New York · Hiking

Good Luck Cliffs Trail

Good Luck Cliffs TrailPhoto: markcbrennan, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
0.6 mi
round trip
644 ft
climb
2,317 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Sep
best months

Good Luck Cliffs Trail is a short, out-and-back hike in New York's Ferris Lake Wild Forest, managed by the State Department of Conservation. The trail is about a mile long and climbs roughly 640 feet from a starting point near 1,700 feet to a high point of about 2,317 feet. The climb is front-loaded, with the steepest stretch at about 0.2 miles from the start, where the grade reaches 38 percent. The trail is rated easy, and the round trip takes about an hour. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical July averages from a nearby weather station run around 77°F for highs and 56°F for lows, and the station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the cliffs run cooler. Spectacle Lake Trail starts just 0.2 miles away, and Good Luck Mountain, a climbing area, is about 0.3 miles off. West Stoner Lake Trail is about 0.6 miles away, and State Brook, another climbing area, is about 1.8 miles away.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · May–Sep

    Best time to visit Good Luck Cliffs Trail

    Best months: May–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      24° / 7°

    2. Feb

      27° / 8°

    3. Mar

      35° / 16°

    4. Apr

      48° / 29°

    5. May

      63° / 42°

    6. Jun

      72° / 52°

    7. Jul

      77° / 56°

    8. Aug

      73° / 54°

    9. Sep

      67° / 46°

    10. Oct

      53° / 36°

    11. Nov

      40° / 25°

    12. Dec

      30° / 16°

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Gloversville 7nw (Peck Lake), NY, 11.2 mi away at 1,455 ft. The station sits about 900 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

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Route details

Distance
0.6 mi round trip
Climbing
About 644 ft
Summit
2,335 ft
Difficulty
Easy
Time
About 0.5 hours

Questions about this route

How long is the Good Luck Cliffs Trail on Good Luck Mountain?

About 0.6 mi round trip.

How much elevation gain is on the Good Luck Cliffs Trail?

About 644 ft of climbing round trip.

How hard is the Good Luck Cliffs Trail?

It is rated easy.

How long does the Good Luck Cliffs Trail take?

About 0.5 hours round trip.

Conditions and forecast on Good Luck Mountain

Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors