Flume Knob in Wilmington: Short hike with big views

Tech troubles and ranger report woes can melt away on this classic fall outing

By Tim Rowland

Like pretty much every outdoors-oriented resident of the Adirondacks, I drop everything the second the weekly rangers’ rescue report lands in my inbox.

I love reading of the heroic and death defying rescues on the back side of Haystack. The thrill! The suspense! The relief that it wasn’t me!

But the greatest entry ever occurred earlier this month when rangers were sent to Brown Tract Pond Campground to, wait for it, rescue a subject who had fallen from a hammock. I’m not criticizing the guy because this could sooo happen to me — I can hike the Great Range without incident and then cramp up in the middle of the night, trip over my boots and, arms pinwheeling for balance, desperately grab the nightstand for balance, scattering lamps, books and ink pens before face planting into the catbox.

But maybe the best part is how the author of the Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers Week in Review just left it hanging there: “Ranger Snye stabilized the subject and helped him into an ambulance. Resources were clear at 3:25 p.m.”

Nothing else. None of the usual sermonizing about unpreparedness or taking on too big a challenge. But then, what is there to say? What would be included in the 10 Hammock Essentials, a nap and compass?

Flume Knob

Which brings me to a favorite fall hike, Flume Knob, in the town of Wilmington, where I was greeted with another civilization meltdown involving a popular hiking app.

Flume Knob is one of the triad of small peaks, along with Bear Den and Marble, that get lost in the profile of mighty Whiteface Mountain. The view is, by Adirondack standards, rather pedestrian until autumn leaves light up the Route 86 corridor through Wilmington Notch.

Of the three, Bear Den by far has the best views, as reflected by an increasing number of hikers over the years. Marble might be second best, but Flume Knob’s trail is much more interesting than Marble’s arrow-straight route up an old ski lift.

RELATED: Share your fall foliage pics!

The trailhead is next to the West Branch of the Ausable River where it passes beneath Route 86 just north of The Hungry Trout Restaurant not quite two miles south of the four-way-stop in Wilmington.

The trail to the 2,265-foot summit will climb 1,165 feet, and figure on a 3.5-mile round trip, although, since this is mountain biking country, there are many loops and add-ons should you care to extend the day. 

From the trailhead you can appreciate the pounding falls below before sallying forth, and almost immediately you will bear right and head uphill over an old woods road which quickly levels off in a beautiful open forest. Other trails will branch off here and there, but if you do not specifically see a sign for Flume Knob don’t be tempted.

The trail becomes a bit steeper and rockier until, at the 1 mile mark, just after passing an attractive waterfall on your left, you will see the junction for Flume Knob, heading right. Several trails spoke out in this general vicinity, but if you stay focused the signage is adequate. If you cross the brook and see the trail to Bear Den you have overshot.

From here, the trail climbs aggressively for 0.6 tenths of a mile up a series of noses that are part of a steep hogback. But the mixed woods are a dream, with a few interesting rock formations along the way. Herd paths lead to little lookouts, but offer nothing that you won’t see from the summit.

On a sparkling late summer day we passed one woman coming down. She told us we’d have the summit all to ourselves. She seemed nice, and we had no reason to disbelieve her.

At the top, or close to it, the trail levels for a pleasant stretch through the evergreens before popping out on open ledge.

 If you’re a rock scrambler, you can find adequate hand and toe holds to heroically conquer this ledge, pretending not to see a slightly easier route off to the right.

Tech fail

Having climbed this mountain multiple times I hadn’t bothered to track the route, but curious about the elevation, I opened my trail app to learn that the company had been taken over by a private equity firm. I had to sign in through a “secure portal,” which I couldn’t do, it being so secure and all — at least for now. You know that within the week you’ll be getting one of those emails stating that “As a valued customer your privacy is our highest priority, although we must regretfully inform you that your data has been compromised and we strongly advise you to change your password, email address, phone number and perhaps consider plastic surgery.”

Something to know about me is that I am not at all tech savvy — except when motivated by revenge. Then I make a Cray computer look like a Crayola. So right there in the middle of the wilderness I was able to switch mapping programs, although I was tempted to wash my hands of all of them, since I know for a fact my map and compass will never break, run out of juice or be taken over by venture capitalists.

And why spoil this view with technology? For the effort, you get a close-up of the Sentinels and a longer view of the Jay Range, and the Green Mountains of Vermont in the distance. Much of this is clothed in hardwood, so it’s greatly enhanced in early October and well worth getting out of the hammock to see.

Plan your next Adirondack adventure

Check out our “Short Hikes” guidebook series!

Full Guidebook Set

$49.95

Shop now