Hiking the Jackrabbit Trail...

[DSettahr]

Has anyone ever hiked the Jackrabbit Trail before, from end to end? I'm talking about a through hike (not on skis or snowshoes), starting at Paul Smiths and finishing at Rock and River in Keene. Has it been done?

[LionRoar]

Nearly anything's possible, but, I understand that there are portions of it that are wet and muddy throughout the year.

LR

[Inge]

Howdy!
Could someone tell me where I can get a map of the entire trail?
I don't think I have ever hiked one foot of it and it sounds like it would be coool to check it out for a trailrun - maybe?
Anyone else?
Thanks!

[mike1889]

Howdy!
Could someone tell me where I can get a map of the entire trail?
I don't think I have ever hiked one foot of it and it sounds like it would be coool to check it out for a trailrun - maybe?
Anyone else?
Thanks!

Here's a map and a description of the trail:

http://www.lakeplacid.com/shared/whattodo/JackRabbitMap.cfm

[Inge]

I was hoping to get a topo map with the trail/trailheads.
My interest would also be after the snow is gone (or if it never comes??). Are there fees at that time? Is it only open to the public for the winter activities?
So have you done any trail running alone the JR?

[LionRoar]

Hi, Inge,

I have followed portions of the trail off season and, to my recollection, no one ever asked me to pay a fee. The most recent time I walked a portion of the trail was this past spring when I made an ascent up Little Haystack from Whiteface Inn Rd.

Moose



My interest would also be after the snow is gone (or if it never comes??). Are there fees at that time? Is it only open to the public for the winter activities?
So have you done any trail running alone the JR?

[DSettahr]

Howdy!
Could someone tell me where I can get a map of the entire trail?
I don't think I have ever hiked one foot of it and it sounds like it would be coool to check it out for a trailrun - maybe?
Anyone else?
Thanks!

The EMS in Lake Placid has a slightly more detailed (but not a topo) map available for free.

The only wet section of concern is on Old Mountain Road between the Cascade X-Country Ski center and Rock and River in Keene- There are several beaver ponds there that cover the entire trail, and the pass is so narrow that going around them requires scrambling along the base of rock slides.

[Gregory Karl]

Inge,

I just used the Jackrabbit for hiking for the first time this fall. The porition I hiked, from the end of Alstead Hill Road in Keene up through the notch toward 73 is open all year and it has high-water workarounds for the beaver ponds. It provides access to some wonderful terrain—the backside of Pitchoff which has interesting cliffs, and the notch itself, which is worth seeing. Also there is access to South Notch in the Sentinels, Slide Mt., and some other interesting high points. All of the bushwhacking I have tried from the trail was wide open and quite pleasant. Defintiely check it out.

[Inge]

I will definitely check it out and may not even wait for the ice and snow to make an appearance.

Thanks again!

[tgoodwin]

I am the Executive Director of the Adirondack Ski Touring Council (ASTC) which has built and maintains the Jackrabbit Trail. Mike Becker alerted me that someone on this forum had asked about a map of the trail. EMS, High Peaks Cyclery, The Mountaineer, and the Lake Placid Visitors Bureau are some of the local places where one can get this free map. It does have 200' contour lines and a brief description of the trail on the back. It is also available directly from ASTC by writing: P.O. Box 843, Lake Placid, NY 12946 or via e-mail at: skiXC@lakeplacid.com, or PM me on this site - I'll be sure to check in more often now. At some point this winter ASTC will have its own web site, but for now we continue to rely on the Visitors Bureau web site to post conditions and receive e-mail.
In addition to the beaver ponds mentioned behind Pitchoff, there are several wet areas as the trail makes its way to, through, and past Cascade X-C Center. In season, there is a fee for traversing this section, although skiers coming in from Keene are welcome to ski as far as the lodge without a fee.