Adirondack hiking boom: High Peaks finishers hitting record numbers

Adirondack 46ers have been growing ranks since 1925 and hitting high numbers in past 10 years

By Mike Lynch

More than 700 people completed the 46 High Peaks in 2023 and registered to be part of the official list with Adirondack 46ers, a nonprofit hiking organization. 

That now makes it 10 years in a row that at least 500 people registered annually with the nonprofit, with 2014 being the first time that mark had been reached. People must finish the 46 mountains originally believed to be above 4,000 feet to register. There are now 15,506 on the list, which started in 1925. (The less-enticing Winter 46er achievement, by comparison, stands at 1,086 total registered finishers.)

Not everyone who finishes all the High Peaks joins the group. 

Formed as the Forty-Sixers of Troy in 1936 by a group of hiking enthusiasts, the club now has more than 6,000 active members. Its mission is to protect the Adirondack environment, maintain trails and educate hikers.

The record for registrations, 879, came in 2022. There were 726 finishers in 2023. 

20 years of 46ers by Melissa Hart

Hiking gains ground in popularity

The club has benefited from a hiking boom that caught hold in the Adirondacks, Northeast and National Parks a decade ago due to the popularity of hiking challenges and peaks being promoted on social media and internet lists.

The pandemic then propelled the activity to new heights. 

“I think during that time frame that we had people who had not been exposed to the outdoors before, and they went out and tried it, and they fell in love with it,” said 46ers President Laurie Rankin.

That has had its benefits, as more people got outside, but also problems —  increases in rescues and garbage on the trails. But those trends, along with the numbers of hikers, seem to have leveled. At the same time, hiking organizations, towns, the state, and conservation organizations are working together to reach people with Leave No Trace messaging.

“People are hearing the same message and so it’s much easier to follow that message,” Rankin said. 

The number of hikers was down last year, she said, due to a more basic reason: it rained a lot. 

46ers cumulative growth by Melissa Hart

Giving back to the mountains

Rain or shine, the 46ers spend a lot of time in the woods and at trailheads trying to improve trails or educate hikers. Last year, their volunteers put in more than 3,000 hours of trail work.

They also had staffed trailhead stations to assist hikers at South Meadow Road, a gateway to the High Peaks, and Cascade Mountain, both located outside of Lake Placid. 

They also run a correspondence program that connects experienced hikers with people interested in climbing all 46 mountains. The program has gotten a lot of attention over the years due to the efforts of the late Grace Hudowalski, the first woman 46er (No. 9 in 1937) and historian of the club. She started the correspondent program and wrote letters to hundreds of people. 

Today, there are 76 mentors and 935 hikers in the program. 

The 46ers also have a robust grant program that is funded through their annual membership fee of $10 and donations.

The organization has handed out $104,000 in grants for projects this year. They funded trail work for the Adirondack Mountain Club, bought forest rangers camping stoves, and supported a Paul Smith’s College high elevation wildlife study, among other things.