, panoramic view of unparalleled beauty with gorgeous views spanning hundreds of miles of wildland. The views encompass all sides and include the Green Mountains of Vermont, the skyscrapers in Montreal on a very clear day, and the White Mountains of New Hampshire.