Although Giant and RPR sit further south and outside of the clusters where most High Peaks reside, this ridge is a quintessential experience and among our favorites in the ADK.

Giant done by itself is not particularly difficult, but the entire ridge is a full day and not for the faint of heart. Starting from one end will also require a separate vehicle to be placed on the opposite end (assuming you take the New Russia Trail).  Either way, both trails are highly recommended by the crew.

This entire ridge from New Russia has nearly a non-stop offering of views and lookouts from start to finish, making it one of the most enjoyable treks in the valley, all the way from the Blueberry Cobble to Giant and then down to the road.

We highly recommend doing the trail end to end from New Russia but you can also out-and-back both from 73, this is a fairly difficult but not impossible.

From the Ridge Trail up to Giant you’re looking at a relatively short but persistent climb. Not incredibly difficult, but the elevation gain is constant with scattered scrambles. The other notable piece of this pie is that the dip directly between Giant and RPR is by far the hardest part of the climb, and if you take the Ridge trail you’ll be doing it twice.

• The lot on 73 is shared and can fill up pretty quickly, but the trail head in New Russia for the Cobble has plenty of space almost all the time. 
• Going up to Giant from 73 is a steep accent, and there are plenty of scrambles and technical parts all across the ridge.
• Giant provides a less than 180 view at peak but RPR is nearly 270 and mostly open. Bald is also a great stop.
• The entire ridge has a large portion that is open face, prepare accordingly. Wooded areas provide plenty of lookouts as well.