Mount Marcy
Essex County
Adirondack Park, 15 miles southeast of Lake Placid

On Sept. 6, 1901, while attending a party in Vermont, Roosevelt received the news that President McKinley had been shot in Buffalo. Initially, McKinley was expected to recover. Upon hearing this prognosis Sept. 10, Roosevelt headed for a hike to the summit of Mount Marcy, the highest peak in the Adirondacks. He and his party reached the summit around noon on Sept. 13, and then they began their descent. At about 1:30 that afternoon, while stopping for lunch, Roosevelt saw an approaching ranger. He handed the vice president a telegram stating that McKinley had taken a turn for the worst and was not expected to live. Roosevelt rushed to Buffalo to get to McKinley. The next day, McKinley died. On Sept. 14, around 3:15 p.m., Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in as president of the United States.

Today, Roosevelt's descent from Mt. Marcy and his wild ride to Buffalo are commemorated with the Roosevelt-Marcy Trail, a 40-mile roadway running from North Creek, where he became the 26th president, to Long Lake. The trail captures the essence of the Adirondack Park by combining incredible scenery with remarkable history.

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Centennial Site