Titusville, south of Malone, offers a triad of hikes including The Ledges, High Falls of the Big Salmon River trail and Elephant Head
By Tom French
As the High Peaks roll into the lesser mountains of the north, one of the last massifs to dominate the horizon is Titusville, about nine miles south of Malone in the Titusville Mountain State Forest.
These northern slopes include several peaks with names like Humbug, Immortelle, and Elephant Head as well as the ski trails of Titus Mountain, first established in 1960 as Moon Valley with a rope tow powered from the back wheel of an old Buick sedan.
The Adirondack Explorer thanks its advertising partners. Become one of them.
Henry Titus originally purchased the large tract in 1830. He attempted to establish a sawmill, gristmill, and scythe factory in what is now Chasm Falls (known as Titusville at the time), but the endeavor failed due to a lack of transportation to take goods to market. When the train arrived in 1850, his son made another attempt with more success.
I often refer to Barbara McMartin’s Discover the Adirondacks series before exploring because she invariably offers tips and historic information not found in today’s information ecosphere. In the case of the Titusville Mountain State Forest, it would appear recreational opportunities have grown since she wrote her guidebooks in the 1980s. She only mentions one destination, what is today known as the Ledges Trail, and her route reads like a bushwhacking nightmare where “bushes whack back.”
The Ledges Trail
Today, the Ledges Trail follows a different route than McMartin’s and is marked with yellow disks. Like McMartin’s route, it begins from Lee Road (high-clearance vehicle recommended), 1.75 miles south of the dam at Chasm Falls along the Studley Hill Road (Duane Road on some maps), three-quarter miles east of the Titus Mountain Upper Lodge.
Although a draft Unit Management Plan has not yet been finalized for public input, I was informed by the DEC that it will recommend a gate at the bottom of Lee Road to be closed during mud season and other times the road is in an unacceptable condition. The bottom of Lee Road will also host an eight-car parking area with a road-side sign and kiosk. A parking area already exists .4 miles up the Lee Road.
The Adirondack Explorer thanks its advertising partners. Become one of them.
On the late-April morning we climbed the Ledges, we were only able to drive the first quarter mile of the Lee Road before excessive snow stopped us. The trail begins to the left of several posts at the parking area and quickly rises about a hundred feet in a tenth of a mile before settling back along a hogback for another tenth to the base of a significant rock face that the trail scales through a series of scrambles, switchbacks, and rock gardens.
At times, the path can be difficult to discern and the distance between markers less than ideal. About a third of the way up, go left. The draft UMP will also recommend rerouting the trail along a more sustainable route.
The trail rises about 600 feet in a quarter mile before reaching a rocky outcrop with views of the headwaters of the Salmon River and south with several ranges, Whiteface, Ester, and even Algonquin behind a shoulder of the Loon Lake Mountains. Debar maintains its bold presence in the foreground.
A better view can be found by continuing to the south. A yellow disk indicates the start of the short spur. If you wish to claim a summit, one of Titusville’s peaks is one lap around the track to the west.
The Adirondack Explorer thanks its advertising partners. Become one of them.
Returning to the car, we speculated on the human history along the hogback where we found remnants of pastures and logging.
High Falls of the Big Salmon River
Our next stop for the Titusville Triad was the “High Falls of the Big Salmon River” with access along the Barnesville Road off Route 27 north of Mountain View. Doug was a bit discouraged when we saw a sign indicating the bridge was out. But after referencing the map, we confirmed that the trail was on our side of the river. Not that it mattered. Although the bridge is barricaded, you can still walk across from either side.
The three-quarter-mile trail to the falls is along the river, sometimes just feet from the edge. It was muddy in places despite significant and relatively new bog bridges. The sound of rushing water in the distance began shortly after we started hiking. The river flows through a number of rapids before reaching the falls where it rolls through a flume and begins its 80-foot drop over a 10th of a mile. Jay and I speculated on how you might approach it with a kayak, though it was just pipe dreaming. It ends with a vertical splash into what looks like a shallow pool. Any attempt to navigate it would likely result in a Wile E. Coyote moment.
The river turns 90-degrees at the bottom against a wide rocky shore. A short wooden staircase wet with spray brings you to the scoured rock pavement. Mist rises over two impressive stone thrones facing the falls, though the crashing water makes for a damp seat.
The Adirondack Explorer thanks its advertising partners. Become one of them.
We had lunch beyond the spray, and Doug cast a few lures before we returned to the car. He also attempted some fishing where the trail skirts the river and at the bridge, but reeled in only empty hooks.
Elephant Head
Our original plan was to hike the triad in a day, but the gate to Elephant Head was closed and it was getting late. If we’d had bikes, it would have been a no-brainer, but we decided to return on the next nice day.
Elephant Head may be the easiest hike in the Adirondacks with a view – especially when the gate is open which shortens the two-mile hike to a half mile.
We started from the gate and walked up the road, spotting dozens of blooming reddish trilliums. The woods were wide with a matted forest floor and views through the leafless trees. We passed a couple brooks and a significant beaver pond with substantial trunks felled by the beaver.
After a parking area and kiosk, the trail turns right away from the old woods road and continues gradually for a half mile over a knob with Little Humbug to the south. Elephant Head is to the left after the trail descends slightly. A decaying wooden ladder with exposed threaded rod brings you to the top about twenty minutes after the kiosk.
The summit is covered with birch and beech trees, obstructing the views in most directions. Summer vistas would be completely blocked, but a lookout to the north where someone has cut the brush provides a panorama of Lake Titus, the St. Lawrence River Valley, Malone, and maybe even Mount Royal near Montreal.
Rewards for completion?
Although completion of the Titusville Triad is not so hard that it deserves a certificate with a number, I have asked my daughter to create another button like she did for the Owls Head Four Pack featuring highlights of the challenge including the silhouette of the Montreal skyline we imagined with the Olympic Stadium – another connection between the Adirondacks and our neighbors to the north.
Photo at top: The “High Falls of the Big Salmon River” drops about 80 feet in a 10th of mile before turning sharply to the west. Photo by Tom French.
Leave a Reply