Hunter Mountain Fire Tower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Hunter Mountain Fire Tower
|
|
Tower prior to renovations in 1999
|
|
| Location | Summit of Hunter Mountain, Town of Hunter, NY |
|---|---|
| Nearest city | Kingston |
| Built | 1917 |
| Architect | Aermotor |
| MPS | Fire Observation Stations of New York State Forest Preserve MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 97000569 |
| Added to NRHP | 1997 |
The Hunter Mountain Fire Tower stands tall on the top of Hunter Mountain. This mountain is the second highest in the Catskill Mountains in New York State. This tower was the first of 23 fire lookout towers built by the state in this area. It was also one of the last five towers still standing to be closed down.
Today, the Hunter Mountain Fire Tower is a popular spot for hikers. People love to climb the mountain and visit the tower. In the 1990s, the tower started to fall apart. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) even thought about taking it down. But local people worked hard to save it! They raised money, and the DEC helped too. In 1997, the tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It was then fixed up and now serves as a museum. On some weekends, volunteers are there to share its history.
From the tower, you can see amazing views. You can spot other mountains, the nearby Hudson Valley, and even parts of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Vermont. The tower itself can be seen from many surrounding mountains, the village of Hunter, and the ski area. It is the tallest fire tower still standing in New York State. It's also the second-highest in the entire Northeast region.
Contents
Hunter Mountain Fire Tower History
Early Fire Protection in the Catskills
When the Catskill Park was created in 1885, one main goal was to stop forest fires. These fires had caused a lot of damage to land and farms for many years. Forest wardens were hired to patrol areas, especially near railroad tracks. Sparks from steam trains often started fires there. They also looked into fires caused by logging or quarrying.
However, the state agency in charge, the Forest, Fish and Game Commission (FFGC), didn't have enough staff. They couldn't focus much on preventing fires. Big fires in 1903 and 1908, during dry periods, caused huge damage. People then demanded better fire control. In 1908, James Whipple, the head of the FFGC, started looking for solutions. He learned that Maine used observation towers. An official from Maine said, "One person at a station will do far more effective work in finding fires than a hundred people patrolling."
Building the Fire Towers
The FFGC realized that some mountains already had informal observation towers. These were great places for trained observers. From these spots, they could see large areas and quickly report new fires using special telephone lines. The Hunter Mountain area had many fires in the past. This was because of heavy logging and lightning strikes.
In 1909, forest rangers built the first Hunter Mountain fire tower. It was a 40-foot (12.2 m) structure made from three trees. It stood on flat ground near the summit. Observers stood on an open platform. At first, they lived in a tent nearby until a cabin was built.
Eight years later, a stronger steel tower replaced the wooden one. This 60-foot (18.3 m) tower is the one you see today. It was brought up the dirt road from Spruceton in pieces by horses. The top of the tower had an enclosed room called a cab. Inside, there was a map, binoculars, and a telephone.
In 1953, the tower and its cabin were moved about one thousand feet (305 m) northwest. They were placed on the mountain's true summit, where they are now. You can still see the old footings of the first tower at a trail crossing. At 4,040 feet (1,231 m) above sea level, it is the highest fire tower in New York State. It's also the second-highest in the entire Northeast.
Saving the Tower
Fire observations continued for many years. But the risk of fires slowly went down. Airplanes also started helping observers spot fires. People became more careful and reported new fires quickly. So, the DEC finally closed the tower in 1989.
Even after closing, the tower remained open for hikers to visit. In the 1990s, the DEC considered removing some old fire towers. This idea sparked a movement to save them. Many people felt that seeing the vastness of the Catskill wildlands from the towers helped them understand why protecting nature is so important.
In 1996, Hunter Mountain Fire Tower and four other towers were added to the Historic Lookout Register. The next year, they were added to the National Register of Historic Places. Local groups raised money to fix them. On October 7, 2000, the DEC officially reopened the Hunter tower to the public. It now has information for visitors, including a special tool called an alidade in the cab.
In 2017, the DEC started a $48,000 project to fix up the tower again. They replaced the roof, which had been damaged by wind. They also fixed the grates around the tower landings, repainted the tower, and repaired the windows. A celebration was held in August 2017 to mark the tower's 100th birthday!
Hunter Mountain Fire Tower Location
The tower stands in a small clearing. This clearing was made by logging operations long ago. It is surrounded by tall balsam fir and red spruce trees. These trees are common in the boreal forest found at high elevations in the Catskills. The observer's cabin, with a small covered porch, is just to the southeast. Its windows are covered with steel mesh. This protects the cabin from porcupines, which like to chew on wood.
There used to be other buildings here too. An observer's son remembered that the state built his father a garage to protect his truck from porcupines. A small shed near the cabin was removed in the early 1990s.
As part of the renovations, the DEC also built a pit privy (a simple outdoor toilet) in the nearby woods. Later, they improved the Spruceton Trail. This made it better for horse riders. They added a hitching rack, a drinking barrel, and a mounting ramp near the tower.
How to Reach the Tower
The old truck road, now called the blue-blazed Spruceton Trail, is the most common way to get to the tower. Horses and riders can use this trail. In winter, you can use snowshoes or cross-country skis to travel it. Most visitors start from the west, about 2.7 miles (4.3 km) away. From there, the trail climbs over 2,000 feet (610 m) to the summit. Along the way, it connects with a trail from the ski area. The ski area runs its summit chairlift in the summer.
A shorter yellow-blazed trail from the steep Becker Hollow Trail also comes from the north. However, it is not used as often. From the east, near Stony Clove Notch, the Devil's Path climbs to a junction. From there, the Hunter Mountain Trail leads to the junction with the Spruceton and Becker Hollow trails. This is where the tower stood before 1953.
The area around the tower is part of the Hunter Mountain Wild Forest. This is a special type of protected area in New York. It allows for more recreational uses than a true wilderness area.
Amazing Views from the Tower
Hunter Mountain, like many Catskill peaks, has a wide, flat top covered with trees. Since the entire Catskill range is below the tree-line (where trees stop growing), it's rare to get a full 360-degree view. The fire towers are some of the only places where you can see all around!
Because Hunter Mountain is so tall in the northern Catskills, you can see many other peaks. To the north, you can spot the unique shape of the Blackhead Range. These are the third through fifth highest Catskill peaks. To the northeast, Kaaterskill High Peak stands out. The peaks of the Devil's Path are to the east.
South of Hunter, you can see Southwest Hunter. Further away, on clear days, you might see the central Catskill peaks around Slide Mountain. Slide Mountain is the highest peak in the Catskills. Closer to Hunter, you can see West Kill and Rusk to the southwest and west. You can also see the ski area's summit station, chairlift, and trails from the tower.
