Indian Ladder

The Indian Ladder Trail hugs the base of a dramatic limestone escarpment inside John Boyd Thacher State Park, roughly twenty miles west of Albany. The name traces back to Native Americans who wedged notched logs into the cliff face as ladders to reach the plateau above — a technique later adopted by European settlers. The rock walls are embedded with Ordovician-era marine fossils some 440 million years old, making the route as geologically rich as it is visually striking. Hikers walk a narrow path directly beneath the overhang, passing small waterfalls and cool rock alcoves carved by centuries of seepage. The trail is considered one of New York State's finest short hikes, especially during autumn foliage season.