Historic Fire Tower in the Adirondacks Reopens

A historic fire tower in the Adirondacks reopens. Not only is it part of the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places, but the Wakely Mountain Fire Tower is the tallest in the Adirondacks.

Standing 70 feet tall, the tower provides a breathtaking view of the Central Adirondacks and is one of only four of the type that remains standing today. The DEC was forced to close the tower and the trail leading to the Mountain Summit following the winter of 2017 when winds nearly toppled it.

It took 8 days for crews to replace all four concrete footings, reinforce the structure, remove guy wires, and install a new roof. They removed overgrown trees and brush around the helipad and the trail. A portion of the original steel ladder remains attached to the tower. It was staffed and used for fire observation until 1988.

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