It isn’t entirely uncommon, but is none-the-less a celebratory occasion when an old Fire Tower is reopened to the public. Be it a land acquisition, a restoration, or something else, every new tower or trail in the Park is a new adventure. 

For quite some time, at least since the dawn of the 21st century (almost certainly longer) this tower was unavailable to the public, but was recently reopened as of 2023. As lovers of the park, and it’s lands and trails, we quickly added it to our list.

Our Buck Mountain trip occurred on an early Saturday in March, and as a result was still very much snowy and wintered. Word to the wise from travelers down state, 50s below Syracuse is still 20s up in the mountains. This trail is quick and relatively easy, with a solid incline near the end; a typical Adirondack “out and up.”

• These newer trails tend to be given a bit more forethought than their ancestors, and as a result, there is plenty of off-the-road parking available, as well as clear signage.
• Views from the Tower of nearby lakes and mountains are nice, but the peak itself is entirely wooded.
• We spotted a few staircases, and the trail overall seemed pretty well maintained, although winter has a away of making that less obvious.
• There isn’t a lot of elevation for this one, but all of it is directly at the end, so be on the lookout for that difficulty spike.