Introduction
The Mount Beacon Fire Tower hike is a hard day hike, located in Hudson Highlands State Park, Dutchess County, NY, offering panoramic views.
AllTrails link to Mount Beacon Fire Tower hike
Basic Information
Date of hike: September 29, 2019
Difficulty level: hard
Distance: approximately 4.4 miles round trip (the link above will give you various shorter or longer options)
Approximate hiking time: 3.5 hours round trip
Elevation gain: 1,591 feet
Location: Hudson Highlands State Park, Hudson Valley, NY
Parking: Parking lot coordinates 41.49371, -73.9597
Our rating: 5 stars – very difficult workout, 365 degree panoramic views, especially on top of the Fire Tower
History
Built in 1931, the Mount Beacon Fire Tower was used to spot fires for more than 50 years. In the early 1900s, locomotives ran on coal and shot sparks out of their smoke stacks. The sparks fell on branches left behind by loggers and often caused fires. By the 1970s and 1980s, fire towers were no longer needed as aircrafts replaced them.
The Mount Beacon Fire Tower was restored in 2013 as a tourist spot for hikers. It is 60 feet high, has 72 steps, and has at least 75 miles range of view.
The Mount Beacon Incline Railway ran on Mount Beacon until 1978, the remains of which can still be seen by hikers. Mount Beacon was also used by skiers, had a restaurant, a casino, and a hotel.
Our Impressions
Although our three previous hikes were incredible, the Mount Beacon Fire Tower hike mesmerized us the most.
We saw the tracks of the Mount Beacon Incline Railway, the steepest operational railroad. It immediately reminded of one of my son’s favorite childhood books, The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper. Its steepness also reminded me of the Coney Island Cyclone, which scared me enough to finally retire from my roller coaster frenzy.
The summit offers panoramic unobstructed 365 degree views. Climbing the Fire Tower provides an even more spectacular sight and made us feel like we were on top of the world.
Ascending and descending the Fire Tower can be quite scary as it does not feel sturdy and seems to moves from the wind. Hold on to the handrails and enjoy the ride!
Sadly, we could not enjoy the summit, much less the top of the Fire Tower for long, as we did not carry sweatshirts. The winds were strong and made us chilled to the bone even in 89 degree Fahrenheit temperatures.
Lesson learned – always carry extra layers on hikes.
