Mount Arab Fire Tower
Posted by: 
monkeykat
N 44° 12.272 W 074° 35.304
18T E 532886 N 4894672
The Mount Arab Fire Tower is a 35 Foot structure with a metal cabin on top. It was built in 1918, replacing a wooden tower opened in 1911. It is the only tower remaining of the seven that once stood in St. Lawrence County.
Waymark Code: WMVKJ
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 10/17/2006
Views: 101
This tower is located at the top of Mount Arab in the Adirondack Region. Mount Arab is located about three miles west of Tupper Lake on route 3. Near the town of Piercefield, turn left on the Conifer Road and go a few miles more to the trailhead. Be sure to sign the trail register.
I have hiked to this tower yearly for the last 20 plus years. When I was a child, it was still manned by a forest ranger who lived in a cabin on the mountain top. Ohhh the stories he'd tell. Lightning Strikes, Bears, you name it, he'd seen it or been through it. The tower fell into disrepair in the late 80's and 90's until recently when the "Friends of Mount Arab" restored the summit.
The tower is open to visitors and usually staffed by a forestry student. The stairs are very rickety and narrow. It seemed much easier to climb when I was younger, and smaller.
You can view Tupper Lake and Mount Morris to the northeast, the Adirondack High Peaks to the east, The Raquette River valley to the north, Horseshoe Lake Wild Forest to the southwest, and Mt Arab Lake and Eagle Crag Lake to the west. On clear days you can see North to Whiteface Mountain.
History:
Forest fires swept forests of the Adirondack Mountains repeatedly in the early 1900s, and in 1916 the State of New York began construction of an extensive network of permanent steel fire towers to replace wooden structures that were expensive to maintain. These towers served continuously until 1990 when they were all replaced by air patrol.
Difficulty is ranked as a 3 because, while the hike to the top of the mountain is not too bad, the Fire Tower itself is old, rickety, and generally feels kinda unstable. Still enjoyable to climb though, and the views are spectacular.
Height of Look-Out Tower in feet: 35.00
Difficulty: 
Opening times and fees:
No fee-just sign in (and out!) at the bottom of the summit.
Parking Area: N 44° 12.803 W 075° 35.775
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Visit Instructions:
Please log only if you have been up there and you must include a photo of the scenic view from the top.