Wheelchair-accessible entrance
No
Mount Beacon Fire Tower in Beacon
Comments (41)
Great hike trail.It takes an average 1 hour each way to get to the lighthouse - just follow the red stickers to the brick house. Walk a little further up and then follow the white stickers. Amazing 360 view from the top of the lighthouse, serene and beautiful.Going up it is a mild steep hike - good leg exercise. Coming down you should be careful not to sprain your ankles. Also avoid the yellow stickers at all cost only if you want to hike to Breakneck trail.
Another beautiful hike worth taking down in the Hudson Highlands is the trail that leads you up to Mount Beacon. At the end of the trail explorers will be able to not only have a panoramic views of the Highlands, but theyll also be able to explore the ruins of the Mount Beacon Incline Railway and the old powerhouse! The hike is one that isnt incredibly long, but can be a bit strenuous at times. But we promise, any bit of effort that you put in to making it to this overlook will be well worth it for the views.
If youre coming from the Beacon Mt. Trail this fire tower is about two miles. The first mile will bring you to the lookout spot, and the second mile will bring you to the tower. On a clear day you can see the Manhattan skyline way off in the distance, and there is an American Revolution monument somewhere not too far away
Awesome views of the Hudson valley. Great vista after a long day hiking the trails in the park.For anyone prone to vertigo, definitely a no-go: wind can be very strong and see-through floors dont help.
We started from little stoneypoint, went for beacon fire tower and ended in Hudson valley brewery. 8 hrs 9 miles 2700 ft ascent. Reviews say its not easy, I would say its difficult for an average athlete. If you are not in good shape, dont plan, truly breakneck. The ascent has spots of loose rocks so be extremely careful. Feel each step before the ascent. Views from the tower are astonishingly amazing! Thet descent is faster but more tiring because of loose gravel and jutting rocks. We lost trail at least thrice because the trail markers / signage are not that clear. Indulge in banter and you miss the trail. Carry good amt of food and water as you get nothing on the way. Going in a group helps!
Mount Beacon south is the highest point in the Hudson Highlands at approximately 1640 feet high. It offers fantastic views of the Hudson Highlands and Putnam Valley to the south, also a view of the NYC skyline 60 miles away on a clear day. To the west and north, the city of Beacon and the Beacon Reservoir, Newburgh, the Catskill Mountains, Shawagunk Ridge and Minnewaska Nature Preserve can be seen along with other landmarks and towns. From the parking lot near Route 9D, start and stay on the red trail all the way to the fire tower. On your way to the tower, stop by the casino ruins for some great views. Not easy to miss the ruins. On your way to return to the parking lot, just simply follow the red trail BACK to where you started. The trail is moderate and steep.
After a fun hike, you reach this beauty that can give you sights all up and down the Hudson.
Terrific 360 degree view atop the fire tower. Worth the trek no matter which way you go. A nice reward if taking the Breakneck Ridge trail.
South Mt. Beacon is the highest point in the area and offers a 360 degree view. The newly restored tower is far safer and is the cherry on a scenic summit.
Amazing, 1st timer jumped straight to the hard trails. Dress warm, pack some snacks and put on some hiking boots.
Challenging hike and semi-treacherous climb up those stairs but so worth it! View from the top. You can see the outline of Manhattan!
It is the highest peak in front of Beacon, with a nice view the trail is very hard ,very steep ,good for a hard exercise ,it is a nice wooded peak with big rocks on the way that make the road more interestig ,specilly at the end when the rock formation turn in to something like a road ,nice view as sooon and you get to the top but can continue to the fire tower and climb it and enjoy the beautifull view ,inclusive the top of some buildings in manhattan can be seen , another place to visit.
The views are amazing. The hike was not too stressful. Big roads,great for groups.
The best strategy to go up these steps is to focus on the hand rail or something else. Do not ever look down - that is if you are actually scared of heights.
Quite the hike but the views make it well worth the trip.
Strenuous hike to get to the top of Mt Beacon. The views were totally worth it. Could see the skyline of NY City.
Had to hike 4-5 hours into the words to get to it, but the view is worth!
Face your fear and climb that tower the view is spectacular and well worth it.
A bit windy at the top, but the 360 degree view is breathtaking.
Great view! For added thrills go up on a windy day.
Its a tough hike for novices but well worth it.
Amazing views of Beacon, NY and the NYC Skyline in the distance.
If you try to challenge the mountain, you are here is a very good place·
Dont be afraid, it pays off to walk up those stairs!
Good couple-of-hour night hike destination.
Got lit up there with the boys. Scary coming down the stairs though.
Great place to look out for fires
Great vista. Perfect 360 degree views.
Rewarding hike amazing views.
Breathtaking beautiful views
Climb the white blade from Breakneck Ridge to reach it. It took about three and a half hours. Starting from rock climbing, the first view can be seen in about 30 minutes. After the first vantage point, rock climbing continues, and then the ridge walks up and down the mountain several times, if you are not confident in physical fitness, access from Blue Notch Trail (Blue) or Beacon Casino Trail (Red) Is recommended. If you are accustomed to mountain climbing, you can enjoy this course, but there are many loose rocks on the ridge after the first rock climbing, so you need to walk carefully. Finally, after walking a long distance, you will reach the tower. When you reach the tower, you will notice that the top of the peak is usually banzai, but you need to climb further from the top. (Laughs) The tower towering over the highest peak of the beacon receives a strong wind and is worried about the looseness of the screw every time you climb it, but every time you put your foot on the stairs, the long tower from the top also overlooks Manhattan It seems that you can. (I could n’t see it in the fog.)
Total reviews rating 4.8
41 Reviews for Mount Beacon Fire Tower 2023:
Review №1
2021-11-03Definitely a challenging hike yet the views are so worth it! The hike up the mountain from the parking lot you start out walking by the ruins of the old cog railroad which went up to mountain side to the old casino which is no just ruins history… anyway he didn’t climb up a ton of stairs thank you whoever put those in I cannot remember at the moment anyway then you follow a bunch of switchbacks up to the casino ruins for some great views and if you want you can you can continue to follow the trail up to the fire Tower for even more amazing views Remember to bring plenty of water, maybe a couple granola bars or other snacks and a good pair of hiking shoes or at least good sneakers and if you have them trekking poles they come in handy especially on the way back down the mountain! Oh yeah and if you have a camera that would be a good idea too!Ps: There’s a great little deli at the bottom of this mountain by the parking lot if you want to grab breakfast, lunch or something to drink before or after the hike just check the hours before you go can’t promise it will be opened when you get back. Remember to have fun!
Review №2
2021-11-04Great hike including the Railway Summit Overlook. Total of 5 hours with stopping (more than most hikers) while taking the red-blazed trail from the Parking Lot on 9D/Howland Ave through the Overlook until the white-blazed trail for .2 miles to the tower. A harder hike so if youre a beginner Id recommend doing Anthonys Nose first to get a taste of it, but its really all rocky, uphill paths. The ascent/descent to and from the Overlook was the hardest part. The Overlook gives you clear views west, north and partially south. If you continue to the Fire Tower, its somewhat flat for half of the journey. Whether you ascend the tower, youll still have commanding 360 degree views of the region. On a clear day you can see the NYC skyline along with the Tappan Zee Bridge in the foreground, the high grounds of Storm King and the West Point Preserve with Schunnemunk Mtn., Orange/Ulster Counties west to The Gunks and Trapps (and beyond), to the east you can see the Taconic Ranges into Connecticut, and to the north is Poughkeepsie and Dutchess County with the Berkshires in the backdrop (some say you can see Albany). Of course, to the northwest blending between the hills and sky are the Catskills which triumph over the foreground landscape. Bring plenty of water and binoculars so you can try to point out all the ridges and landmarks!
Review №3
2022-06-26Excellent hike. About 2 miles to the fire tower. Not too difficult if you take your time. “ the stairs are the hardest part” the view is worth it
Review №4
2021-10-10Beautiful experience nice views the only thing needs to be marked the trail to go to the tower; but we founded, going up is stepping, in total 2:30 thanks,please bring with you what you bring up thanks 🙏
Review №5
2022-05-29The hike from cold spring to beacon is absolutely stunning
Review №6
2020-10-13This was a wonderful hike for me .I went for sunrise so started out very very dark .Which made it a little hard to maneuver the rocks and the right way to go up , however it all turned out beautiful. I made it just in time for the sun to rise and it was magnificent and very spiritual.
Review №7
2020-10-26Great views in summer and fall. The hike up is a little bit of a workout but definitely something kids and adults can do given enough time. The Tower can be climbed up to from Beacon to the North or Cold Spring to the South.
Review №8
2019-04-28The hike was great. Definitely a lot more steep / treacherous than I was expecting, but the end result was worth it. Not a good place to bring first timers. Make sure the weather is good or else it will be miserable. Stunning views, and a real accomplishment for anyone who makes it to the top of the tower.
Review №9
2019-06-18Great easy-to-moderate hike with beautiful overlook. A relatively vertical rocky path winds up the mountainside to an overlook that once housed a casino and funicular (there are ruins!). The view over the Hudson is beautiful and the fire tower is worth the climb for the 360 degree view. Super easy from the city - free shuttle bus picks you up and drops you at the trailhead. Recommend!
Review №10
2017-08-15Dont be fooled by the hike. The hike up to the Casino ruins is only a mile but its a rocky trail full of switchbacks and all ascending. But the climb towards the fire tower is much more level and offers a gorgeous 360 view of the surrounding Hudson Highlands, Beacon Reservoir, the towns of Newburgh and Beacon, the Newburgh-Beacon bridge, Stewart Airport and NYC.