Closed fire towers?

[MTVhike]

Are there currently any closed firetowers, ADKs, Cats, or elsewhere in New York?

[dundee]

Cathead, for one. Buck Mt. on the Whitney property?

[WBB]

Mt Morris has a tower on private land

[stripperguy]

Pillsbury mt firetower has been closed for many years

[forgedin78]

Do you mean closed, as in cab locked up, stairs missing? Or closed, meaning you cannot hike to the tower at all?

[WBB]

Originally Posted by forgedin78

Do you mean closed, as in cab locked up, stairs missing? Or closed, meaning you cannot hike to the tower at all?

Cab is closed mountain and trail are open.

[MTVhike]

Dundee and WBB, are the three towers you mention ALL on private land? If so, is permission to hike possible and/or required?

[dundee]

Cathead is on private land and is being used as a police relay station. I don't think permission will be given. The whole mountain is closed.

Pillsbury is on state land and you may climb the peak any time.

I've only seen Buck Mt. on the topos, don't know anything about it.

[Tick Magnet]

Black Mt. in the Lake George Wild Forest has a "closed" fire tower.

[Lonehiker]

In the Adirondacks there are seven towers that are on private land where you need permission to hike to.

Cathead- Hatch Brook Sportsman Club
Swede- Leased to a Hunting Club, owned by Lyme and Timber
Palmer Hill- owned by a surveyor
Mount Morris- owned by a surveyor
Meenahga Hill- Was owned by a Cadillac Dealer. I don't know about now
Buck- Whitney Tower (Cedar Heights Timber)
Salmon Lake- Whitney Tower (Whitney Industries)

[MTVhike]

Originally Posted by Lonehiker

In the Adirondacks there are seven towers that are on private land where you need permission to hike to.

Cathead- Hatch Brook Sportsman Club
Swede- Leased to a Hunting Club, owned by Lyme and Timber
Palmer Hill- John Deming a surveyor, I met the guy
Mount Morris- John Deming a surveyor, I met the guy
Meenahga Hill- Was owned by a Cadillac Dealer. I don't know about now
Buck- Whitney Tower (Cedar Heights Timber)
Salmon Lake- Whitney Tower (Whitney Industries)

The survey of my Elizabethtown property was done by a John Deming (in the 1970s); do you think it's the same John Deming who owns the two properties mentioned above

[Bark Eater Too]

Gore Mtn. tower has a lots of comm. equipment installed on it and a "No trespassing" sign in place. I guess one could ignore the sign but frankly I don't want to get that close to microwave dishes anyway. Great views from the ground nearby.

[SpencerVT]

Is Wakley still closed?
Loon Lake mountain has a closed one in disrepair too.

[dundee]

Originally Posted by SpencerVT

Is Wakley still closed?
Loon Lake mountain has a closed one in disrepair too.

No, now open.

[hikingandwildex]

Berry Hill (Chenango County) is currently being restored and will open to the public sometime next year according to DEC's website. I thought this would be a good place to post this recent development.

Some closed towers in the western half of New York State that I am aware of:

Allegany State Park: There are two standing towers in the park, Mount Tuscarora and Summit Hill. Neither can be climbed. The former is in a state of disrepair and the latter is fenced off as of this past spring.

Alma Hill: Highest peak in Western New York that is on private land. Lots of "No Trespassing" signs on the side of Alma Hill Road. An old photo of the firetower can be seen on this page.

Jersey Hill: Only the foundation blocks remain today in the middle of a designated camping area.

Arab Hill: Not a firetower per se, but an interesting structure nevertheless. Fenced off as you can see in the picture.

The DEC website, CNY Hiking, and the Forest Lookouts page all provide good info on both open and closed towers throughout the state.

[DSettahr]

Originally Posted by Lonehiker

In the Adirondacks there are seven towers that are on private land where you need permission to hike to.

Swede- Leased to a Hunting Club, owned by Lyme and Timber

I know this is an older post but a clarification- the summit of Swede itself (including the tower) is on land owned by Warren County, not by Lyme Timber. It's the approach trail that crosses private property that is posted.

In any case, as I understand it a deal has been reached that will allow for public access to Swede in the near future, outside of hunting season.

[IndLk_Brett]

I believe the cab on Goodnow is closed. Which is a shame because the map in that cab is a really neat.

I was recently in the tower on Wakely and while in the cab I was definitely hoping they did a good job with the repairs - the wind was whipping around like crazy up there that day.

[Buckladd]

Originally Posted by IndLk_Brett

I believe the cab on Goodnow is closed. Which is a shame because the map in that cab is a really neat.

I can only imagine what type of treatment the cabin would get these days if it were left open. Any pictures of the map?

Meanwhile, I believe Spruce Mt. is closed during big game hunting season.

[hikingandwildex]

Originally Posted by IndLk_Brett

I believe the cab on Goodnow is closed. Which is a shame because the map in that cab is a really neat.

There's currently an online fundraiser for Goodnow's restoration on SUNY ESF's website. As of a few weeks ago, $13k of the estimated $95k cost has been raised.

Meanwhile, I believe Spruce Mt. is closed during big game hunting season.

Same with Stillwater Mountain the northwest Adirondacks.

As mentioned above, Black Mountain is another tower in the ADKs that is closed. It's still a worthwhile hike with great views on the mountaintop and from the ponds below.

[IndLk_Brett]

Originally Posted by Buckladd

I can only imagine what type of treatment the cabin would get these days if it were left open. Any pictures of the map?

Couldn't find any old pictures of the map. It's basically a fairly detailed 360° drawing of all the land features you can see looking out towards the horizon from the cab. It shows you the names of the mountains, water bodies and other major landmarks within view.

I thought it was a pretty cool addition. Especially because I'm someone who likes to look over a topo map and figure out exactly what I'm looking at when I'm up high with a good long view.

If you've ever been to The Wild Center I seem to remember them having something similar outside on the boardwalk.