Sunrise Elopement in Old Forge

Looking for a mountain top elopement in the Adirondacks, without the crazy hike to go with it? Bald Mountain in Old Forge IS THE SPOT FOR YOU! The hike is under 2 miles roundtrip, versus the usual 8 miles for many of these hikes, and 1000% worth the serene and beautiful views on top!  Here are all the deets on having either a micro-wedding or elopement on top of Bald Mountain in Old Forge. 

Location -Why Elope in Old Forge?

Old Forge is a small destination town of a little under 800 residents located in upstate NY. It is often referred to as Adirondack Base Camp, as it is the perfect spot to launch your Adirondack adventure from. It is a tourist town that is perfect for family getaways with lots of free activities (such as hiking, biking, sightseeing, etc…), bachelor/ bachelorette trips, romantic getaways, and elopements/ small weddings!!. 

Old Forge has a good mix of restaurants, cute shops, and stunning scenery, making it a picturesque place to tie the knot. 

Getting there

Old Forge is pretty centrally located on NYS Route 28 in Upstate NY. Here are the driving distances from the bigger cities (and their airport codes if you’re flying in!):

Albany (ALB): Just under a 2.5 hours
New York City (JFK, LGA, EWR): 5 hours
Syracuse (SYR): 1 hour and 45 minutes
Rochester (ROC): Just under 3 hours
Buffalo (BUF): Just under 4 hours
Ottawa, Canada (YOW): 3.5 hours
Montreal, Canada (YUL): 3 hours and 45 minutes
Toronto, Canada (YYZ):  5 hours

Bald Mountain

Bald Mountain is our favorite hike for an elopement or a micro-wedding. The hike itself is just under 2 miles roundtrip, making it one of the shortest hikes to a peak that offers a stunning view in the Adirondacks. On AllTrails it is categorized as easy, however it does have a few rocky areas to be mindful of, and depending on the time of year, will make you sweat a little. 

Getting up takes anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the pace. We usually budget about an hour for our couples, so there is no rush on the hike up, and so we can all enjoy the full experience of the hike.

This is a family friendly trail, and we have seen many tiny kiddos in backpacks, along with kids ages 5+ hiking racing up the mountain (and every time they race by me I wish I still had the energy of a 6 year old haha!). 

The summit provides you with stunning views of lakes and mountains, with a 180 degree view. Bald Mountain also has a fire tower at the summit, giving you a whole extra 360 degree view of the surrounding area from the top of the fire tower. I will leave a disclosure here that if you are afraid of heights, the fire tower may be a little bit of a challenge (let’s just say my German Shepherd made it a whole 5 steps before saying absolutely not!).

Timing your Adventure

Sunrise vs Sunset

Sunset vs. sunrise… which time of day is the best for you? Both are beautiful for your adventure to take place, however which is better depends on a few factors. If you are absolutely not a morning person, and struggle getting up early, sunset is definitely more of your vibe. Sunset is perfect if you want to have a relaxing morning, and want to start your adventure in the afternoon. Sunsets mean you will be hiking down in the dark, vs vice versa, and tend to be during the warmer part of the day.

Sunrise is the right choice for you if you want to have a more private experience at the top. Most people hike this mountain either morning time (9am-11am) or closer to sunset, so there are a lot more people at the summit in the evening than there are at sunrise. The summit is pretty large and offers a few places to go, so finding a private spot is still doable, the area just may be smaller at sunset.

Sunrise is also a better choice if you don’t want to be sweaty when you reach the top. The temperatures are way cooler before the sun rises and can provide for a less sweaty experience on your way up. One thing to note is that you don’t have to worry about sweat spots for the photos, as you hike up in comfy gear and change into your wedding attire at the top so as to not ruin it on the way up! Also, the serene, quiet, and majestic views of the fog lifting off the lakes far below you is a feeling you will never forget, and makes getting up so early 100% worth it.

Time of Year

As with most of the Adirondacks, the best time to elope in Old Forge is Summer and Fall. Early spring and late fall the weather can be a bit more unpredictable than normal, and you may end up either hitting mud season or snow (though I will say we have done many hikes in the snow, and they are just as breathtaking… as long as you don’t mind the cold!).

Due to its popularity, I highly recommend avoiding this hike on weekends, especially for sunset elopements. Sunrise we have been lucky to get the mountain top to ourselves regardless of what day of the week it is.  

Where to Stay

Old Forge offers a wide variety of places to stay, from camping spots, to cozy bed and breakfasts, to 5 star hotels on the water. You let us know what your vibe is, and we find you the best spot! We do recommend booking your lodging well in advance, as Old Forge tends to get booked solid during the summer months (and when I say booked solid, I mean every paid camping spot is full too!)

What to Pack

We have a comprehensive packing list available for you to check out here: However, here are a few of our number one recommendations. 

When it comes to packing, we carry almost everything to the summit for you. This includes your picnic set-up and the food, all camera gear, blankets, and hiking needs. All you have to worry about is having a small backpack to carry your wedding attire in, shoes, and a bottle of water. This is a small amount that remains lightweight in your backpack, and also keeps your hands free for the hike up.

We provide headlamps for the hike up or down (depending on if you’re hiking at sunset or sunrise), gear needed to make some fresh hot coffee or tea on the summit for you, everything needed to marry you on top, and of course, all the needs to for some epic photos and video!

The most important thing for you to have are good hiking shoes! Hiking boots with good tread are the number one recommendation; however if you don’t own hiking boots, a solid pair of sneakers with good tread will suffice. Closed toed shoes are a must with the terrain, though you can bring sandals for the summit if you’d like something different for your photos!

Desi and Sam- Their Story

Now that we have all the essential information out of the way, let me tell you about Desi and Sam, the amazing couple you see in all these images.

A Little about Them:

Desi is an adventurous at heart person, who loves a good view, but doesn’t really have hiking/ outdoor experience. Her partner, Sam, has hiked and camped in the past. Both of these beautiful souls are big gamers and spend most of their time with their kids or at home.

They really wanted to do something outside their comfort zone that would push their limits a bit. Desi isn’t a fan of heights, but has a “let’s do it” attitude, and was all for it when I suggested Bald Mountain for their elopement.

They live in Rochester and decided on a sunrise elopement for a couple of reasons. Being the middle of summer, we knew it would probably be a hot day, and both of them didn’t like the idea of starting the hike in 80 degree weather. They also loved the idea of having a sunrise picnic with mimosas at the top, and having a chance to relax on top as long as they’d like before hiking down. The sunrise hike also allowed them to drive through the night and get to the trailhead bright (or should I say still dark) and early to start our hike.

What Their Day Looked Like:

We met at the trailhead at 4am, checked that everyone had the gear they needed, packed a few of their things into our bags,  and headed out in the dark. When we headed out there was only one other car in the parking lot, and that group hiked up and down before we even reached the summit, giving us the whole mountaintop to ourselves.  

Desi and Sam changed into their wedding attire at the first lookout, which is where we started our photos. We then finished the last quarter of a mile of the hike to the summit, where we set up a beautiful picnic for them to enjoy while watching the sunrise.

We spent a good 45 minutes just relaxing and taking in the stunning views. Desi and Sam took a small nap after their mimosas and snacks, enjoying the mountain top air and watching the fog slowly lift off the lakes far below. Once everyone was refreshed, we had their ceremony, got some sick drone footage, and captured a few more photos. After that they changed back into comfy clothes and we headed back down the mountain, this time in daylight. 

When we got back to the parking lot, it was completely full, which was not at all surprising with the amount of people we passed on our way back down. 

They then went off to one of the great diners in town for a full breakfast to finish off their adventure. We started at 4am, and were in a diner by 10am.  Desi and Sam wanted something simple but breathtaking, and that is exactly what we made sure they had!  (PS: In case you’re wondering what the start of a hike at 4am looks like…. the photo below is it haha!)

Wrapping it all Up:

If you are looking to elope in a cute town in the Adirondacks, with a little bit of adventure, you have found your place! Old Forge is perfect for a short hike that leads you to a stunning view to elope in front of. Not only can you elope on top of Bald Mountain and get epic photos, you can have a romantic picnic up there and then spend the rest of your day in town relaxing and taking in the start of the greatest adventure of all: Marriage to your best friend!

If any of Desi & Sam’s story or this blog resonated with you, I’d love to connect with you and see what your unique adventure elopement might look like!