Mount Marcy at 5,344 feet is the highest peak in New York State and the Adirondacks. It is one of the most visited remote peaks in the world. The closest road is more than 5 miles away, the closest village is 8 and reaching the top may require almost 8 miles of walk through forests of birch, pine, spruce and fir, over streams and past waterfalls, around boulders and across swamps.

Mount Marcy's first recorded ascent was in 1837 by a large party led by Ebenezer Emmons. The mountain is named after former governor William L. Marcy, who authorized the environmental survey that explored the area.