Located near Debar Mountain Wild Forest and located on private land owned by Paul Smith's College, Jenkins Mountain provides great views of nearby St. Regis Mountain and the High Peaks to the south.
Hiking
From the VIC parking area, cross the paved road and locate the gated woods road which will be to your right and a bit further down from the gazebo. Once on the woods road you will have a flat hike for quite some time with small, gently sloping hills in front of you. The trail slowly comes to a slight descent before leveling off again and making a hard left. Passing by a couple attractive beaver ponds the trail will sweep around the base of the mountain before climbing steeply to the somewhat open summit. Outstanding views will await you as you look over the waterways in the area and gaze upon some very attractive wilderness peaks.
Trailhead
From downtown Malone, take Route 30 south towards Paul Smith's College. The VIC is on the right, approximately 31 miles from the center of Malone. Turn into the well-marked driveway and follow it to the large parking area.
Distance Round Trip: 9 miles
Elevation: 2,513 feet
Elevation Gain: 900 feet
It can take more than 5 hours to complete this hike, due to the lengthy hike to get to the base of the mountain.
Trail Running
Considered a fine trail for a hike/run, especially as the first two miles are on a wide truck trail which turns into a nice single track. The roots and rocks smooth out soon
Summit can get wet, so take care. It can turn into a loop easily.
Snowshoeing and Cross-Country Skiing
This is a long, but considered only moderate, ski or shoe, with lots of switchbacks to keep it doable. Keep a look out for blue markings if there's a fresh snow and no trail broken out. Enjoy some sweet transitions from wide path to forest hiking, and when it gets steep it is near the end and the summit.
There's beautiful scenery as the trail winds through the wooded areas. Excellent grooming on the Loggers Loop encourages exploration. Enjoy a scenic winter view of the St. Regis Canoe Area and St. Regis Mountain with its fire tower.
Important note
There is admission to ski the Visitor Interpretive Center's groomed trails.
Experienced Skier/Snowshoer
6-5 hours round trip
